The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-06

Asiatics have been very great people. All
our existing religions are from Asia. In
dia is especially rich in profound. although
visionary. thought. All the great systems
OF philosophy. of which Germany and the
English and French peoples are so proud,
centuries ago were thought out by the
indian sages. But the word eastern or
Asiatic as compared with western con-
veys a world of difference. Fake Chris
tianity in Illustration. At 1T is practiced in
Palestine IL is idolatry pure and simple;
I would just as lieve worship Buddh in
Japan as Jesus Christ as he is worshiped
in Jerusalem at the present time. The
great Buddhist temples in Kyoto are far
in advance in religious spirit OF the cere-
monies and mummeries of the Holy Sepul-
cher. The annual miracle Of fire caused by
the Holy Ghost at Easter in Jerusalem is
as much a fraud as anything in heather
ism. and the great missionary problem is
"Can these eastern religions be Chris
tianized?" In the sense OF westernizing
them. or superseding them by a western
religion. 1t is doubtful IL It can ever be
done. The two methods are of so different
origin and adaptation. There is a vast
deal OF good in Buddhism. Mohammedan-
ism and Hindooism; the last being the
lowest in the scale. These religions need
reforming and reconstructing, but the re-
form must come from Asia and not from
Europe or America. II the missionary
would only grasp this idea. 1t would be
far better. as il seems to me, for all con-
cerned. / greatly fear that the severe
criticisms made upon Christian missions
in Asia. by such men as Lord Curzon, the
present viceroy of India, are more than
half true.
There is some magnificent art i'm India,
chiefly architectural. and so with Japan
with the element of grotesqueness once
eliminated. The noblest buildings in the
world are the Tai Mahal at Agra and the
Kutab Mineret at Delhi. The tombs and
mosques and palaces erected by Akbar and
his successors have never been surpassed.
The art student finds perpetual delight
in the great Mohammendan cities of the
great Gauges valley.
III FUTURE OF ASIA.
The long midnight of Asia is drawing to
an end. Japan is already a European coun-
try. The British nave done wonders in
India. and yet the vast mass of $50, OOO, 900
Hindoos are unaffected by the new order
of things. They ride i'm third-class cars
to make their pilgrimages to the river
Ganges. Into these sacred waters they
still cast their dead for birds and dogs TO
feed upon. England is making an honest,
although very expensive, effort to civilize
the native Indian. For all that, caste is
unimpaired and child marriages are prac-
ticed and child widows prosecuted.
What of China? The Russians and Eng
lish stand facing each other in the Celes-
tial empire, and under their joint rivalry
great lines of railways are being opened
and the mineral wealth of China is bound
to be developed in the near future. But
will this change the 400, 900. 900 of Celestial
heather and make them Christians? Judg-
ing from India. I think not. And yet the
gross savagery of China is bound to be
modified. Witnesses IN courts of justice
will not much longer be tortured, as they
are now. When the struggle for life in
China becomes. as it will by the introduce
ton Of railways and manufactures and
mining. less severe and the standard of
comfort is raised for the great masses, we
may hope for better things from the
Flowery Kingdom.
The Asiatic islands. Java, the Philippines,
Ceylon, ETC., seem to me to be the most
promising parts of Asia. They are COM
paratively small, of excellent soil and only
fairly populated. This renders them sus-
ceptible of better government and a higher
tandard of comfort than huge empires like
China and India. The Dutch have made
a very great success in Java, which lies
much nearer the equator than the Philip
pines. The United States has a vast prob
lem on hand in making its new acquisitions
paying property. They are one share of
the white mans burden and we must
do the best we can with and FOR our new
| Malay and M~ohammedan peoples. We have
now 100000 ~polygamists, and IL the Philip
pines are United States territory all of
them are criminals.
Lastly comes the Holy Land and Syria,
both blasted by Turkish supremacy and
the rivalry of the four great Christian
sects-Greek, Latin, Armenian and Copts-
all of whom are as fanatical and super
stitious as the themselves.
| The greatest redeeming fact 1 have seen in
Syria is Beirut, with it's Protestant college
of four hundred males and its affiliated
female schools and its mission press. The
| college is owned by the Presbyterians and
Is a New YORK mSIltutlOn. It's StuOentS are
from all over the Levant and comprise a
choice lot of young men and women, all
Asiatics, who are pursuing a very thor
ough course of studies. No one is allowed
to proselyte a Mohammedan, CT whom a
good percentage makes up the school; yet
the fact that nothing but English is spoken
and that the very best of English literature
is studied canno but in time work most
beneficial results. BY and by these young
men and women will be heads OF families
and the leaders in their various communi-
ties. The seed now being so carefully
sown in their six hundred young minds
cannot fail to bear fruit In advanced pub
lie opinion and better social and political
methods and ideals.
And so 1 bid farewell to Asia. This is
my last letter. My face is turned home
ward. after having Put a girdle of two hun
dred happy days around this old Mother
| Earth of ours. Auf wiedersehen,
ID. p. BALDWIN.
Kindergarten Work in Cuba.
| T.. ]. Levy. in Harper's Bazaar.
When the proper materials arrive in Cuba
4 which will he SOOn-fha normal training