The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-16
CHINESE HARD TO GET AT
THE DIFFICULTIES MISSIONARIES
HAVE 70 OVERCOME,

Ino Ian RuHR6 anu AOQ0S OF IDlnkln q
OF the Orientsls the Greatest Obsta-
cles to Christisnizing Influences.
Few Missionaries Succeed in Their
Work-The Riots in China Regarded
As Favorable Sign by the Mis-
sionsries.
Rev. D. L. Anderson, one of the mission
aries to China of the southern Methodist
church, preached yesterday and last night
at Trinity Methodist church upon the SUBJ
jeot OF missions.
Mr.. Anderson has Just returned from
China, where he has been for the last ten
years. upon years furlough for the bsne-
1T OF his health. He is a native South
Carolinian, but was a member of the
North Georgia conference for several
ton has been at Soo-Chow, q city Of 500, 900
inhabitants. about sevsnty-five miles in the
interior from Shanghai.
THE DIFFICULTY IN MISSION WORK.
In his morning sermon Mr.. Anderson de-
voted himself more TO the subject Of mis-
| sions in general, but his sermon at night
was especially devoted to the subject Of
Chinese missions
He devoted the opening OF his sermon TO
illustrating the difficulty which the occi-
| dentals have in compromising the
| derstood by them. ALI the ideas,
habits, customs and manners Of thought
of the Chinese, he said are exactly opposite
to all the ideas and modes of thinking of
the people who live on this side of tine
water
1t requires at least five years residence
among the Chinese. he said, for q mission
a n, hair laT I'D kaA -,
comprehend their ideas and modes OF think
| ing This is the chief reason why the mis-
stons in China have made so little prog
ress.
WHY MISSIONARIES FAIL.
The majority OF men who have gone
there have remained AG their posts less than
| i've years on account of Ill health and other
reasons Of the fourteen mission
aries Of The southern Methodist
church now In China. Mr.. Anderson said
only seven had been there more than Ave
years. including himself and DR.. Young J.
Allen, who Is also in this country on q vaoa-
ton.
The chief need of the church In China at
! present is not more money, he said, bat
more men, in order to enable them to cover
the territory which lies open to the missions.
THE RIOTS A GOOD SIGN.
The riots Of June year ago. Mr.. Ander-
son said, were viewed in a different light
by the missionaries In China from
that in which they were regarded
he said, regarded the riots as q favorable
sign. For years they had lebored without
being able to attract the attention of the
people. The masses regarded them with
indifference, and the literati or upper
Glasses with contempt. However, it began
to be perceived that this new religion was
/ L.. Al
| and then the contemptuous indifference
changed to direct antagonism. The lit
erary men in the center of the empire began
to prepare little pamphlets charging the
! missionaries with all sorts of crimes and
! immoralities. These pamphlets were in
| dustriously circulated throughout the en-
pire, especially in the districts where the
missionaries were located.
| INcITED BY THE LITERATI.
! Having prepared the way by poisoning
the minds OF the people the literati ssnexi
sent out emissaries to incite the people &c
riot. In this they were successful. The
riots began in the west and spread east, the
| mobs burning the houses Of the mission
aries and driving them out. Protestants
and Roman Catholics were treated alike.
Two were killed. The mob surrounded the
mission house at Soo-Chow, but
the authorities interfered and saved
the lives of the missionaries.
The riots. instead OF driving out the mis-
sionaries, had the opposite effect. The peo-
pie began to take an interest In them and &C
inquire about their doctrines. They attended
their meetings and listened attentively &c
their teachings. The result. Mr.. Anderson
said, was that three large cities in the in.
terror which had been closed to the mission
aries were now open to them, and q gen.
eral interest had been aroused in their worh
throughout the empire. IL they only
had the workers TO put into
the field an immense amount of good could
be accomplished, he said
BADLY TREATED EVERYWHERE.
Mr.. Anderson said the missionaries were
not looked up to with respect by the Chi
nese, but on the contrary we're treated with
great contempt. -. The Chinese regard these
foreigners as barbariaus and think 10 ar
insult for them to endeavor TO teach theil
ideas of religion to the celestisls.
THE Chinese" he said, "are not savages
but cultivated and intelligent people and
| we'll able to match themselves in argument
against the missionaries who come amonS
| them"
Mr.. Anderson will spend this week II
Savannah and will preach next Sunday a
| Wesley Monumental church.