The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-09-08


The report Of the Hawaiian Evan
gelical Association presents a detailed
statement OF It's receipts and expenses.
The disbursements amounting TO $780,
30s. 70 are made on behalf OF the Home
Missions. Kohala Girls School, Gilbert
Island publications. Foreign missions
I'm the Marquesas and Micronesia, the
North Pacific Missionary Institute, the
japanese mission. the Portuguese mis-
sion, the Chinese mission and for gen
eral purposes.
The total receipts for the year In aid
OF these missions, were $30,936.lo. The
number Of people which this Associa-
ton attempts to instruct in these Isl
ands is over one hundred thousand
II there Is added to these the number OF
people who are instructed by the for
eign mission department Of the Asso-
citation, the number altogether Is very
large The preaching Of the gospel
and religious instruction is furnished
to all of these, at the paltry cost OF
$50, sos. 70, although there Is an earnest
demand for a larger sum. The in
significance OF this contribution to the
work must be justly regarded as the
real value Of the estimate put upon It..
II any person were to attempt TO run
a sugar plantation with such made
quate means, he would quickly plunge
1t into bankruptcy. But a sugar plan
tation is q human rather than a divine
affair, and 1t must be managed by
strictly human methods. Even the
Eva company, which is managed
largely by believers" makes no pro-
vision for prayer as an aid to rain,
but, like the scientific agnostics, i'm
plicitly depends upon wells and pumps
While the Evangelical Association Is
limited by its contributions to the
current investment Of 100000 in the
work of diffusing Christianity among
some one hundred and fifty thousand
benighted heather, the Eva plantation
for instance, would invest 100000 in
the employment Of one thousand men
in order to get an earthly profit out OF
them. This surprisingly great differ,
ence In the investments can indicate
but one conclusion, that Is, that In
spite Of much preaching, and praise
the Christian world Is quite cOntentet
with the smallest spiritual dividends
and 1t can, without complaint, man
age to live without any dividends
This Is an inference which Is justified
by the fact that such an insignificant
and paltry part OF the large Protest
ant wealth Of the Islands is annually
Invested in securing spiritual harvests
But the extraordinary dwarfing Of
Missionary work here, the remarkably
small supply of Hawaiian born labor
ers who are willing to devote them
selves to what is called by many, "tht
STdnueSt WOIh vi cdItu, lhuiNdtcs thu
even Christian philanthropists have
changed their views on the subject o.
missions. Whatever our opinions ma!
be about 1t, the fact remains that secu
lar and academic education Is takint
the lead here with a strong force o
able teachers. The large sums o
money annually spent in the strict!
secular education of the young, is II
accordance with public opinion. Thu
insignificant sums spent in purely re
ligious education plainly shows tn
real. II not the expressed opinions, O
Christian philanthropists.
The world grows better every day
as 1t moves slowly and surely towards
1.-the great divine event." and the ap
parent neglect Of, or indifference to
what is called Evangelical work mus
be due to causes which are all sufil
Gent, and which Christian philan
thropy cordially accepts ny its deeds
II not by its words. This philanthropy!
seems at last to accept the theory tina
heathenism shall be assaulted, not will
the Cross, but with Science and tn,
school books. In no other way cal
the insignificant contributions to evan
gelical work be accounted for.