The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-05

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Opinion That the Recent Outbreal
in the Empire Was More Anti
Foreign Than Anti Missionary.
Rev. DR.. a. B. Leonard OF New Yorl
city, general secretary of the mission
airy society of the Methodist Episcopa
church in this country. gave TIVE
splendid addresses on missionary worl
yesterday in the Elm Park church.
In the evening he gave u talk Oi
missionary work In China, which wa.
listened to with intense interest b.
one of the largest congregations evel
gathered together in that edifice. Ii
beginning his remarks he made a pass
ing reference to the obligations which
the United States has taken upon her.
self in the far east. Referring to tn.
two Sundays on which Dewey
smashed NIontijo's fleet and on which
Cerveras battleships went to piece.
he said:
"I for one, thank God that whef
George Dewey had finished his worl
in Manila harbor he stayed there.
consider these two Sundays the great.
est missionary Sundays in the nine.
teenth century, because on those days
were removed the obstructions which
had prevented 100000 people for CEN
turies from a knowledge of the true
gospel of the Lord Jesus"
Regarding China, he said, in part:
1--WE must be fair with China anG
iust now there Is danger Of being un.
fair. l think that during the Chinese
trouble the administration has showr
great wisdom. 1t has held steady
hand and the policy adopted by this
country has done more to control the
policies Of the European states thar
any other Influence"
SIZE OF THE EMPIRE.
He then described at some length the
tremendous size Of the Chinese empire
and it's great population, now esti.
mated at 45O,00O,OO0. "Thls is grea
problem for the world to deal with,
said he. I'VE can't turn our backs
and say that it holds no interest fol-
u.s."
He described the great religions OF
China, Buddhism and Confucianism
''If these religions could ever uplift the
Chinese or bring them to higher civ.
ilization they surely would have done
it after all these centuries. The in
telligent' Chinaman will tell you tina,
the Chinese nation today has it's face
to the past and it's back to the future
yet, the Chinese are a wonderful
people. One Chinaman is worth siA
Malays. They are the largest proper.
ty owners In Singapore, Java, Sumatra
and all the surrounding islands anC
they are the most valuable people
dwelling there. They are self-support.
ing. Did you ever see a begging
Chinaman in this country? Did yol
ever see q drunken Chinaman in this
country? No, you never did, bu
you've seen drunken Germans. Irish.
men and Americans.
"The Chinaman has physical quail.
ties which could be developed into &
great manhood. If the Chinese hat
the same naval and military discipline
as have the other civilized nations
they would be able to face and cope
with the whole world. If China could
in twenty-four hours be lifted up or
the same plane as the European ma.
tions. as far as military and nava
prOwess goes, the allied forces would
be out of China in no time.
WOULD BECOME MIGHTY.
but China is hopeless because she is
helpless a few men have been making
an effort lately to get out of the rut
but it isn't much use. Give her the adj.
vantages OF Christian civilization anG
the Chinese will become mighty peO.
pie. ] do not hesitate to say that il
the recent trouble the Chinese had just
cause for great provocation.
DR.. Leonard then detailed at length
the various parts Of China already
grabbed by the European powers
"They have succeeded in carrying of
SO much territory along the seacoast
that China today does not own a single
one Of her important seapOrts. What
would We have done in this country il
the European nations had come owe,
here and began taking our seaports
We'd resist with all our power
wouldn't we:
''If it's wrong to steal American ter
ritory. it's just as wrong to steal Chi
nese territory. The powers have been
guilty Of a great wrong in taking this
territory from China
At this point the doctor referred tc
those people who maintain that the
missionaries have an easy time. This
trouble has opened their eyes" said he
land has demonstrated that mission
ary work is not q lritlng thing but a
calling which requires sublime courage
Some people say, let's withdraw
Suppose that in the first century the
early Christians had become discour-
aged and had decided to give up
preaching the gospel. If they had the
Christian civilization you and / are
now living in would have never eN-
listed. The Chinese are not close sea
soners. They say the missionaries came
first and the gunboats afterwards.
WAS AGAINST FOREIGNERS.
~ have said it before and / say il
again. The Boxer movement was not
one-tenth as much anti-missionary as
it was anti-foreign. The dowager en-
press, wise old lady and as treacher-
Gus as she Is wise, saw a revolution
against the Manchu dynasty brewing
and she turned 1t against the foreign
ers to divert it from herself and the
powers that be-"
The Chinese Christian has always
shown himself to be true. In all this
trouble there is not one recorded case
of a single one who denied Jesus Christ.
Not two per cent OF the converted
Chinese have ever gone back on their
religion. They never go back on their
missionaries, either, and often give up
their lives for them"
DR.. Leonard then stated that the
Methodist church had not lost life in
the recent trouble. not single mis-
sionary or even a child being killed