Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-04-25
We Ought to Give the Chinese
Souls a Rest.

We won't let the Chinese come to
this country, and we are quite right.
We don't want them here. And they
would be unhappy If they came, since
the proud-spirited American, when he
loses his job to a IChinese, breaks the
Chinese gentleman's skull
The Chinese don It wantour mission
aries or our religion, but we insist on
sending them, and, when the Chinese
get ugly, bayonets and clubs back up
the devoted work of the missionaries.
Just now there is fresh trouble In
China. New outbursts of assassinAr
ton occur because missionary Is ae-
cused of gouging out the eyes OF q
native boy.
or course, this accusation is a hid
eous falsehood. 1t is as false as the
still more hideous accusations which
which Christians make in Austria
against Jews whose success they envy.
But the fact that the charge against
the missionary is false does not Sc title
the matter.
The real question is this: II we for
bid the Chinese to. come here and save
an American dollar, what right have
we to go out there and save a Chinese
soul?
Haven't they right to their own
religion and to their own way of
thinkingp II we shut them out of our
own COUNTRY, must it not seem to
them rather puzzling to insist on
dragging them into our HEAVEN?
II we think them unfit to associate
with us now, can we expect them to
to believe that we really want them
to associate with US in Paradise?
The unhappy people of China have
just been treated to visitation of
European civilization. -
One perfectly truthful man with a
. conscience describes some OF the
things that he saw in China while our
troop were there.
A number Of soldiers from Germany
pursued some unhappy women, guilty
of no crime, into their homes.
They ran to the top floor, jumped
from the roof, and lay in the street,
with their legs broke, but not dead.
They besought the Chinese who
passed to kill them at once and save
them from the soldiers.
1t is pleasant to be able to add that
the passing Chinese did kill them, as
reQueS ted, and put them out of their
misery.
These scenes were repeated all over
China
ItWould be N onstrous to compare
with brutal soldiers the missionaries
( VINO go out with religious enthusiasm
to save the Chinese from eternal per-
dition.
DThese missionaries are devoted men.
They are inspired by the highest
motives.
But just for second take the Chin
ese view Of the case.
Suppose horde of Chinese soldiers
SAoulu rush 1nGO The United Sta ties,
murder men and destroy women, tel
ling us that we had the wrong kind of
government.
Suppose they were accompanied and
followed by collection Of earnest
Chinese priests, who came to tell US
that we have the wrong kind of a God.
Should we not be a little suspicious
of these priests who came with the
soldiers?
Can we wonder If the brother or
father of these Chinese women who
jumped from the roof has rather
hostile feeling toward all kinds of
Europeans, including preachers?
Woul it not be good idea, just for
the present, to keep our missionaries
out of China, and let them stick to
their own religion and their heaven?
1t would seem to be time enough to
share our heaven with them when we
get ready to give them share of our
earthly home. Chicago
American.