The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-03

Organized neJie IN Gu a.
Repeated and ayl-.sensly irrepEsssiois
atrocities perpetraIed upon ChriS.tan
missionaries in China b. the Society OF
Boxers have at last taken on q aailt-
ical aspect. and viii probably lead Up
10 phosphate settlement o. the OPEN
door question. although IN an Indirect
I manner. Unless the authorities al Pc
king display more willingness or abslity
10 protect foreigners than they have
shown thus far the governments Of CIV
iized nations viii De competed TO take
affairs into their own hands. once that
this step Is made there VIII probably be
an end Of both boxers and of tbs
Chinese question:
The Thug Society, whose unspeakable
| deeds have horrifed The Christian pe5-
pie OF two continents, Is said 20 have a
membership running up inso millions
The scene OF its present oUtFageS IS the
maritime province OF Shan Tung. waieh
lies south of the Chinese capital CITY.
shan Tung has an area OK 5S.0co squar
miles, almost the exact size OF the sat
Of Illinois Packed within this space
4 population OF not less than G.so3.ta
subjects OF the emperor. These hgnte
J indicate against what odds our ChTis.i3
missionaries have 10 contend.
When and where the Society % Boxer
! was arEanized is not known. But a.
/ are certain that IL was not originated
/ for the purpose OF Strengthening fo.eiga
devils. the name bestowed on Euro
+ peans BY the Chinese. The society was
nrst called the brotherhood Of the
! Strong Sword" and Ks object was the
I exurpation OF native robbers. BuI this
admirable motive was corrupted by
/ wicked men within the organization, and
/ OF recent years its machinery has been
turned against al Europeans, and espe-
eially against missionaries. This fact Is
! due TO certain unalter2ble prejGdices, be-
| lies and customs OF the Chinese on the
1 one hand, and 10 the deliberate lies and
| ISLANDERS OF the educated natives on the
other.
| Take him all around, the Chinese is a
| quiet. pesce-loving fellow who abhors a
/ night. He is not warmly welded 10 his
! religion as is the Hindu. de would as
soon profess Christianity as Buddhism
or Confucianisn. he has no quarrel
with the Christian missionary because
| OF his desire to lei the light Of the gos-
| pei shine in China. The enmity OF the
| yellow man for the missionary lies IN
The almost insane regard (which tbs
Chinese hold their dead ancestors. The
| Chinese will listen unmoved 10 any de-
nunciation OF his religion. But a word
| in derogauon OF his beloved dead rouse-
within him a fiend that stops at moth
ing.
For ages the Chinese have followed a
funeral practice which has been held Il
more reverent esteem than the pigtaN
When a man dies his son dedicates Il
his memory a tablet Of wood upon
which are inscribed the words Spirit
Lord" and "Spirit Throne" After burial
this tablet is taken home, set ID In a
specially prepared place, and the eldest
son, morning and evening, for the
mourning period Of three years. sets be
fore it offerings TO the soul Of the dead
man. The custom is not religious any
more than Is the Christian custom Of
strewing flowers on the graves Of tbs
departed. II is only the peculiar fash.
ion in which the Chinese honor the
memory OF their ancestors. And, strange
as # may seem, this practice has stood
between Christianity and the millions Of
Chinese for two centuries.
When the early Cotholic missionaries
went 10 the celestial kingdom they found
its people apparently worshiping a slab
Of wood. Ready TO listen TO all sugges-
tons from the missionaries In other mat
tiers. the Chinese drew the line at giving
UP this particular act Of homage 10 their
dead The soldiers Of the cross were
puzzled Uncertain as to whether or not
the tablet worship was idolatry. they
appealed 10 Rome and the judgment 81
the pope was adverse. To DC Christian
the Chinese must give up the memcIia la
tablet When. later. the other churches
sent out their missionaries the Roman
precedent was followed by them, and has
been followed until today. That Is one
reason why China has been backward in
changing the jOss-lOuse for the church
All this, however, would not account
for the murderous attacks on The mis-
sionaries which have made the very
name Of China an abomination. The
masses Of the people in that country are
stepped in ignorance They are easily
Influenced by their Intelligent and edu-
Gated countrymen. The latter have been
at very great pains to instili into the
minds OF the vulgar an intense hatred
for the white preachers Of she gospel
They Influenced the passions OF the VIII
layers BY telling them that the mission
aries adopt Chinese children for purposes
OF wltchcraft Orphan asylums founded
by the missionaries. they say. are used
as covers 10 conceal the murder or the
little ones whose bodies are cut up %
obtain certain parts very valuable q the
witch doctor. As the belief that some
organs. Of the body are very potent IN
magical operations Is a popular superstl-
ton with the Chinese, It Is easy 10 see
how readily the cultured among them
can impose on their simpler fellows by
using 50 powerful a lever as this.
In the society Of the Boxers the edu-
Gated Chinese found an efficient i1stru-
ment with which 70 vent their hate for
the industrious missionaries. Boxers s.
the new name for the Society Of the
Great or Strong Sword Gn Chinese t.
Too WHY. It's members Kill and 10
foreigners and natives without dtscf'ln-
nation on the slightest orovocatleE. ard
oftentimes on no prov0caa9a Whatever.
Occasionally a Boxer T. executed b. tie
order Of the provincial governor. but
these puHishmeEts are only half-haarfeJ
affairs. which. IN View % the uroverb.ai
disdain q death common among Chinese.
have little effect. Something more than
diplomatic protests wii probably be nee
essary before European ant American
missionaries viii be perfectly safe Ia
China.
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