The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-26
WAS 4 Prisoner IN PKIN
BOXER MOVEMENT DISCUSSED BY
REV. c. e.. EWING BEFORE
CONGREGATIONAL CLUB
RELIGION PLAYED NO PART
CelestiaIs Were Enraged at Progress
of Modern Civilization, Build
ing of Railroads and ArrO-
Gance sofoForefgners.

The two hundred and fourth regular
meeting of the Minnesota Congregational
club held at the Plymouth church last
night proved to be an interesting one,
three men from far-away Fekin being
present to grace the occasion.
Rev. CharleSr f.. Ewing, Fl. b. Haskell
and A. l.. Shier, who were in Pelxin at
the time of the outbreak, spoke most
entertainingly of China and of the out
break. He said in part:
The Boxer outbreak was a craze more
than anything else. / can think of no
other work that would more fittingly
describe the strong wave of feeling that
seemed to sweep over the empire in the
Orient, Or. more properly, a part of 1t,
for the 1~-ve had it's small beginnings
like anything else, but grew with aston
lshlng rap1d1ty, once momentum had been
gained All crazes are peculiar and this
was no exception. This was not re-
llg1ous uprising as many in this country
DelleVe. The Chinese are not religious.
They do not thing much of religion, save
that more respect is shown to the men,
DRY of ancestors, than citizens of other
nations are wont to give. They are a
common people and uninteresting in the
masses. Once in a while an educated
Chinaman is met, and it is a pleasure
to talk with him. but such are few and
far between.
There are several reasons for the up
rising and. as everyone now knows, the
empress doWager was at the heart of
the trouble. Without doubt the cause Of
the most general dissatisfaction i'll the
country was the threatening attitude of
the European powers, particularly Rus
STA, England and France. The United
States held aloof at the most trying time
and the country has gained prestige by
1T
Another cause of the outbreak was the
railroad building in the most populous
part of the country. You must under
stand that in tfliSLcountry the railroads
were built gradually. Not so in China,
There the full. system now in use in the
advanced nations of the world was in
augurated in a. day, as it were, and this
threw thousands out of employment. 1t
is a well knewni axiom that idleness
breeds discomfort, and discomfort trouble
Thus it was in China. Those who were
dissatisfied fell in with the Boxer move
ment which seemed to spring up original
ly from nowhere Another thing that
offended the masses in China was the
air Of superiority always noticeable in
foreigners" 3neFr-n
In this strain Mr. Ewing told entertain
ingly how the outbreak came to happen
He did not dwell upon the part played
by him while a prisoner in the British
legation.
A few short remarks were also made
by B. Haskell and A L. Shier Sir
Haskell is from Turkey, where he has
been for some time A union Inass-meet-
ing Of the Congregational churches Of
the city will be held at the People S
church Wednesday evening, and the three
men will then give extended lectures on
the Celestial empire
There was discussion on popular
crazes and religious excitements in which
Rev. Daniel D. Davies, of St. Lct1is Park
and Rev. Alexander McGregor; of ST.
Paul, took up most of the time.
There were two songs on the pro-
granme, one by Mrs. John B. Brimhall
and the other by Miss Edna Barrett