Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-07-04

tally Think Of the ms,llstruus hyi, POI
cricy Of ao-called Christian nations,
Wanting themselves On their enlight-
ened civilization, pretending 8 desire
that the Gospel should be carried to all
peoples and then invading the Dark
Continent armed withthe rum bottle,
and in cold blood debauching and
.rninfng. It's people. On the one
hand are the missionaries, on the
other hand is the rum Of Chrlstendom.
Free rum against a free people +
The superintendent of Lutheran
missions in West Africa, wrote a few
years ago: 1.-THE vilest liquors i'm
aginable are being poured into Africa
in shiploads from every quarter Of the
civilized world. On one small vessel,
in which myself and wife were the only
passengers, there were in the hold
over 100000 gallons Of New England
rum, which sold on the coast for 81 q
gallon in exchange for palm oil, rub
Der, camwood and other products
common to the country. I have seen
Landed from one steamer at single
port, 10000 cases Of gin, each contain
ing twelve three-pint bottles"
Recently an African missionary
wrote: ....
"Dear friends, we have very mix
ed cargo-four missionaries, 10000
hundred weight of gunpowder, and
barrels and casks of gin without num-
ber. Our ships surgeon, very wick
ed man, said to me. pointing derisiyely
to the gin and rum that v ere being un-
loaded at e, cry point along the Afrl-
can coast. '"rhere are the bibles and
hymn books Christian America il send
ing oyer to ciyilize heather Africa. >"
At d meeting in London a few years
ago Baboo Chunder .Sin22said: What
was India thirty Or forty years ago,
and what is she today? The. whole
atmosphereof India seems to be rend-
ing with the cries of helpless widows
and orphans, who often go to the
length of cursing the British govern.
ment for having introduced intoxicat-
ing drink .,,<@ - -. =.
AS result of the Introduction oil
Intoxicating drink into these countries
by Christian nations, the heathens
are prejudiced against the Gospel and
it's missionaries. They see the same
nations that send the Gospel of peace
or the waters of life to the children OF
darkness, send also the spirit of evil
or fire water, and, in too many cases,
the same vessels that carry mission
aries of light in the cabin carry casks
and barrels of darkness in the hold.
True, they who send out missionaries
are a different class from those who
send out rum, but in the minds of the
heather it is all tie same. The only
opportunity they have of Judging tn.
people of Christian countries is when
sailors and travellers land in thei1
midst, and traders do business will
them. They say, these are American
Christians or English Christians, ant
see what their religion does. Hence
when missionaries from Christian
lands go among the heather to propa
gate the Gospel, not unfrequently the!
are acoosted thus: i; why do 70,
come here? Why do,you not try t
teach and reform your countrymen
Would you have US adopt such
religion as yours, to abandon the sys
tens Of our fathers, to become drunk
ards and blasphemers? You tell u
if we remain heather we shall certain
ly perish, but it is better that W
should suffer than embrace a religion
| like yours. .
"How long, oh, how long?''