The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-23
AN ADDRESS ON PORTO RICO.
Moral Conditions in the Island to He
Described by ii Missionary

An Interesting address ON Porto Rico.
Illustrated by stercopticou views. will be
delivered at Trinity Parish Hail. corner
OF Third Street and Indiana Avenue
northH ,s,. at s O'Clock tomorrow evening
Rev. James Van Buren,, a well-kuJwn
Massachusetts Clergyman. recently
appointed FOR missionary work in Porto
Rico viii Doe th- speaker The lecture
Will Dee free. and. considering the interest
centred i'm the subject il is thought that
a large audience VIII he in Attendance
Mr. Van Buren, is a graduate of Yale
and of the Berkeley Divinity School lie
has been n.charse of an important par
ish for ten years. and comes 10 his new
Responsibilities well fitted by experienc,
and sound judgment for it's high purpose
Mr. Van Buren, has been diligently study
/ inE Spanish FOR some months under ex-
c,ilcut native teachers. hoping to ac-
quire "a perfect knowledge of the Ian
Euage, that he may speak To the Porto
RicaUs in their own tongue. In speaking
of his experiences as student AT the
/ language. ne says.
1T is not difficult 10 acquire a suH-
[ cIeut amount Of Spanish for domestic and
commercial purposes. but to speak ia "a
language which is as delicate in its
. standings and as picturesque IN its Itcra-
tuTc as its Latin ancestor. requires a long
time and patient study. Still. 10 can be
I learned, and an my case, il must be- doae
ME Interpreter tells me that i'm "a wears
time ] shall be able TO speak the ian
Euagc huenUy. At the same moment he
uryly remarks on nay last written ser
mon It's beautiful. beautiful but not
spanish SO j accept the sugar-coa ted
o criticism. then go back To my grammar
February last. Mr.. Van Buren, made a
hurried trip To San Juan. and talks inter
eStlngly OF his visit TO the island. To
meet the need Of Spanish teaching the
. board Is calling on volunteers who can
speak the language correctly. h. says.
but they have thus far called I'm vain
T. 7 he employment of intelligent young men
of Porto Rico, as lay readers, under
proper safeguard. and. possibly. Of Porto
Rican women as Bible teachers. is sug-
gested After while Mr. Van Buren, be
lieves. it viii be found that a course OF
systematic divinity would prepare some
Of them for deacOn's orders
We plan 20 organize mission schools I'm
the rural districts Of Porto Rico as fast rs
our means Will allow" he adds. In San
Juan IL Is hoped To make the church the
centre Of mission work for the entire
island. The church r. fast becoming self
supporting.
Referring to the number and general
character Of the poorer classes. MI Van
Buren, intimates that they are many and
ignorant. sUperstitiOus. and their moral
views most degrading. Strange 10 say he
found that even the Weather and more
Intelligent classes have, with Few eNcep-
ti0ns lost al respect for the only form
Of Christianity they ever knew
The eNOrbitaut marriage fees cNtOrted
by the priests I'm Porto Rico. have pre-
vented he declares. multitudcs from hav-
ing Christian marriage This has led
TO great decentralization.
The missionary infers that a people
brought UP under these conditions viii not
easily change. His faith lies I'm the hope
that he may bring the youth Of the ISL
and 10 acknowledge God. and TO persuade
them 10 follow the strait and narrow
path" Relative 10 this he gives touch
ing incident During A Washington
Birthday celebration held In a large thea
tire in San Juan. several hundred children
arose and feclingly sang the national an
them Of the United States 4 feature
was that the same WAS sung in English
on that occasion the late Bishop Whip
ole delivered "A stirring address on our
Country which was unusually well re-
c.iyad bv his Porto Rican hearers.