Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-09-16
TERMS FOR CHINA.
chicago Tnter-Ocean.


Previous to the boxer uprising there was
protestant church membership in China
of 100000. Counting the younger people Of
the families, this would give Protestant
population of about 100000. The Catholics
a year ago numbered about 100000 1t Is
estimated that over 5000 Protestant con-
verts and twice as many Catholics were
murdered by the boxers . Yet there is re-
ported among the Chinese converts no
lack of zeal and no disposition to give up
their religion
The status of these Christian converts
will probably be one of the questions most
difficult of satisfactory settlement to come
before the commissioners representing the
Chinese government and the allies. The
Chinese officials are inclined to regard all
Cinnamon converted TO Christianity as
disturbers of the peace. They are willing
to guarantee the safety of missionaries.
teachers and all citizens of foreign coun-
tries. but hesitate to make any pledges
as to the protection of Chinese Christians.
The Christian nations cannot afford to
abandon the converts to Christianity in
China. For fifty years or more the United
States and European nations have exerted
their influence TO enlarge the field of
missionary effort. In fact missionary
work In the Chinese empire has extended
over centuries, and the result is a million
and half of converts. The Chinaman
who abandons the traditions of his race
and accepts the Christian religion mus.
have enough courage and strength of
character to resist all the pressure brought
by his own people. In all the wars and
uprisings of the last thirty years the
Christian Chinese have been subjected to
all sorts of persecution and punishment
The fact that they show no inclination to
abandon their new faith IS a good reason
for all Christendoms standing by them in
the present crisis.
Missionary work, however, has not been
confined to proselyting. The Protestants
have in China 2s1 higher educational in
stltutions. OF these IL are universities
and colleges. 66 theological and training
schools, 166 schools, seminaries, and high
schools, industrial training Institutions
80 schools for teaching medicine and nurs-
ing. There are altogether In these higher
institutions nearly 10000 pupils. There
are in the common schools and kinder
gartens 10000 more. There are In the sew
eral provinces Of China twenty-three mis-
sion publishing houses, issuing annually
2.640, coo volumes
Independent of this educational work
there are 121 Protestant mission hospitals
end 240 dispensaries, treating annually
1.100,0G0 patients. There are under Pro-
testant care orphanages and founding
asyiums, II leper asylums 10 schools for
The hind Ia fab, 20, ~
of the opium habit, AZ Young Mems
Christian Associations, and similar or
carnations for young women. All these,
as well as members of the Christian
churches, are under the ban OF the reac-
tionary party in China All the agencies
a work are antagonized by the party rep
resented by the Empress Dowager All of
them must be protected
They have been exercising in the last
twenty years a constantly increasing in
fluence. Those engaged in educational
work have received the support OF the
progressive Chinese. They have enlisted
the sympathy OF the energetic business
men Of the great commercial cities If
the Chinese government could be con-
PEELED TO respect the rights of all classes
engaged In this educational work, educa-
tors, as well as missionaries, would con-
tinue to exercise wholesome influence.
But If the guarantees demanded by the
civilized powers leave open any excuse
for covert prosecution or manifestation of
hostility the movement WIZ be retarded
and there Will be succession of rebellicns
like the Boxer upheavel. Having encour-
aged missionary work IN China, having
secured from the government pledges as
to the rights and privileges Of Christian
converts, the allied powers must now ex-
act such terms as VIII make the life of the
Chinese Christian as safe as that of a
Buddhist, Confuc'anist, or a Mohamme-
dan.