The Irish standard., 1902-12-06
Persons who have not Travelled Likely to
Form Erroneous Impressions
of Foreign Races.
American. have been Taught to Consider
al Other People Inferior
to Anglo-Saxons.

on the edge of civilization, and is most
rampant in the coast cities, where the
missionaries are probably needed.
lone reared in Christian commun-
ity like Pittsburg, imbibing the preju-
dices Of Catholics, may be permit
ted to say that 1 entertain no feeling
Of prejudice against Protestant mis-
sionaries. 1t must be admitted, how
ever, that whatever advancement in
civilization has been attained in South
America is due to the earlier and con-
tinued efforts of Catholic missionaries.
''These Jesuits, who followed the
Spanish conquerors' sword with the
cross, We're heroes and picked men Of
the age in which they lived, who have
unselfishly devoted their lives during
four hundred years to helping these
people, without any earthly reward.
can elderly padre, or Spanish priest,
with a benevolent countenance, named
Father Visorlot, living in one Of the
ancient cities Of the Incas, with whom
I pleasantly discussed this question,
said:
NO one ever dies of starvation in
this country; no one goes hungry. Is
that not SOP
II had to confess it was my observa-
tion. Then the Father said, with a
smile: Are there any prisons in your
country? There are none in this
land, through which 1 travelled for
months
"He added: Are there not more
criminals, relatively, in your land than
with us?'
"'I think there are'
II believe there are more crimes in
Pittsburg than in some Of our interior
counties-such as one may hear Of in
a days attendance at county court
than there is in all of South America,
which has an area as great as North
America.
"In crossing the Andes was in the
company of Indians-alone-for eleven
months, and never suffered the loss Of
a penny in value.
"Once our escort carried $4,000 in
silver coin, sewed up in skins, being
sent from merchant, or trader, in an
interior town, to the coast settlement.
"The merchant laughed, saying in
twelve years he had sent from $4,000
to $4,000 annually to the coast, with
out any protection, and never lost a
cent. He added that his credits aggre-
gated a large sum annually among
poor people and he had never lost any
thing.
"I rode with that $4,000 for a cou-
pie of weeks-it being thrown indif-
ferently on the pack mules, with the
other baggage, and no guard placed
over it in camp.
II had to confess to the good Father
Visorlot that in my country they
stopped railroad trains almost in sight
of our cities, and robbed them of less
amounts.
"He laughed heartily and took turn
at interviewing me. You people do not
send us your average men as mission
aries, but 1 rather surmise we receive
| some of your over-zealous people who
desire to become martyrs.
"'My observation has been that your
missionaries almost invariably confine
their efforts to the poorer or lower
class of people, and entirely ignore the
better class.
"'You know added the Father, the
line of caste is distinctly drawn in
these countries, but it is not color
line, nor a moneyed aristocracy, but
there is a disposition to magnify the
best blood Of the families.
"'Now, when your missionaries come
here and attach themselves to the low
r class, to the exclusion Of all others,
hey are, of course, ostracised by the
'etter people-by their own acts.
"'They find it difficult to reach this
ower order by preaching to their in
elect
"'On the other hand, if a good man