The Worthington advance., 1898-11-03

municated to the interior department,
and given his views upon the question
of American missionary work in
China. His letter was no doubt in.
spired by the Chinese outrages during
the last summer and early fall. Ad.
dressed to the secretary of the in.
terror the letter read in part as fol.
lows:
my dear sir: beg leave to ask your
honor the most highly-esteemed considera.
tion to the Importance of this letter. While
| am not joyed to take interest in affairs Of
such national Importance, feel it my duty
| an american citizen to aid in Bringing
about the proper relation necessary to re.
store peace and progress with foreign ma.
tions.
g! hope the subject Of my letter may have
the good fortune of coming before the
president and his worth cabinet. remem.
bor have looked this matter over from a
| moral standpoint as well as a matter OF
| commercial interest Between this coun.
try and China"
Further on the writer says he be.
lieves the American missionaries have
made mistake in trying to evangelize
the Chinese country, and in explana-
tion he states:
''ln reference to the killing Of the home
missionarys of course it looks bad in the
face of the matter, but after properly con.
sidering you will Sc that we have made
tie mistake of muddling with the Chinese
religion. Now for example, II the Chinese
| should send missonarys over to this coun.
try to teach us the Chinese religion why
We coodn't kill them fast enough to git
our revenge. We simply wouldn't have ii
at all, under any consideration. Now don't
yoI suppose that our religion seems just
as foolish to them as theirs would be
to us?'
J.. w. Hill, of Cairo, Kan, sends a
postal card, on which is the following:
II have reton a letter, which was ad-
dressed to Marget Jones which has bin
dead for some time. I think soenn where
near year. and do not know anything OF
tho family. I think they's one girl in Ills
Some place and do not know any parties
tina, know where bout they are. and if
you can find out will notify you If you
will send two or three envelopes to reply.
hoping I done right in riting the letter
speak of I remain"
One poor individual who lives in
Crosses, Ark, says that he has not
been able to have his letters to govern
ment officials considered, and that he
Is OppIcSSeu OA lAAS dSCouAI' he IS
evidently a religious crank, for he
writes about number of Scriptural
characters and has considerable to say
about the Apostle Paul. In conclusion
he says: Gall Scripture is profitable,
and to be wise men must become fools.
Why is my writing barred? I have a
good Conscience in my work."
These are only few of the letters
stored away in the ''crank file" of the
department.; letters which are all
comical and laughable in spite of the
fact that many of them are solemn
and serious. Nearly all of the letters
are answered and acknowledged, but in
many cases it is impossible, on account
of the meager facts given, to send a
reply, and in these cases the letters
are placed on file for future develop
ment., Even the letters which are
known to have been written by habit
ual cranks are acknowledged when the
name, and address are given, and it is
usually stated in the communication
that "your letter has been placed upon
the crank file Of the interior depart
ment. SMITH D. FRY.