The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-21
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. nay q. 1a93

rather strange that there is such apathy
in respect to it. Now that an appropria
tion for building has been obtained the
people do not seem TO care whether there
is delay in erecting the building or not.
They undoubtedly want it as soon as it
can be built, but nobody seems to be will
ing to take the lead in movement to have
work begun upon it Immediately. In
almost anyother city the Secretary Of the
Treasury would be given no rest until the
contract for the building was given out.
The present summer is likely to be
very dull one. Our mechanics may have
a good many idle days. If the public
building were being erected, however, it
would afford a good many of them employ
ment. Why don't the city council and
the trade bodies unite in pointing out 10
the Secretary of the Treasury our need
of the building and how helpful it would
be to our mechanics and laborers if the
building should be erected this summer2
Churches and the Chinese Law.
The missionary boards and societies of
exercised about the decision of the SUI
preme court in favor of the Geary act.
Indeed, they have reason to be. For their
missionaries in China would probably be
among the first to feel the force of retail
alton. There are upward Of 900 mission
airy workers in China, supported by the
Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational,
Baptist, Protestant Episcopal and Re
formed Dutch) churches in the United
States. Should the Chinese government
determine upon retaliation, these mission
aries would be expelled from the country,
to their own imminent peril and to the
eternal peril of the millions of souls they
are seeking to save.
The Presbyterian ministers, as individ-
uals, were the first to protest against the
execution of the law and to forecast the
consequence of such execution. Some one
or two of them, indeed, denounced the
law as "infamOus" and disastrous"
And it was peculiarly fitting that these
first protests and denunciations should
have come from Presbyterians. The
President who signed the bill is an elder
in the Presbyterian church, and in con-
sidering it he had the advice of two other
Presbyterian elders in his cabinet.
AS an organization the Methodists were
the first to enter their solemn protest
against the law and pray the President to
use all means within his power to secure
''peace and harmony" between the two
countries. The board of managers of the
missionary society of the Methodist
church was the body acting, and besides
the protest and prayer, recommended to
the church the setting aside of Sunday,
May rs, as day of special prayer for a
satisfactory solution of the pending ques-
ton.
The Methodists maintain the largest
corps of missionary workers in China.
They have the empire divided into four
districts, with headquarters for the dis
tricts at Foo Chow, Hong Kong, Pel1in
and Canton. The Presbyterians are next
in order with regard to numbers of work.
ers. They, likewise, have the work sys-
tematized in districts, with headquarters
at Ningpo, Tungchow, Pekin and Canton.
The Congregational church, with almost
as large force as either of the two
churches mentioned, is next in order, fol-
lowed by the Baptist, Protestant Epis-
copal and Reformed churches.
1t is probable that demonstration of
considerable Importance will be made by
the evangelical churches against the
Geary act. The governing board of the mis-
sionary work of the northern Methodist
church has instituted a movement with
that end in view, and there is little doubt
that the other denominations will join it,