The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-11
MISSIONARIES ToTHEHEATHEN.
Thoy Arc Severely Criticized by an Omcer
Who Served In South Africa.


under the heading "A Plea TO Mllllonaires.
in your paper Of July 8. was read by me with
considerable interest, and has led me to write
this letter on ubject which received great
deal OF my attention while in South Africa,
and one on which have always felt that the
American public needed enlightenment
In that portion Of South Africa lying be-
tween Cape Town and the Zambesi River.
and Portuguese East Africa and Walfsh
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 large number OF these
missionaries, and from my observations
believe that the foreign mission does more
harm than good. During the course OF lee
ture which delivered before foreign mis-
slonary society in st. Louis year ago ex-
pressed myself pretty freely on this sub)ect
and aroused such storm Of indignation that
l have since been rather timid about giving
publicity to my ideas in regard to foreign
mission work and its results.
Some might call me an atheist. but am
nothing Of the sort. and l beg 10 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
missionary operations. was much amused
at Palapye. in Khama's country. where my
regiment was stationed for a few weeks, by
missionary who, in explaining the enormous
store which ne had of native supplies, valuable
ivory horns. hides, &c. said These are
few presents which the dear people have
brought to the one who has led them into the
bright path of the Christian religion
The salaries Of these missionaries are very
mal1 pip | hall
it is a matter Of record that the business
of the missionaries refereed 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 vas
situated in the neart OF a very prosperous
and popllous native district. and there we're
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
struction OF apparatus by means OF when ram
this mechanism to overcome the drought. He
allowed information of his purpose to be
at nnd great sas ~as
greatly increased when the apparatus itself
arrived and it can readily be understood how
ching that could overcome the drou eht when
IT Is stated that these natives live only from
year. TO year, and drought means to them
years starvation, On the day when the great
trial was TO be made, 1t is said, there were
100000 natives from all parts Of the northern
rsns and @ as 81 may
the test was made in the morning. and ire
mcndous rains began falling in the afternoon
and continued until the drought was entirely
Needless to say, this missionary was thence
forth the most popular one n the whole oiaI
has had assigned to him by the King of the
country In which he lives a vast tract Of
cent eel tt home. me constru cted BY native hands.
gardens and immense herds Of cattle. sheep
tives. and he has laughingly admitted to me
how eficacious his ruse was. In that Il MADE
him successful as miss , an bs ne h sa,n
in the same phi chit as his broth missionaries.
with only their salaries and small trading
another drought threatened. and the natives
appealed to this. missionary again 70 ASSIST
them, but he wisely refrained from taxing
that their own Sins were the cause of the
drought. which was sent TO them as punish
ment by the Almighty Father. 49,
could quote many other instances Of the
kind. but have other reasons for di,,appreov.
ing Of foreign misSioparles dnsti 1ha, mas mas
the basis, Of our social structure. Instinct
has taught the native that he should not
that he should %s bo mo-" ha me adn
terry have lived for as much as TX mont i
at a time among natives of South Africa VINO
sionary have found, without exception.
in the various tribes with VIII ch have been
associated, that they were honest N thflr
hal oil
i have found that they ar, highly, moral
In fact | have invariably found them, IN
Their native state, living lives that We who
! call ourselves christlaniaed would do Wal 10
The intidcIi,y of married woman ls pun,
| ishable by death. Murder is very rare; and
, theft is punishable by death, As they. there,
fore live better lives than we a. Why sho Tba
| natives Of south Africa who all the iails are
the natives who have been ChristianiAed by
Our MISSIONARIES have penetrated into The
heart OF Africa into the Wild and hitherto
parts Rsm Ss n.s o modern
i inv" t s The natural result is that the
natives look upon our inventions as great,
tn Ss a f6y pnSRe Us
agriculture, in the style of architecture
mode Of dress use Of firearms the rd 1tz al
ways our improvements are copied, and
therefore they are very ready. when our
| missionaries come, 10 say. I GU are RTedy pt-
| cause Won have been able to accomplish so
| much; therefore we accept your religion.
| 1t is a great pity that in giving them the
| benefit of our kno wi edge We undermine their
| moral character in the process; We're we all
| good and were our teachers all good. GapaoIs,
| only of acts becoming their religion. all would
| he well: hut unfortunately, the native copies
| The bad as well as the good Therefore when
our heather brother accepts our relig ion be
| cause he believes il ia good. nasmuch as it is
ours he also learns to drink whisky because
| he sees the white man drink it; he learns Ia
! smoke because the white man smokes; he
| learns to lie because the white man lies 10
! him, he learns to steal because the whlls
| man steals and he observes that the white
| man has not the same respect Tor moral laws
| that lie has in his native state and he feels
| that his law must be wrong, and copies the
wish to assure YOU that am not exnG-
| geratng one iota in my expressions herein
| There is no honest traveller twho is not mis-
! siouary) who has observed the results OF
| mission work in South Africa or any other
country who will not support me in my as.
| sertions.
| TANNED nations is a development that is
| made not for the benefit of the natives. but
| for the benefit Of civilized nations, to provide
new fields for the ever increasing surplu
! population. The heather native who would
live on forever, If left in his natural state. is
crushed under the wheels Of our ever increas
OF the white mans advancement. We hay.
no better example OF this than the Nor'i
, American Indian.
~ md ne mn ~ 6