The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-12-19
THE PARLIAMENT HELD AT C /
CAGE DURING THE FAIR.
A Paper Prepared for the woman's
Board of Missions by Mrs. Mary
:. whitney.
Published by request.


ginating the great plan of taking ad
vantage of the great crowds attending
the Worlds Fair at Chicago, to gathe
them together into convention of al
professions, religions, sects, trades anc
societies, for mutual conference anC
enlightenment. While during the si1
months of the Fair there were hello
separate congresses of all religion;
sects of English-speaking people, this
Parliament undertook the grand pro.
ject of gathering together representa-
tive men and women from all the
great religions of the world, to freely
and without hindrance state their pc
culiar doctrines and practices, and
leave the comparisons to be made by
the conscience of their hearers.
These meetings were not held on
the Fair grounds, but in the city, on
the lake front, at the foot of Adams
street, in great unfinished building
called the Art Institute. 1t was built
for this purpose and has two large
rooms, the halls of Columbus and
Washington, and numerous smaller
halls. The Parliament was held in
the Hall of Columbus, which was said
to hold three or four thousand people.
1t was poorly ventilated, very hot and
always crowded. The Illinois Central
railroad ran on one side of the build
ing, and every few minutes an engine
would pass, shrieking and putting, as
if eager to show these commemorative
Orientals" how little, after all, Chi
cago cared for all the wisdom of the
sages and the ages. The Parliament
held their sessions daily for seventeen
days, and, with all these drawbacks,
it was generally impossible to find
seat without coming long before the
meeting commenced.
Though Mr.. Bonney was the origin
ator and acting president of all these
conventions, the honor of the success
of this Parliament was due to Rev.
VIM. II. Barrows, d. D., pastor of q
Presbyterian church in Chicago, who
spent two years in corresponding with
leading men all over the world, ar
ranging the programme for these fifty
one meetings. He was rightfully
appointed the president of the Par
lament, and made most wise and
sympathetic presiding officer.
cannot hope in this brief paper to
more than touch the personnel of the
gathering, and to give you a glimpse
into one or two of the meetings. / |
was fortunate enough to attend the
opening meeting, which 1 shall at
tempt to describe. A little after the |
time announced, wonderful process
sion entered the hall and marched to |
to the platform, where they were
seated. 1t was headed by Hon. c. C. |
Bonney, walking with Cardinal Glib
bons. The Cardinal was dressed in his |
full official robes, brilliant scarlet |
silk cloak lined with heavy brocade of
the same color, fastened at the neck |
and open down the front, showing an
other red robe beneath, reaching to
his feet. A heavy gold chain about
his neck held large gold cross set
with jewels. Oh the back of his head
was small red cap. DR.. BarroWs
followed, with Archbishop Latus, of
Athens, a very high official of the
Greek Church. He was short and
portly and wore long black cassock
with immense sleeves, and high,
hat. Across his
broad breast there were numerous gold
chains holding crosses and Jewels of
various kinds; he carried q long carved
staff which he held in front of him as
he sat. He had long, white beard
and a benevolent expression of coun-
tenance. He was attended by two
other priests similarly attired Near
them when they were seated was
Suami Vivekananda, a Hindoo monk,
dressed in an orange-colored robe of
some plain cotton goods, wound about
him from head to foot in numerous
folds and secured by red sash. On
his head he wore q saffron colored
most uncomfortable looking
affair. His face was not dark, and his
expression very attractive. He was q
great favorite all through the conven-
ion. There were several other Hin /
zoos dressed much like him,in equally
vivid colors.
On the opposite side in a row sat six ;
Buddhist priests from Japan, with s
;haven heads and white robes, and
near them Rev. Renchi Sibata, a |
lI1tSb VI Tue JlhhO DTduCu Oh tie
Japanese Shintu sect, whose attire is !
5hus described: "a most curious bit
If millinery was on his head. Fancy
/ shining black travelling cap fastened c
~ q string under the chin. At the
Jack black, openwork ornament a 1
GOT or more long and four inches '
vide, fastened apparently by another /
also black and shining, and 1
which stood up like the backcombs of S
'ur great grandmothers. His top 1
yown was of snow white brocade, C
aced with vermilion; the undergown i
ooked in the shadow dark green and {
black. He made his bow with clasped {
lands, and seemed a strange, remote, /
picturesque personality belonging to
mother planet i
There were several Chinese, chief of t
whom was Ping Quang Yu, Secretary o
# the Chinese Legation at Washing .
on, in rich silk robe and mandarin's r
ap. +
A most attractive figure seated mod a
silly on one side was Christopher s
ibara, from Damascus. His face re- V
allied at once the old paintings of the d
sedeemer. His hair was parted in the il
niddle and curled slightly where it s,