The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-02-11
THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.


Philippines, was tissue of Islander, mis-
representation and falsehood. Fur
nished with a letter from that immacu-
late Christian gentleman, Hon. John
Goodnow, 'our excellent consul at
Shanghai" the agent of the Bible So
ciety arrived in Manila and spent eight
days there, seeking information from
the enemies of Spain, and then made a
report in which he accused the priests Of
fragrant immortality, and the Filipilos
of barbarous degradation. Robert Mac
Micking, the Scotch Presbyterian, widely
differs from Rev. Hykes, saying of the
priests: "These good men have pene-
trated where soldiers dare not enter with
arms in their hands, with good effects
to all concerned, and in the reduction of
these wild Indians to the Roman Catho-
lie faith and the arts of civilized life. :"
Of the hybrid natives, which DR.. Hykes
calls "debased and superstitious," Emile
Reclus, the French scientist and infidel,
says: "The Filipinos are the most civ
ilized people in the Orient" Who are
we to believe-the paid agent of mis-
sionary society which has books to sell
and money to collect for their distribu-
ton in the thousand islands of the far
East, or two men Of veracity who desire
no pecuniary advantage from their tes-
timony? We certainly believe the
Scotchman and the Frenchman in pref
erence to the American, who is living by
the gospel in John Goodnow's Chinese
abode. :f"-l'
1t may be interesting to know what
the American Bible society is. Accord
ing to the New York World Almanac,
sit is charitable institution, whose
sole object is toiencourage a wider cir
culation of the Scriptures without note
ton and cooperation Of all who accept
the Bible as their rule of life and be-
licve that every human being is entitled
to know what it teaches concerning
truth and duty" The president is the
Hon. Enoch l.. Fancher, of New York,
and there are % vice-presidents, SO man
ayers and three secretaries, the last be-
ing doctors of divinity. The vice-presi-
dents are noted men, among them being
Cyrus Northrop, president of the Uni
versity Of Minnesota.
At recent meeting of the society in
Boston, the sentiment of its managers
was in favor of territorial expansion.
The more territory, the more Bibles to
be published and disseminated. Since
it's organization in 1916 it claims to
have printed and distributed 64,O0O,000
copies of the Bible in 100 languages and
dialects, at home and in foreign lands.
At present it is preparing to translate
the Holy Book for the conversion of The
Filipinos, into the 80 languages, and
more, in the archipelago.
The Minneapolis Journal, as might be
expected, writes in glowing terms of this
charitable institution" and declares
that where goes our flag, there go the
Bible and civilization" That forcibly
reminds us of what British writers have
said on the same subject. Knowing that
"the heather in his blindness bows down
to wood and stone," the enterprising
British manufacturer furnished ceramic
gods made in England to the Hindoos
for SO many silver rupees, and with the
cargoes of heather images went the
missionary and Bible to dissuade The
poor natives of India to quit the worship
of the gods they had bought, and accept
Christianity, pure and undefled, as it
was found in the books supplied by the
British and Foreign Bible society, with
headquarters in the modern Babylon.
We remember that in Ireland some 40
years ago the same British society was
distributing Bibles, Instead of bread to
the starving inhabitants. That may be
Civilization" of course, in the British
and Anglo-Americ9n acceptation Of the
term, but it strikes the ordinary OBJ
server as peculiar that those good Chris
tians who are SO solicitous about the
souls of the people, care but mighty lit
tie for their bodies The wolves in
sleeps clothing who tempted the Irish
people in their misery to give up their
faith for a bowl of soup in the famine
years, resembled 1.-The arch-fiend who
tempted Christ after fasting 40 days in
the wilderness. The Bible and civiliza-
ton, indeed! IN.
The Journal is ninny-hammer if 1t
honestly believes that "the circulation
of the Bible without note or comment"
will civilize any people on earth. 1t
refers to the uplifting Of the Hawaiians
by American missionaries, but forgets
that the natives have been the victims
Of their selfishness and greed. Our
evening contemporary says that "the
Bible is undeniably great ciyilizer and
promoter of good government and good
citizenship The British government
does not think so and will permit no
missionaries into the Soudan to inter-
fere with the Mohammedan faith of the