The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-14
CHINA TAKING ON NEW LIFE.
MISS GARY TELLS OF THE CON-
OPTIONS IN KvANG 'HsU's EMPIRE.

They Are Now Seeking the Mis-
sIonaries as Well as showing More
Esteem for Foreigners Generally.
| The Distressing Condition of the
| Masses of the People Ably Por-
trayed by Miss Gary.
A large congregation at Wesley Monu-
mental Church last night heard very
interesting address by Miss Emma Gary,
of the China mission field. and the mission
work there as we'll as the conditions in
China generally. Miss Gary has spent
several years in the mission work, and
her lecture showed that she is not only
well posted, but has an intelligent view
Of the situation.
Miss Gary spoke at some length of her
experiences In China, giving an insight
into the situation there and the condi-
tons under which the missionaries labor.
She devoted considerable attention to the
greatly depressed and almost hopeless
condition of the masses of the people in
the great seaport cities of Shanghai, Hang
chow, Hankow and other cities, where
the men labor for and 10 cents a day
in American money, and drag out a mea-
ger existence for themselves and their
families. In these cities hundreds of
thousands of people live in little house,
boats ard these boats are so numerous
that the boats look like forests of pine
poles.
The horribly immoral condition prevail
ing even among the higher classes In Chi
ma, due to the system of polygamy, the
degraded condition of the women, and
the contempt for girl children, was dwelt
upon, Miss Gary relating a converse ton
which she had with the third wife of a
high official, who told with apparent un-
concern of the birth and death OF nine
girl children in that family, not one being
permitted to live until a son had been
born to her informant. Male children are
held in great esteem, because by them
Is perpetuated the ancestry worship which
is the chief religion of the Chinese.
Even among the educated middle classes,
Miss Gary said the conditions are but lit
tie better than among the lower classes
Educated Chinese teachers, possessing cul-
ture and refinement, and giving unremit-
ting and excellent service every day in the
month, can be obtained for 50 a month
American money and consider them
selves well paid when they get 81 a
month. One of the chief causes of the
backwardness and the helpless condition
of the Chinese Miss Gary said, is there
fear of the spirits. These are the spirits
of the grave, Of the home, and of the air
The missionaries are not allowed to put
steeples on their churches for fear of dis
turbing the spirits of the air. Railroads
cannot be built through the country for
fear of disturbing the spirits of the dead,
and. although the country is practically
treeless and there are great suppliss of
coal in the mountains the people are de-
prived of this fuel because they are W TIL
out railroads.
Howver, a change has come over the
spirit OF China's dream in the last feH
years, Miss Gary said. Where the MS
sionaries were formerly hated and abused
they are now looked up to and sought aft
er. The people have more respect for for
eigners generally and show an especial
desire to learn English. There is a crisis
in the affairs of the country. The Young
Emperor, shut in as he is and almost a
prisoner within the walls of his palace, has
managed 10 obtain sufficient knowledge
of modern ways to become irnbued with
ideas of reform. In fact, Miss Gary
thought that the Emperor had undertaken
to carry the reform movement most too
rapidly considering the extremely con-
sentative character of the literati or rul-
ing class. He undertook 10 do things I'M
heard of in China before, TO establish a
postal system, to encourage newspapers
and to permit the building of railroads
and to encourage foreigners generally.
One of his edicts, indicating the extent
to which the Emperor had become i'm
pued with reform; .deas. was to the eff
feet that all the Confucian temples in
China not used for official worship should
be converted into schools and that West
ern books should be taught.
This was more than the con-
versative party could stand, and
the old Empress Dowager who
is a foe 10 reform and the real
ruler of China, put her foot down on the
reform movement. She imprisoned the
Emperor, decapitated a number of the
leading reformers and sent others into
exile. The schools were closed and the
reform movement was checked in every
direction. In spite of this, the leaven Is
still working The young men in China
are realizing the value of Western civili-
cation and of Christianity. They are
| looking TO the missionaries for relief and
these are doing a great work, but they
are altogether too few for the immense
amount of work that is at hand waiting
| for the doing
| Miss Gary said that the old conserva-
| tive element could not be blamed for it's
| opposition to the reform movement. on
| cial promotion in China depends entirely
| upon knowledge of the ancient literature
| of China, and the officials get their pro-
motions upon examination. 1t is not 10
| be expected that these men, who have been
| spending all their lives accommodating this
knowledge In order that they may obtain
official advancement, should look kindly
upon a movement. the effect of which is
| to render worthless all their stores of
knowledge and to substitute a new and to
| them entirely unfamiliar standard which
would result in their displacement and
| the placing in control Of men who had ac-
| CURED this hated Western civilization.
| Miss Gary stated her belief, however, that
the good seed of Christianity and civilian
/ A. Haan trfA al a
| SO well cared for that they still continue
to bear good fruit in ever increasing guam
| titles and that the awakening of China
| from her slumber of centuries is destined
to be one of the greatest events of the
| twentieth century.