The evening times., 1899-10-19
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1898.
Missions i'm the Philippines.

Bishop Thoburn, who has been promi-
nent in connection with Oriental missions
for some time. has taken up the Philippine
question from his point OF view, and states
that two million dollars will be devoted by
the Methodist Church TO converting the in
hsbitants of the Philippines to (presuma-
bly, the Methodist faith. This statement
will stir up various emotions in the breasts
of those who read it, according to their
religious. or non-religious, predictions.
Considering the matter on a purely dis
passionate and economic basis, it seems as
if that two million dollars could be spent
TO considerably better advantage in GER
tain parts Of our own country. When
farmer goes 10 work to clear a patch OF
ground, he proceeds on basis essentially
different from that of foreign missionary
society. He first clears the space imme-
diately around his house and gets il into
a condition suitable for the raising of veg
etables, corn, and other necessary things.
He then looks over his ground and picks
out those tracts which can most profita-
bly, be cleared and planted with wheat, or
turned into pasture, or used for lumber.
He does not waste a lot of fertilizers on
piece Of ground which is good for nothing
but sheep farm. And to spend two mill
lion dollars in planting Methodism in the
Philippines amounts TO just about that. If
the Filipino is a thoroughly good Catholic
he will be a good man, and, for that mat
ter, there are several heather religions
which train people TO love their neighbors,
be peaceable and law-abiding, and obey
the Ten Commandments generally.
Common sense would dictate in a general
way, that every community in our own
land. no matter how small should be sup
piled with a school and church OF what
ever kind the people may desire. Every
community above a certain size should
have a public library-not -nccessarily a
free library, for small tax would add to
public interest in the institution and help
TO pay expenses. Postal facilities should
be made as nearly perfect as possible and
there should be plenty of institutions for
the prevention of crime. 1t should be made
impossible for innocent children TO be
brought up in criminal surroundings. Ii
should be impossible for any child under
the age Of sixteen TO be excluded from the
schoolhouses for lack of accommodations
There should be place in every town and
city at which a man or woman out of work
could get food and shelter by paying for
il in labor. No church property in the
whole length and breadth OF the United
States should be used for purposes hurt
full 10 mankind. There should be no stun,
property on the church's real estate list.
The little railroad towns which spring
up mushroom like in newly opened mining
or factory districts should be looked after.
that the children in these towns may have
innocent and wholesome amusement and
an opportunity TO learn all that they ought
TO know. IL these things were all done in
our own country il would take considerably
more than two million dollars. but every
dollar would produce direct results.
There are certain broad laws, made by
public opinion, which have TO be enforced;
a landlord must not allow his tenants to
violate the sanitary laws. and America
cannot allow massacre and riot in the
Philippines; but so far as the private reIig-
ious affairs Of the Filipino are concern
ed, it seems as if it would be about as wen
TO let him attend to them himself as to
spend two million dollars trying to teach
him how.