Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-10-25
|ouTSIDE h |iNT OF VIEW }
wrilttsn ii Inc Times, II Ranulll nm

rinK to inherent subjects. On ignoS,l
rance and superstition he says:
II ID said that the Americans spend
annually S70000o,Oo6 in propitiating
their gods and devils. / do not hesitate
to say that the Chinese are able to do
the same thing just as effectively for
q much larger population for less than
half this sum. Many Roman Catholic
|cathedrals In Europe and America cost
at least el.O00000. None Of them is
more effective iii warding off devils
than the simple little fort Chinaman
builds 1t the top Of his house. mex
lpensive beer bottles are Just as good In
keeping of devils as the largest bells
ever erected. II any doubt this we Chi
ramen ark competitive trial.
snss
Various other little devices which
some ignorant and superstitious China
men employ will be found quite as eff
costly parapherna!ia used IN Europe
and America Tor the same PURPOSE.
Much sport has been made in Europe
and America OF the Chinese praying
machines in Thibet. Many years ago it
was discovered that IL one wrote a.
prayer and placed it in a. teaeup and
gave the teacup one turn 1t was just as
good as repeating the prayer orally
Ten turns were eqda: to ten prayers.
This was also found true no matter 10
what extent the apparatus was in-
creased in size or the number of pray
ers added. So At the present time they
Eput million prayers. written on thin
paper, In large vessel mounted on a
pivot Giving the vessel one turn reg
listers one million prayers. each of
which ts as effective az any other pray
| er. II any one doubts this We challenge
kim to competition.
II your missionaries can show us
lany devices In Europe which would be
more eff1cacious in keeping off devils, or
cheaper or more expedient in propitiat-
ing the deities by prayers than those
that exist among our important people
today. then and not till then will 1t be
4 time for you to send missionaries to
China. All our superstitious practices
are among the .raoists and Buddhists.
l The learned literary and official classes
are all Confucians, and Confucius
taught us TO respect our ancestors and
leave the gods alone. Cnnfucius teaches
JUS to have nothing to do with any one
who pretends to have intercourse with
j the supernatural. We do not believe in
Iany angels and demons which is SO;
corAnon in all other systems, and it
Ihas often been said OF us that because
we do not believe IN these supernatural
4 beings our system is not religion at all.
When the first Jesuit missionaries went
ito China they did not attempt to med
die with the institutions Of the coun-
,try. They taught mathematics astron-
omy and philosophical subjects. They
were we'll received and made them
selves popular with the emperor. but ar
soon as they commenced to attack the
institutions Of the country they we're
Iordered to quit.
Referring to a treafysclause, by which
4 no person in China can be prosecuted.
ffor his religious bsfisf, this is offered
What we require In China is scien-
tific men-men educated in some of the
concerte sciences that we do not under
5Istand to the same extent You under
|stand them in England. We do not OBJ
sject to- your doctors and. we admire.
4 their skill: we do not object to your
engines and neither do we object to any
3Iof Your scientific men so long as they
lido not interfere with existing institu-3
ltions. The whole cause OF the present
trouble in China is because we have an
ignorant and superstitious class of peo-5
! pie, and the Buddhists. who have re-
s|ligion almost identical with the Chris,
itian religion. and who are jealous of
Iothers who are bringing What they con-
slider competing faith They feel ex-
5lactly the same as the people would in
this country IF the Buddhists were to
leone here and attempt to supplant
4 Catholcs and Protestants. But what
A exasperates us more than anything is
1.-THE Immunity which the so-called con-
8lverts have from the action OF law in
their own country. Suppose Chinese
4 priest should come to England and ii
was known that every burglar and
4 pickpocket by becoming Buddhist
IpOse the Introduction of the new faith
in England should give the criminal
4 classee license To ply their trade in
London with complete immunity from
,lthe action of the laws, would the En-
taffa:rs? Why. then, should we Chinese
be an exception TO the rule?''
. Some OF us in this country, and the
Writer is one Of the number. read the
following on the missionary question
with an immense amount Of sa,isfac-
ton. A candid reader, for the time be-
ling placing himself in China. as Chi
naman can feel the full force Of this
Ilogic. He says:
.Is there any rea son why we Chinese
lshould not be allowed to enjoy our re-
tligion in our country In our own way
q COnfucius taught US that we should do
TO others as we would have them do 10
us. and this. ] believe. has been intro
! lduced into the ChristianSreligion and is
generally known as the Golden Rule.
4 Certainly the English would not like 10
have US interfere with any OF their re-
d ligions or Institutions II we should
force our priests upon England We
lshould be doing to the English what w
! would not like them to do to US. Com
lversely. the English in forcing their
priests upon US are doing what they
would not like others to do to them.
i Consequently. they are not only break
ing the fundamental principles of their
lown faith, but of our faith also.
1T will, be quite Impossible to haye
4 peace in China so long az foreign mis-
sionaries are allowed to interfere With
the institutions of the country. and no
IL orpn,ont In EoaEin az ~ sha .t.r,,, :.