The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-09-08
rwE EVANGELICAL Ass,siAolos

One ~ the great philadelpbia 'inef.
chants requires of the heads ~ all the
departments of his store, that there
should bo placed before him. every
morning. an accom-, OF she business
done the preccdins DAY. with the
balance sheets before him. he knew his
exact financial condition. and. more
than this. had before him the data for
directing his business.
The Hawaiian Evangelical Assocla-
ton has now presented Its annual
balance sheet, both financial and re-
ligious, and no doubt. asks comment
and fair criticism upon its balance
sheet.
The material supplied by the report
Is large. and instructive from whatever
standpoint 1t is looked at. Sufficient
commentary cannot be made upon IL,
In any brief article, for 1t touches on a
variety Of subjects, each one OF which
Justly requires a separate and lengthy
review. The supporters Of the Associa-
ton, being human, prefer that any
comments upon Its work, should be de-
cidedly favorable, Just as the sup
porters Of any financial speculation
feel aggrieved II comments on their
schemes are not decidedly favorable.
This must be SO, while men are gov
erned by habit and sentiment rather
than by reason. But fair and just
criticism is the finger that points GU,
the highway Of progress. just as the
great railway presidents send out men
to detect the weak points in the rail
way structure In order to strengthen 1t
The facts presented in the report OF
this Association are, in themselves. a
review and estimate Of its work, and Of
the religious and missionary work
done on these Islands.
Regarding the native Hawaiians, the
returns in the repor. show only 35l!
natives, aud part natives are enrolled
as members OF the Protestant church
| Tn. church members therefore mum
Der about one-tenth part OF the native
population. BY the census Of 1890, thu
number OF Protestant natives is re-
ported to be 1882. The inference |!
that the difference between the return!
Of church membership and the censu,
returns, represents those who have lrat
a Protestant educ alton. OF the 351'
enrolled members, there Is, II may b.
presumed, a percentage Of suspended
membership, being those who neglec
their church duties.
The Roman Catholics claim a churcl
membership OF 1927 natives, and tn
MOrmons claim a membership of 1865
These figures indicate that for som
reason, Professionalism has steadily de
clined among the native people. On
class OF foreign Professionals accept
that this decline Is due to some sum
cient providential reason. Another
and much smaller class, infer that
Is not due to any providential reason
but to the errors and mistakes In tn
human agency which has been, and !
now, engaged in maintaining the Pro
testant faith among the natives
Whichever view is correct, 1t still re
mains that whether there Is a rise o
decline in the growth OF Professionalism
1t is absolutely the act Of Providence
As such 1t becomes a study OF deep in
terest to place the decline of this grea
faith, in dts proper place, in the reli
gious evolution OF tho native race
The immediate causes for this declin
can be given, such as disease and tn
influx of foreigners, but these cause
count for nothing as against tn
supreme power OF Revealed Religion
with the Wisdom of the Universe be
hind Ii. to make and hold progress.
Another suggestion arising out o
this report Is, the remarkable absenc
OF the descendants of the first mis-
sionaries in the missionary field coy
cred by this Association. or the tire
hundred and more children OF the frs
missionaries and Of the several hun
dred grandchildren, hardly ten can b
counted who are exclusively engage
in Evangelical work here. Many O
| ,hasa dascan dante ara cont ri hutOrS [