The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-21

to a quotation which we wish to make
from a speech delivered a few days
ago in Evansville, Ind, by Colonel
Charles DENLY. for many years United
States minister to China, and long the
dean of the foreign representatives at
Pekin. Colonel DENLY knowe as much
OF the affairs of China as any Ameri-
| can living, and in the course of his
Evansville speech he took up the sub
ject of the missionaries, and said;
| made a study Of missionary work in China
| I took a man.of.war and visited almost every
| open port in the empire. I lived at Pekin and
| knew that city. At each one Of these places l
visited and inspected every missionary station
| At the schools the scholars were arrayed before
| me and examined | went through the mission
| ary hospitals, attended synods and church ser.
| vices. | saw the missionaries In their homes
saw them all, Catholic and Protestant, and |
\ have the some opinion of them all. They are
| all doing good work; they merit all the support
| that philanthropy can give them. | do not stint
my commcndation or halt stammer about
work that ought to be done at home instead, OF
| abroad. | make no comparisons ] unqualihedly,
| and in the strongest language that tongue can
| utter give to these men and women who are
| living and dyiig in China and in the far East
| my full and unaduterated commendation.
| In China the missionaries the leaders in
| every charitable work. They give TO the ma.
| tives largely out Of their scanty earnings, and
| they honestly administer the aims Of Others.
| When famine arrives-and 1t comes every year
| or the rivers inundate the soil with never.
| ceasing frequency, the missionary is the first
| and the last TO give his time and labor to
| alleviate suffering They the writers Of
| books for the Chinese. The first graduates OF
sill
| surgery-an unknown art among the Chinese.
| They fight the demon opium About their re-
| lgious work | have only this to say, that he
| who teaches Christianity teaches modern civiliza
| tion. They have crowded schools and churches
| They make converts-many Of them. There is
| backsliding in China as there is backsliding
| here; but the general trend of progress goes on.
| Many of the achievements Of modern China are
| due in part TO missionary work. The merchants
| the seamen, the dplomatists, and the consuls
| have done much TO open up China TO com
| mcrcc; but the mission ary has also done his
share. Therein comes in our worldly interest
| the interest Of the nonrelgous man, of the
| merchant the carrier and the manufacturer. II
| must he admitted that civilization promotes
| trade-that the more a nation becomes civilized
the greater are the wants Of the people. Then
| II the missionary promotes civilization, he also
| promotes trade. When he opens a school he
opens also a market. Inspired by holy zeal, hi
| goes to countries that were never trod by the
| merchants foot; but the drummer follows or
| behind, and, soon, our textiles, our iron, our
| flour, our coal oil, and many other things are
regularly bought by eager customers. To the
| missionary all these results are subsidiary tc
| his holy purpose. His supreme object is to con
| vert the heather, and the colleges, the schools
| the doctors, and the charity are but meant
| toward this end; hut they noble means il
| which even the infdel and the unbeliever may
| well take a part.
There are riots in China. Yes, and there arc
| riots here. Occasionally a good man or woman
| is killed by a mob but let say with pleas
| ure, il not with pride, that during my stay o
more than thirteen years in China American
was injured. Some Of the missionary houses
were burned down, but for these injuries thu
Chinese government amply paid. have talked
to you too long about my friends, the mission
aries, but I have not said the half that woult
| like to say about them. The doctrine in th
| country is to tolerate but not to praise them
| My doctrine Is to tell, il can, the simple trutl
\ about them, and when that is known the cavil
ing the depreciation, the sncerng, which toe
often accompany coments missionary worl
will disappear; and they will stand before tn,
| world, as they ought to stand, as bencfactor
| OF the people among whom their lives are spen
and forerunners Of the commerce Of the world
An opinion of this kind must have
weight with intelligent people