Smyrna times., 1893-11-22
METHODIST MISSIONS.
SPIRITED DEBATE OVER THE APPRo-
PRIATION FOR INDIA.

A red.hot debate over the sum to he
appropriated for mission work in India
during the coming year enliven the
afternoons session of the General Mis-
slonary Committee of the Methodist
Church.
The committee to whom the matter
had been referred reported an appro.
priatiOn of $127 ,729, to be divided as
the Board in New York might deter
mine, between the North, Northwest
and South India, Bombay and Bengal.
Burmah Conferences. Bishops Foss,
Hurst and Mallalieu made earnest ad.
dresses in support of the recommen-
dations. The latter said that if it were
possible to put 100000 and 80 mis-.
sionariGs into the field they would have
l5,OO0,O00 converts in India in a verv
few years.
The other Bishops told of the great
work that was being accomplished.
Natives were being converted and bap-
tlzed by the tens of thousands. In one
place 10000 people were waiting to be
received into the church. In another
conference $50 native preachers were
at work, and all they asked for their
services was nine cents day. "Give
us the right of way for India" pleaded
Bishop Hurst. Its Gods work, and
God is pointing the way for US. We
must follow it,"
Bishop Fowler led the opposition.
He criticised the fact that the Indian
appropriation had not been scaled one
ninth, as had been all the other, and
declared it was unfair and unjust The
tide of money had set 10 toward India
to the discredit of other missions. This
country had been hypnotized by that
greatest of moral beggars of modern
times, Bishop ThOburn. 1t was not the
business OF the committee to be carried
on the tide that was carrying all the
missionary money to India.
More than that, India was a ward of
Great Britain, and not of the United
States. Our own ward geographically
and prOvidentially was China. Why
not pour out our treasures upon the
Chinese? A century to come, when
they were Christiauized and civilized,
the people would bring to this coun-
try tide Of trade and travel that
would make the ports of the Pacific
Coast TEEN with more trade and COM
merce than the Atlantic ports have
ever experienced.
DIR. J. M. Buckley, the eloquent edi-
tor-preacher of New York spoke in the
same strain. India, he thought was
getting too much. He criticised the
WOmen's Foreign Missionary Society
for taking collections in Churches, in
schools, in fact wherever they could
get dollar-all for India. 1t was a
violation of all agreements, and it in
jured the collections of the society pro-
per. Comparing China and India, he
said that the Chinese were kept out,
while Hindoos could come in by the
tens of thousands if they wanted to.
The late President Harrison had not
vetoed the Geary law
Bishop Fowler interrupting-"No
but ne got vetoed himself"
"Yes, he got left" continued DR..
would have been further behind had
he not pandered to the Pacific slope"
India was defended by Bishop Hurst
and DIR. Peck, Of New York. The for
mer said that if DR.. Thoburn could
hypnotic the entire Methodist Church
he thanked God for it. More power to
him. As to the Chinese he would to
God that we would let them ia by the
100000 we needed them. San Fran
cisco needed them to build railroads
and other improvements,
DR.. Peck declared it would cost as
much to bring the missionaries and
their families home as to keep them in
India for another year. India was as
much our ward az the ward of any
other country. If England had paved
the way SO much the more proViden.
tial
The debate continued for ever three
hours and the previous question was
ordered. By majority vote 1t was de-
cided to scale the appropriation recon-
mended by the Committee, to grant
$4,000 to reimburse tho salary fund for
deficit created by the depreciation of
the native currency, and to allow the
India field to spend a further sum of
$4,000, provided it raised the amont
itself.
The other appropriations for the |
foreign work, made earlier in the day,
were: South America, ,$51 ,671; Chinese |
MISSIONS Chow, $25, 400; Central |
China, $4l ,344; North China, $42, 1000;
West China, S9,967; total for China,
$l18,711. North Germany; $4,000: |
South Germany, $13,SOO; Switzerland,
s. 300; Norway, $4,000; Sweden, S1S,. |
O0Oi Denmark, $4,000; Finland and st. |
Petersburg, $8,S73. Bulgaria, glg,25O;
Italy, $42,500; Mexico, S5S,87S; Japan, |
$54 ,40S; Korea, $15, 1857.