The Washington times., 1904-11-13
6H1o QFZHe Gree-Gee B0z5h Wasted /zlz7
Is called q C00nIrY Ae0f/

moral and intellectual development
Their aim Is to get rich quickly and
retire 20 other parts more congeniaL
This has been unfortunate for the nS-
tive. IL is commonly asserted by for
eigners when comparing the native on
the coast with his neighbOT In the in
terror that they prefer 10 deal with the
latter. who has had no contact with
European civilization. They say that
contact with civilization teaches the
native man to be less honest, moral,
and docile. The observation in many
Instances is quite true. The heather has
been corrupted; he has been cheat 4
and made the victim OF sharp practice;
he has been demoralized by strong drink
of the meanest brand, which has left
him sullen and suspicious. II is unfair
to attribute this degradation TO contact
with European civilization. II Is con-
tact rather with selfish greed.
Missionary Enterprise Problems.
This region is the scene of extensive
missionary enterprise. operating under
boards in the United States. The Oldest
Is the Muhlenberg Lutheran Mission.
The next is the Mount Coffee Mission.
independent in character. but maintain
cd by free-will offerings from this fol-
lowers of the Church of Christ. at Pas
sale, y. ]. Both these missions have in
terror stations and are struggling to
stem the tide OF ignorance and super
sutton
The problems which confront these
missions are many. serious. and diff
cult Of solution. The missionaries them
selves viii carry more weight with their
testimony than anything We might say
The Liberia and West Africa" a
monthly journal published at Monrovia
and edited by DR.. A. F. Camphor, a
missionary of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. says. in an editorial entitled
"OuF Work in LIBERIA in the issue OF
May. 1903:
After operating in Liberia fer nearly
three-fourths of a century. the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church in Liberia. in 1904
has membership OF a little more than
5000 fun members and. probatfoners.
During ali these years the accessions to
the church have averaged about fortv-
seven year We might with some ac-
curacy say that IS per cent OF these are
American negroes or their descendants"
The head Of the Mount Coffee Mission
who has spent ten years in this field
writes In the same journal OF the same
issue under the head Christian Native
Colony
Missionaries in this part OF Africa all
agree that the field is hard and diseour-
aging. Let US note in particular TWO
facts
The adult native population seems
welded TO heathenism. After many
years of labor the average worker sees
but little results.
Hence mission work has become
largely educational. We take the chill
dren Of the natives and try to train
Them up TO become Christians. This IS
better than nothing. but we must con-
fess with shame that children could be
trained up TO be Mohammedans. Erah-
mans, or disciples or any other false
religion. Therefore. even though we
gain children as converts, il does not
reflect full credit upon the gospel OF
Christ, but what is worse, mission chill
dren go back into heathenism. Remem-
Der, l am not speaking OF any one per-
son 5 work, but the average OF all
Heather relatives, hereditary impulses.
lusts. laZiness. and other forces prove,
IN most eases, too strong for the boy
trained at a mission station, and back
he goes 10 the old life