People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-04
Are Foreign Missions a Mistake?

on missiouar es have led to animated
discussions whether missions are
really valuable. Many papers quote
paragraphs from the writings of tray.
ellers Of note, and the general public
share in the discussion by sending
letters to the papers. In the major
iJy of cases Christian missions to the
heather seem to be regarded as a
failure. The expenditure OF blood
and treasure, it is aimed, is far
greater than the result of the mission
work warrants. The British govern
ment is forced to protect the mission
aries, who are unable to gain enough
verts to insure their safety. On
the whole, the opponents OF foreign
mission work think the money ex
pended In converting heathens ought
to be.used in retaining the un Chris
tain population of darkest England"
Life, London, says:
"WheD all Great Britain and Ire
land is thoroughly AMI perfectly
Christianized, it will surely be time
to begin the good work in foreign
chimes, and until that desirable time
comes, it is surely fair and just to ask
the devoted men who are moved so
acutely by the proselytizing spirit, to
spend their energy in the task of
removing the mote (and it is big
mote) from our own eyes before be-
ginning an ophthalmic operation on
the beam in the hopeless case of the
Chinese myopic."
The st. James's Gazette, which
has received great many letters Oh
the subj expresses similar opln
lon' Inns paper says:
'It is monstrous, we say, that
Christian missionaries should be muir
dered in China. So it is. A sign OF
barbarism, in fact. Bat what is 60
ing on in Ireland? A couple OF
street Observation-Disclosures of the
blatant type, no doubt-were set on
by Roman Catholic mob in Sligo
yesterday. They were a good deal
knocked about, and might have Jared
as badly as welchers on race-course
had they not been rescued by two
hundred men of the Royal Irish C IN.
stabulary sperislly drafted into the
town. 1t may be said that these
propagandists had given the provo
cation by denouncing the local creed.
But the same can be urged against
the missionaries in China. We hope
the case will not be copied into The
Pekin Gazette. Otherwise we may
be informed-with some choice max
iu s from Confuolus-thatin toleranc
is not purely Eastern vice."
The same paper, in common with
others, quotes from Mr.. Curzon's
"Problems OF the Far East" to prove
that missions are failure. Mr..
Curzon is at present Under Secreta-
ry for the Colonies, pest which he
obtained because Of his intimate
knowledge of colonial affairs. He
writes:
"The Chinaman, who is entirely
content with his own religion, and
asks only to he let alone, is assaulted
by propaganda that commences
with an attack upon all that he holds
most dear. To him the ethics of
Confucius sum up the whole duty OF
man to the family and the State
while the payment of homage to the
higher powers is provided for by the
polytheistic conceptions of the Budd-
hist cult. He hears the former dis
paraged, the latter derided. He is
invited to become convert at the
cost OF ceasing to be citizen; to
tear up the sheet an Choir of all NOR
atty as the first condition OF moral
regeneration. If the evaDgelists of
some new faith were to appear in
England, drawn from race whom
we hated and despised, and were to
commence their preaching by de.
nouncing the Bible, and crying Ana
thema Maranatba upon the Apostles
Creed, what sort of a reception
would they meet with? In coun-
trv lilo China the instiiutiOnS of