The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-11
MISSIONARIES TO THE HEATHEN.
They Arc Severely Criticized BY an Omoer
Who Served in South Africa.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUE-ST: lever
under the heading "A Plea to Millionaires.
In your paper Of July 8. was read by mo Win
considerable interest, and has led me to write
this letter on a subject which received great
deal Of my attention while in South Africa.
and one on which i have always felt that the
American public needed enlightenment.
In that portion OF South Africa lying be-
tween Cape Town and the Zambes River.
and Portuguese East Africa and Walhsh
Bay. there are distributed thousands upon
thousands Of mission stations. representing
the foreign missionary societies OF every
country in the world
During my stay In South Africa, came
into contact with a large number OF these
missionaries, and from my observations i
believe that the foreign mission does moro
harm than good. During the course OF lee
ture which delivered before a foreign mis-
sionary society in st. Louis year ago ex-
pressed myself pretty freely on this subject,
and aroused such storm OF Indignation that
have since been rather tlmid about giving
publicity to my ideas in regard to foreign
mission work and its results.
Some might call me an atheist, but l am
nothing Of the sort. and beg to point out
my reasons for my attitude toward foreign
missionary societies.
have never found. In one single instance.
a missionary In South Africa who did not
SohuuCV q tIduluk DusiICsS III INC hcio Va 'A''
missionary operations. ! was much amused
at Palapye. in Khama's country. where my
regiment was stationed for a few weeks. by a
missionary who, in explaining the enormous
store which he had Of native supplies. valuable
Ivory. horns. hides. de-, said: These are a
few presents which the dear people have
brought to tho one who has led them into the
bright path OF the Christian religion"
The salaries Of these missionaries are very
ANAL yorapinp I halaya about FRO. hut
it Is matter of record that the business
OF the missionaries referred to. In native
products, amounts annually to thousands OF
pounds.
The greatest injustice that found perpe-
trated on the innocent savages was by
German missionary in the northernmost
part Of the Transvaal Republic. He was
situated In the heart OF q very prosperous
and populous native district. and there were
large number OF other foreign mission
aries located In the vicinity. Our friend did
not arouse the enthusiasm or obtain the
following that he perhaps expected. and
in his fertile brain was conceived unique
plan for increasing his popularity. -, There
threatened to ruin the crops OF the natives
Our missionary had been reading Of the con-
on 6g be- deo o To
this mechanism to overcome the drought. Ne
allowed information Of his purpose to be
estea by the na n This interest Was
greatly increased when the apparatus itsell
arrived, and it can readily be Understood tiea how
thing that could overcome the drought when
1t il stated that these natives live only, from
years starvation. On the day when the great
trial was to be. rnade,, 1t is said, there were
100. 900 natives from all parts Of the northern
friend; and. extraordinary as IT may seem.
the test was made In the morning. and tire
Sesa s II tHs ente
Needless to say. this missionary was thence
forth the most popular one In the whole dis,
trct. He was oyerrpn with followers. and
has had assigned 70 him ,t by the K,ng OF the ne
e,y valley il Ts snd wh Efs he has
cent home. constructed by native hands.
broad avenues Of palm trees. splendid flower dover
and goats, all the offerings Of the poor ma
tives, and he has laughnely edmitted to me
how efilcacious his ruse was. In that u made
had It not been for this. he would have been
in the same pl xht a. his brother missionaries.
another drou xht threatened. and the natives
S ss this M,ev sFfp TO asns
that their own sins we're tho cause Of r.
n ment BY H the H mig S' Fsther
j could quote many other instances Of the
kind, but have other reasons lor dlsapproV-
Ing OF foreign missionaries. Instinct has
taught the native all the moral laws that are
the basis Of our social STRUCTURE. lnstinet
has hs he the 5 nntv not hns e. he Should
not murder, that he should not commit adul-
terry, have lived for as much as az months 1Ih
have never come into contact with mis-
sionary. have found, without exception,
in the so sa 9ss w WERE wASm IN e
dealings among themselves and with tho
Tn I have ,H found that they are highly, moral.
In fact. | have invariably found them. in
their native state, living lives that We who
call ourselves Christianized would do we'll 10
The ipfdelity Of married woman is pun nd
ish9ble by death Mgrdss is ysTy rsrehi s and
fore, live better lives than we do, why should
we try to teach them our way OF living? The
natives of South Africa who ~ ne jails are re
&C Our IT nissionsri.s have penetrated into the
he of A psrts drsSp sd Sd tse nsse
and we have taught them the use Of modern
Tho natural result is shst the
S W6rtS SpG to be- Simulated they follow Us in
n mude If dre. IN ss' fts
ton ton of our vehicles for transport. and in al!
wavs our improvements are copied. and
therefore they are very ready. when our
missionaries come. to say: you are great be-
cause YOU have been able to accomplish so
much, therefore We accept your religion.
1t il a great pity that in giving them the
benefit of our kno Wedge we undermine their
moral character in the process. We're We all
good and were our teachers all good. capable
only of acts becoming their rei giOn. all would
be we'll; but. unfortunately, the native copies
the bad as well as the good. Therefore when
our heather brother accepts our religion be-
cause he believes it Ia good inasmuch "a it Is
ours, he also learns to drink whisky. because
he sees the white man drink It; he learns to
smoke because the white man smokes: he
learns to lie because the white man lies to
him; he learns to steal because the white
man steals, and he observes that the white
man has not the same respect for morallRws
that he has in his native state. and he feels
that his law must be wrong. and copies the
white mans way.
/ Wish to assure Won that ! am not exag-
cerating one iota in my expressions herein.
There is no honest traveller twho is not a mis-
sionary) who has obeerved the results Of
mission work in South Africa or any other
country who will not support me in my as
sertiOns.
The deve,c Imen' of heather and unchris-
mnI- not for the benefit, of the natives. but
fUr the benefit Of civilized nations. to provide
new fields for the ever increasing surplns
population. The heather native who would
live on forever. II left in his natural state. ia
crushed under the wheels of our ever increas-
ing civilization He is sacrificed on the altar
Of the white man advancement. We have
no better example Of this than tho North