The morning call., 1893-03-01
A MISSIONARY FROM ASIA.

The American Mussulman, Mr.. Alexan-
der Russell Webb-to whom THE CALL
made slight reference the other day.
opened his course Of prOselytism at New oFk
on Friday with lecture at the house of
Daniel SickIes. Mr.. Webb is no wild crank
He is a hard-headed Missourian, who has
been thirty years in business In various
parts of Asia, has made a fortune, and was
once United States Consul at Manila. lie
became follower of Mahomet many years
ago, aud unlike the. early disciples of the
prophet is no believer in proselytism by
force. He Is quite a model of liberation.
He sees how much good there is IN Chris
tianity and admiTes it, but he holds that
there is more good sill in the Mosem faith.
He reduces the differences. between Chris
tianitY and Mahometanism to three points.
Christians wash their hands and faces and
take an occasional bath Mahometans must
battle their whole bodies daily Christians.
when they pray, pray notoftener thanonce or
twice a day; Mahometan prays five times.
And finally a Christian can have but one
wife at a time; a Mnssulman may have
four He thinks Americans would be ad-
yantaged il they confOrmed in:these respects
to the Moslem rule. ::
{. Most people will agree with him on the
question of ablution.. Doctors say that
large proportion Of the diseases. which sfiiet
mankind arise from want of cleanliness;
and, so far as this city is concerned; as the
Spring Valley, allows every man. woman
and child siXtY-six gallons of water per day,
there Is. no reason why any one should
deny himself the luxury of daily bath
. As to the prayer question. people will
differ even ID the class in which the efficacy.
n OraVaF md any cirnttinct is-
ter OF debate: In Oriental countries no re-
mark is made when follower of the prophet
interrupts a conversation. or bargain to
utter an eY0cation to Alla1f;' but here it
would jar with our usages il an attorney.
stopped in his speech or a broker suspended
his dealings or mechanic threw down his
tools two or three times a day to say his
prayers. To tell the TRUTH though religious
s.rlfe has been occasionally hot 10 the past
history of our race, neither the .Anglo-Saxon
nor the German has ever been as prOIe to
religious teryoT as the Asiatic; and I would
be a work. of some difficulty to evoke the
sen timent to-day. People would liken:' the
praying multitude to the Salvation Army. :.
But the main impedment in the way of
Mr. Nehb's success is the position Ofthe
Mahometans on the subject of marriage
Cur principles on that question are derived
. from the teachings of the Christian church,
and no serious attempt has ever been made
to depart from them. Latterly they have
been confirmed by the teaching of statis-
ticians Thare are in the United States
about as many females as.maies. There is
in the whole country a slight tpreDOnderance.
OF women, which is chiefly observable in
some of the New England States. ln this
part of:.the country males preponderate,
and strange to say the preponderanee is not
diminishing. Now, il we should adopt Mr..
Webb's philosophy. and allow man four
wives, three other men would be doomed to
a life of celibacy. That would involve in
, convenienees which need not be explained,
Mr.. Webb must be aware that even in THE
countries where pOlygamy is tolerated by
. law, such as China, few men have more
than one wife, Economical as well as.
statistical reasons forbid the accumulation
OF women in the household, '-' -
1t seems 70 be admitted that Mr.. Webb is
a man Of intelligence No doubt there are.
good MANY people who will find it inter-.
esti9g to hear him explain how he en-
braeed so strange a:delusion as Mahomeian-
ism. bat he wiIl-.hardly make any sincere
converts. ~'.