The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-14
JUDGE BALDWIN TALKS
HAS RECENTLY RETURNED FROM AN
EXTENSIVE TRIP ABROAD.
His Opinion of the Filipfnos and Mis-
sionary Work I'm Asfatic
Countries.

Judge d. p. Baldwin, of Logansport, was
in the city last night, on his way home
from Louisville, where he had spent the
day with some friends. Judge Baldwin has
recently returned from an extensive trip
abroad and devoted some OF his time
abroad to a trip through the Philippine
islands. He is not favorabiy impressed
with the people of the islands. At the
Spencer House last night he talked very
entertainingly of his trip. He said:
Except the people Of Japan who are
separate from the continent of Asia and
are a law to themselves, i take small stock
in the capacity of the Asiatic races for
civilization as we western races under
stand that term. The Mongolians, the
Malays and the people of India, three of
the most numerous of great Asiatic races,
are substantially alike. / do not believe
that We shall ever westernize them. Take
India for illustration. England has been in
south India 200 years and for about a CEN
fury In the Ganges valley. She has spent
an enormous sum of money and millions of
valuable lives in introducing her ideas and
methods. She has built railways in every
direction, established courts, shown the In
dian people how to live in comfortable
houses, preached to and prayed with them,
and yet the 2SS, 10000 of Hindoos are to-day
as much welded to their heathenism as
ever and would any moment IL they could
turn to their old tribal anarchies.
1.-THE gulf between the western and east
ern races is one of climate, religion and
race, to say nothing of heredity and en-
vironmeht. There is not the smallest bond
of sympathy between the Chinese and the
Saxon, or the French or German. An ex-
cellent Illustration of this is found in the
great seaport of Shanghai. Here is beau
tiful western city of 1900 people-English.
Russian and French side by side with 250,-
600 Chinese. One would think that an OBJ
ject lesson Nike this of clean. well-lighted
and well-payed streets, beautiful houses,
banks, postoffices, policemen and all the ap-
pliances of refined life, would have its in
fiuence upon these Mongolians, but 1t does
not in the smallest degree. Within
stones throw of all this western comfort
and thrift We find Chinadom in all its I'M
nameable and indescribable filth and bar
barity.
And this is also true of the Filipinos.
Here we find the same race antagonism.
The Filipino is very like the Mexican
greaser. The Catholic Church has for two
centuries been at work with and for him
with quite as unsatisfactory results as I'm
our neighboring republic. Unlike the Mexi-
can, the Filipino Is a splendid fighter and
knows no such word as fear. All the same
he is a Malay and lives so near the equator
that all of his better qualities are lost in
the enervating climate The continent of
Asia is a vast stretch of worn-out lands
and WORKOUT people. This, however, does
not apply to its islands Better lands than
in Japan. the Philippines, Java and the
Malay archipelago can be found nowhere in
the whole world. But land and race or two
different things. No better soil exists than
in our cotton States, but this does not help
out the negro. And the negro of the South
upon the whole is vastly the superior of the
Filipino.
''Why can't enterprising Americans go to
the Philippines and civilize these people?
Why has not England, after two centuries
of effort, civilized the Hindoo? There is
n
terprising men who can stand the climate.
The Chinese are there in swarms, doing all
the small trading and financing. The har-
Dor of Manila as an Asiatic naval station
is invaluable
when we come to the deeper question
of Outstanding Asia we should not forget
this same difference between the eastern
and the western mind. 1t would be Just as
difficult for the Asiatics to come here with
their religion and race and convert us as
for us to go there and make them over
into western Christians. We may estab-
lish advantageous trade relations with
them, but that is an entirely different ques-
ton from westernizing and Christianizing
them. And here, Ii seems to me, the mis-
sionaries make great mistake. The old
religions of Asia can be reformed but hard
ly overthrown. For illustration: The Bud
dists number 5OO.000.OOO. They were never
more active prosperous than to-day.
They are constantly borrowing the weap-
ons of Christianity. In Ceylon 1 found all
kinds of Buddhists organizations, chari-
table and religious. They are establishing
girls schools and mems colleges right and
left, all of which comes from contact with
Christian methods. And this is so in India.
Reforms are springing up in that great
country under the leadership of great ma
tives which are attacking idolatry, caste
and the old superstitions. All this time
these reformers remain loyal to their old
ancestral faiths. In a word. 1t seems TO
me that the east must reform the east
after eastern methods and ideas. The true
work Of missions, as ii seems to me, is to
quicken the conscience of these old ma
lions and create higher public opinion in
stead of attacking and attempting to sup
/ do not see that any progress has been
made in overthrowing these old faiths But
our missionaries have, as above pointed
out, created reforms and reformers within
the ranks of these old religions, which will
1 hope. In the end prove the true road to
Nl...i.-&