The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-07-13
OUR INSULAR POSSESSIONS
American Protestant Mission Work in
the Philippines.
ALL DENOMINATIONS IN HARMONY
Converts In Christianity Principal
ly from Upper Class.

This article has been written
for the FULTON COUNTY News
by Charles Henry Wissner, Esq,
a former resident of McCounells.
burg and a mem Der of the Fulton
county bar, and who spent three
years in the Philippine Islands,
and is familiar with their languag
and customs,-Editor. =
The different protestant de-
nominations of America have dis
trlcted the islands for mission.
ary effort. The cities of Manila,
Cebu and Iloilo are left open to all
the denominations but each prov
lnce has been assigned to one de-
nomination alone, so there will be
no conflict of missionary effort
and, consequently, none of that
unseemly strife among the de-
nominations for converts nornone
of that confusion of mind among
the natives as to which form of
Professionalism they ought to ac-
cept
The Methodists claim, and are
undoubtedly justified IN their
claim, 10000 mem bers IN Manila,
and from what | saw of their
work, | feel warranted in saying
that for zeal and sacrifice and
earnestness, their missionaries
certainly have no superiors on
that island.
The upper classes, and that
means the intelligent classes of
the Philippines, form the bulk of
thenew Thelower class
es are unable to understand the
theological subtleties of the Prot
estant doctrines, and no doubt it
will take a generation of effort 10
reach them.
One little in cident of the effect
OF inability to comprehend the
teaching of the missionaries
comes into my mind, and because
of the innocence Of the little boy
involved in the case and the amuse
ment that arose from it | will take
the liberty of recounting 1t.
The missionary at a certain
place on the island of Panay was
very much dlsgusted at the Gus
tom of the people not to place any
clothing on their children until
they were about ten years of age.
The people who are very quick to
learn anything, soon caught on to
his teachings and a remarkable
change took place III the commu-
nifty and no matter in what state
of nature a child paraded about
the streets on week days, on Sun
day it was always decently clad.
Christmas of 1901 he distributed
among his Sunday school chill
dren the contents of a box that
had been forwarded to him from
America. To little Pedro fell an
india rubber doll with a black
face and body, and to his sister a
straw hat covered with ribbon
and flowers. The children were
all enjoined to attend service the
following Sunday and to wear
their clothes. Pedro's little sis
ter was sick and he alone of the
family went to church. His moth.
er had dressed HIM all right but
as the weather was warm he did
not fancy wearing his clothes and
soon discarded th IN a n q
hid them under bush by
the road side, but he had carried
with hIm from the house his SIS
ter's straw hat and his rubber
doll. The congregation was startl-
ed while listening to the MISSION
ary's sermon by seeing poor Pc
dro march in boldly his sisters
hat on his head and his rubber
doll in his hand and as for ms
clothes he had on no more than
he had the day of his birth. We
leave the reader to imagine the
feelings of the missionary and
his wife.
Time, patience, grace and ex-
ample win change even the low
est Of the race. God called US TO
the islands and under his Provi-
dence we will make them the
sgems OF the seas"
-------------- y.
Do,r " dams of his rrlaca