The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-04
YANG-TSE MISSIONARIES
EACH ONE CONVERTS ABOUT THREE
QUARTERS OF AN ADULT YEARLY.
Where They Succeed and FaiI-Ra-
of the Religion They Prefer.

woman worships the goldsmith and an old
woman worships the priest" Perhaps the
middle-aged have the same preference for
the missionary. Proselytism is said to be
easier and more frequent in those provinces
of the empire where Buddhism is an effec-
tive and living faith, and, therefore, in
Sze-Chuen missionary enterprise has been
specially successful. Where the popula-
ton is Indifferent TO all religious influence
the Christians find their task almost hope
less. Altogether the Protestant societies
claim to LAY made half a million con-
verts between 1852 and 1898. Or the other
side, the anti-missionary party deny the
figures altogether, or say that they are
merely rice Christians'-coolies who have
turned their coats or their conscience for
their daily bread. Mr.. Morrison calculates
that each missionary converts about three
quarters of an adult each year. The oppo-
nents allege the effect of i~ll-tempered en-
thusiasm has been to irritate the Of
fcials against Europeans generally, and
to incite the population to riot and muir
der. Undoubtedly the mandarins have a
genuine contempt and utter dislike of what
they call 1.-THE foreign joss house" For this
hostility there is some genuine reason.
1t is notorious that some sectarians. par
ticularly the Roman Catholics, interfere
largely with the administration of justice
and the course of litigation for the protec-
ton of their co~religionists. These converts
are mainly drawn from the lowest classes
of the people. and the officials resent this
as a kind OF social upheaval. Very few
educated Chinese ever leave their national
religion, however little of religion there
may be in it, and there is no question that
the half-equipped hot gospeler is no match
in casuistry or logic for the Chinese lit
erati. 1t will be emembered that $50 years
ago a Manchu Emperor publicly rebuked
the Roman legate because he dared to
denounce the idolatrous practices hat had
grown up around Chinese Catholicism, and
had been tacitly admitted by the Jesuit
fathers In Chinese that made the court Of
ficials smile. How do you dare to in
terfere with Chinese life when your very
language moves the Chinese TO laughter
In the same way missionary Chinese is
said TO be a peculiar and esoteric language,
while their knowledge of the Chinese clas-
sizes is of the slightest character. Subtle
differences of sound convey the deepest
difference OF meaning; and one of the com
mOnest and most offensive ways of ridi-
culing the Christian faith on Chinese pla-
cards and caricatures is derived from the
laundering pronunciation of a sacred name.
| Inc educated Ch1naman regards these
propagators of a foreign faith much as a
good Catholic regards the antics of the SAL
walton Army.
FOR WHAT THERE Is IN IT.
The first question that arises in regard
to conversion from the religion of the East
TO that of the West is what proof exists of
sincerity of disinterested motive. If all
native Christians are rice Christians"
where is the spiritual gain? Mr.. Morrison
quotes the report of a mission at Chung
King, in which the ''evangelistic work for
the year consisted of the contingent con-
version of one old woman, who promised
TO become a Christian as soon as there
was a vacancy on the nursing staff of the
mission hospital. ''rhis talk is far from
the truth" says the missionary; 'all over
the empire there is constant proof given
of the deepest sincerity In the trials of con-
slant persecution A preliminary and all
important test to any but the lowest Chi
nese is that the convert loses his family
status and is apt to be turned out of his
trade guild. In Chinese society the sys-
tenn of grouping by family. by clan and by
industry is all in all, so that this loss, IL
| general, would be very important evidence
of good faith. But it does not seem that
it necessarily follows. Surprising a China
man becomes a Christian and refuses any
longer to subscribe to the religious rites of
his group, the missionaries, often guaran-
tee on his behalf an equivalent subscription
to some good local charity, and their offer
is accepted in place of the old payment. So,
too, in regard to the mans livelihood. If
he be robbed of the custom or employment
that he had before, the missionaries en-
deavor to find him a place for his Christian
ity which will secure him at least as much
Chow as he enjoyed in his heathenish
darkness. The best cases that the evangel-
lists can show is where Christian converts
nave fought we'll in defense of their pas
tors and been put to the torture by the
riotous crowds. Such cases have not been
uncommon, and they have sufficed TO prove
that there are some men of real faith
among the small bands of Christian Chi
nese, men who lave been tried, literally, by
fire.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS.
In the way Of education the Protestants
nave effected some valuable results. but
the Catholics seem to have paid more at
tention TO the practical side of the ques-
ton. AT Hankow there is, for example, an
admirable orphanage, hospital and girls
school combined, which is in the charge of
a number of Italian sisters resembling
those of Nazareth House, in Kensington.
who devote their lives TO the training of
Chinese girls and women. They tax them
as infants, and, since IL is a great object in
China to get rid of female children. these
ladies find no difficulty in filling their in
stitution. In summer they have as many
as 1000 at one time, and never less than
4 ON 1Ol IIC III IlC Ntdls III
girls are separated into different classes.
according to age, in clean and well-venti-
lated rooms. built round pleasant courts
more or less in an Italian style. They are
well fed and taught the habits of decency
and cleanliness that a Chinese household
so much lacks, and are brought up to use
full trades, such as silk lacemaking, cotton
Keeling and ribbon weaving and many
other means of livelihood, not practiced
outside by women workers When the
children grow up they are married, where
possible. to Christian youths. educated by
the Jesuit fathers. Altogether, these de-
voted sisters are performing a noble and
. ~selfless duty among the poorest of a CITY
population. for which they deserve the
highest admiration. II is only fair to saw
that at Shanghai there are Protestant in
situations of which all men speak we'll. and
one only wishes that more of the money
sent by the pious TO China went in the
same helpful direction.
10Y RIOTS START
All sects and denominations have under
gone sore trials, and persecution is not by
any means at an end. 1t seldom comes
from the uninstructed impulse of popular
fury. AS a rule it is inspired by some
mandarin or his hangers-on. and is always
likely TO occur in remote stations where the
city is full of students and of classmen
who are passing or not passing for the
most part from one stage OF elegant learn
ing to another. Among them is the COM
bustible material out of which riots fare
up. Missionaries only fight when their lives
are actually in danger. In the first place
when rumorS of trouble are rife they flee
TO the nearest important yamen and claim