The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-02
4 FRIEND OFTHE TURK
HE CLAIMS TT Is THE MISSIONARIES
WHO MAKE THE TROUBLE.
The Turk II Cleanly. Pious and Chaste,
and to Teach Him Relation lis
"Arrogant Bumptiousness.-

there. / had an opportunity. through talks
with Minister Terrell and two of the Sui
tan's aids. to learn all the inside facts
about the Armenian atrocities. The whole
matter has been grossly misunderstood. IL
not misrepresented, In this country. The
root OF the trouble lies In the missionaries
sent out to Armenia from England and
America. Instead OF trying to help the peo-
pie. they teach them that they are i'll
treated, and SOW the seeds OF discomfort
and rebellion. They have started all the
difficulty, aud when the blame is properly
placed it VIII rest upon their heads.
I'VE hear a great deal in this country
about the barbarous Turk Now, ] have
travelled and painted all over the globe.
and know pretty we'll the Inhabitants OF
all countries: and let me tell you that
never met more civilized. humane, intelIi-
gent, cleanly, pious and chaste man than
the typical Turk. He is quiet and respect
able; he is pre-eminently kind and good TO
his family; and his religion enters into ev-
cry part OF his life. On my former visit TO
Constantinople four years ago / met a good
many Moslems, and during my recent visit
l came to know many more Turks of the
best classes. and / make that statement
without hesitation.
For instance. spent several days paint
ing in the streets OF Constantinople. The
Sultan would not give permit to do this.
because he had refused such permit, to
divers Englshmen. ana he did not wish to
establish a dangerous precedent. He sent
an official to accompany me on my trips.
and every day that man left me three times
ana went into the mosque TO say his pray
ers: Just think of the power OF religion
which makes every man OF a whole nation
hra frY1cQ x,oy d.aV
and PROSTATE himself toward Mecca In
prayer.
"Go out here in Wall street and try to
persuade the people to 20 to church three
times day. You couldn't club them into
1t. The best OF them only attend service
once or twice week. What are we. as a
religious nation, that We should attempt to
force our religion upon every other nation
on earth? We might as well start out to
make silk hats for the world and club
every head into the right shape to fit them.
See how humane the Turks are to ami
mails. don't know how many hundred
thousand dogs there are In .Constantinople,
Every few minutes, II you are watching
what goes on around you. you will see
Turk go over 20 bake shop. buy a bit of
eat and feed them. Nobody owns these
Creature They have been common proper
' ty for 2 thousand years I suppose. yet.
hungry. Nor do they ever suffer violence.
SURFING 2 dog Ia the streets of Constanti-
nople neal Imprisonment for a year. Why.
I've seer team come along one of those
narrow streets when a dog was lying i'm
the ~sy. and the driver would stop his
donkeys and lift the dog ont of the way
never saw any one beat or kick a donkey
ia lurkcy y hs people recognize that these
crea.ares are tesir faithful servants. and
tween The Turk or the Arabian and his
horse is proverbial
Nv What have we in the way of religion to
pumptiousness for US to try to convert
t them. They neither want nor need our re-
n og,on. a Iney've got better one of their
They are already more religious. as a peo-
pie, than we are
AS TO THE MISSIONARIES.
Another point. What order of men are
they wIop the English and the American
religious BODIES send out as missionaries?
II you have ever noted closely the students
In our training schools for the ministry YOU
must Fave discovered that, as class. they
are cr from representing the best. or even
a 'ery good. type of American manhood
Many,tf them are young men from country
towns and villages who could not make a
decent living in, any other calling. They go
to these schools in many instances. because
or free; or course their poverty is no dis
grace, out they are poor in every sense of
fne word They hear sermon by some re-
interest In the country in which he has
labor in the same Held. Such sermons are
apt TO take hold of the less intelligent and
more impressionable men; and it is often
the men who fitted to take the
hisn rank among the ministry In their own
in foreign land. The result is that we we send
out the most incapable specimens OF our
rural .population-men Of uncouth manners
brew--the representatives OF half a dozen
religious sects, which are at constant war
with each other about their creeds-to con-
vert cultured, courteous, pious. humane.
temperate race, whose unified religion en-
tiers as much into the life Of its members
as does their business.
Now and then We hear of some girl In
a country town, who thinks she has a mis-
sion to do good to the heather. She had far
better go down to the factory in her own
village and minister there but no. there Is
no glamour about that Imagining that she
Is new Joan Of Arc, our historical friend
tells some missionary body all about
can picture to yourself the amazement and
disgust with which the Turks regard such
missionaries Superb specimens of physique,
they look upon these little wizened. dried
up specialized women witt infinite contempt;
just as they scoff at the idea of adopting
religion OF which the various schools can
We'll. colonies Of such Doors and cranks
go over to Armenia or somewhere else and
lOuuu SCHOOLS. Inc c01I0ren come TO be
taught. and eventually they join some one
or another Christian church. They are
pariahs as long as they live.-marked boys
have lost caste among their fellows What
have they gained? Christianity you may
say. Very true; but II they would lead
pure and noble lives under the religion OF
Mohammed.g how are they better off? We
surely cannot believe that heather who
lead good lives according to their lights do
not go TO heaven.
Pretty soon some one comes along and
hits an Armenian over the head The mis-
sionaries keep telling their converts and
the poor people that the Turk did IT, They
tell them that they are abused, and stir
them up to rebellion. The result is LIood-
is letter Just received from Mr. Terrell
with whom had many conversations when
in Constantinople. lie says: We have GER
tain information that 10000 have been killed
within month. That Official statement.
of course. includes those slain on both
sides.
AMERICANS ARE POPULAR
He adds another statement. equally sig
nifcant. to the effect that so far as can
he learned. not one American missionary
has been injured. The Turks like the
Americans who come to Constantinople far
better than the Englishnen., and they like
America better than England. partly be-
cause as a nation do not NEEDLE with
their affairs. When have been. painting in
the streets / have never been subjected 10
discourtesies from the crowd which always