The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-02
CHINESE IN THEIR OWN LAND.
STRANGE WAYS OF STRANGE PEG
PIE TOLD BY DWELLER AMONG
THEM.

Congregations of Christ Church
and st. John's--''The Value of Mis-
sion work" and "Eyangeiistic Eff
fort in Hankow" the Subjects OF
the Two DiscOurses-ChEnese Char
actcr and the DinicuIty 1t Presents.
An Illustrated Lecture to Be De-
Iivered at st. Johns Parish Hall.
Rev. j. Addison Ingle. missionary of
the Episcopal Church in China, delivered
two discourses, on subjects connected
with his work, 10 Savannah congregations
yesterday In the morning he spoke at
Christ Church, and in the evening at st.
johns Roth sermons pleased and closely
interested every listener.
The subject OF the sermon at Christ
Church, at the morning service, was THE
Value of Missions" Rev Mr.. Ingle dis
cussed this question commercially, polti-
cally physically. intellectually, morally
ard spiritually. showing the effect of mis-
siouary endeavor in each of these aspects
of human life and work, showing the
good accomplished by the missions for the,
people among whom it is carried on, and
the reactionary good that comes to that
people by which the missionary is sent.
The missionary. said Mr. Ingle, is the
pioneer of American progress in the
Orient He comes before the merchant,
and, living among the people, prepares
them fer the advent of Western CONNER
cialism and it's vigorous representatives.
The missionary cannot descend to the
standard and plan of living of the natives
and by precept and example he aids in
bringing them up to his. The oriental is
initiative and seeing the missionary in the
enjoyment of comforts he does not pos
sess the sight creates desire, and the de-
sire a market for the products of the mis-
sionary's home country
Politically, China is rotten to the
hearts core. No government official re-
ceives from governmental sources any
thing like enough to live on, and in con-
sequence he makes his living as best ne
can. He finds the best and easiest plan
to be to tax those immedia tely under him
in authority, and these in turn carry
his system of oppression and extortion
lower and lower down the scale until It
reaches the people. The viceroy of
great province, governing almost abso-
lutely perhaps 50,0O0000 of people, receives
a yearly stipend of $1,000 not enough to
pay his bodyguard.
Intellectually, it is stagnant. The stand
ard of education is the acquisition and
commission to memory of countless vol
umes of ancient history and stale ethics
absolutely valueless in any of the ordl-
nary concerns of life. OF science not a
word is taught. and originality is of all
things most discouraged, and that upon
which the anathema maranatha of public
opinion falls with greatest force.
Morally and spiritually China is with
out criterion OF right living or a guild
ing light to another world The field
for missionary endeavor is wide In thar
lend, said Mr.. Ingle, and there is room
.for educated and intelligent and deter
mined effort everywhere.
At the night service Mr.. Inge address,
ed himself particularly to the subject of
"Evangelistic Work in Hankow," in
which city lies his own field of operations
He prefaced his remarks with the state
ment that there was presented TO the con-
gregation in his person a missionary
anomaly, in that he neither asked nor
expected to receive a single cent of
money. He stated further that he had
chosen the theme of his sermon from
among the many that might have been
taken from the mission work in China,
because it was the one with which he was
most intimately familiar. He preferred,
he said. giving his auditors a comprehen-
sive idea of a particular branch of the
work, rather than a vague outline of
many branches.
The speaker said that in discussing the
questio of missions with persons in this
country. three questions were most fire.
Quently asked him. chow do you make
convert? What and how do you teach
him? What is he after he has been bap-
tized?" These questions and their answers
formed the basis of his sermon.
To reach the people it had been found
wise TO discard a primal effort. all APP
peas from the pulpit. 1t was not effec-
tive, il did not reach the mind or the con-
science of the ordinary Chinaman. 1t did
not accomplish the desired end. The mis-
eionaries had established instead a guest
house, fitted up in the Chinese fashi-n and
bearing a placard descriptive of its char
acter The house would be placed in
charge, probably. of Chinese clergyman
and TO him the prospective convert would
come. He would be invited to enter.
Then would ensue a lengthy conversa-
| ton, i'm which The minute formaities Of
| Chinese etiquette would find scrupulous
| observance. The visitor would answer che
! invitation to enter with the statement that
| he was not worthy of such an honor. Up
on being assured that he was, of all per
| sons, the most desired and that his re-
| nown had Travelled before him, he would
| yield a reluctant consent and enter the
| room, taking the seat of least honor By
| successive stages and afler many protesta-
! tons of his own unworthiness, he would
| be induced to take the chair of honor,
| according to Chinese ideals, and the only
| one, by che way, he would have consent
| ed TO occupy during the conversation.
Possibly the clergyman would inquire
! the exalted name of the visitor and would
| learn that the wretched and degraded APP
| pelation by which he was designated,
| whenever anybody took the trouble to
| speak of or 90 him. CHANGED TO be Wong.
| When asked in what distinguished and
| ennobling occupation he was amassug
| honor and wealth, he would say that he
| happened TO make both miserable ends
meet by pursuing the wretched calling of
| a boatman. To a polite inquiry as 10 the
location of the marble palace which he
| honored with his occupancy, he would de-
| scribe the position Of the shatched hut
in which he dragged out a miserable ex-
| istence.
In such wise the conversation would
proceed, until the visitor had exhausted
| his stock of commonplaces. To the West
| EN- mind, Mr. Ingle said. these elaborate
! formalities seemed to be absurd, and so
| they WERE but to the Chinaman they
were of the essence of good breeding,
] wit bont which no COuVprSa tfon couid ,,rc-