The Greenville times., 1899-04-01
FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Nhltc man burden Alneficn nO'
taken "A heavier contract than wa.
ever assumed by any other nation
representing the responsible race,
Probably the Spain Of Cortez ano
Pizarro might have claimed that
it was carrying out the DEGREES oi
destiny IN Mexico and Peru, but
it solved the problem by deliber-
ate determination, Our own fore
fathers had the same kind of work
to do in North America, and our
method of accomplishing it left US
but little room for criticism.
Times have changed somewhat
since those days, bat the good
old rule sull holds, the rule
that "they shall take who have
the power, and they shall keep
who can" When England spreads
her wings over Il new nation OF
"huttered folk and Wild she
doesn't try todo too much at once
She simply eonyinces them that
they have met their masters, and
allows them to 90 on amusing
themselves with what they call
their own religion, social and do
mestic customs. America is moth
ing if not thorough. We propose
not only to catch the "sullen peo-
pies but to Immediately convert
them from thousand-year-old hab-
its to our own way of thinking
and acting. This is where the
burden becomes unnecessarily
heavy.
Hear what a disappointed en-
thusiast-Dr. Leonard, of the
Methodist Missionary-bas to say
after an exploring tour Of Cuba
Cuba, politically, is in a high
ly disorganizcd state. Through
out my visit l found little Of
morality or religion. The people,
as whole, seem almost entirely
destitute of the religious sense.
There have never been any com
mon schools in Cuba. There have
been laws passed providing fol
them; but the money provided fol
public education has gone, the
Lord knows where. As result,
the most deplorable illiteracy pre-
walls. According to the latest re
port, for example, only one ii
seyenty-fiye persons can read OF
write; and only one out of every
forty-fyo has attended school
The people us whole, therefore
Iare very poor specimens Of thC
human race. They are sunk il
degradation, and lack Of respec
fer the marriage tie is the key tc
| it all. Men and women simpI,
live together by mutual consent
This is not the uncommon thing
1t is the general rule. Fully two
thirds Of the children in Cuba ar
absolutely without legal status
1t is not necessary for me tC
elaborate upon the terrible mora
condition that must prevail unde
these circumstances.
1t seems to me that one OF th,
greatest problems America ha
to face is the Cuban Army. Th'
members Of this army do not want t
60 back to evil life. They have NJ
occupations, no families, no friend
and il would be impossible TO
them to earn an honest living
The only thing left for these me-
is to turn bandits, and this,
think, the most Of them will dc
They will take 10 the mountains
and live upon what they can steal
1t would be useless for the asso
citation to send any missionarle
to Cuba this year. | shall no
recommend 1t to do so, 1t is
very discouraging field for mis-
sionary effort and there are littl
traces Of the attempts that have al
ready been made
! Disheartening. 1t seems harsI
and cynical thing to say, but tn
longer we live the more frmly W
are convinced that the only chee
tuaI missionaries are Wincheste
rifles and heavy artillery.
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Attbo animal meeting of tl,