The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-11
MISSION :. RES TO THE HEATHEN.,
They Are Severely Criticized by an Omcer
Who Sorry ed in South Africa.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: letter
under the heading "A Plea to Millionaires.
in your paper Of July 3. was read by me win
considerable interest. and has led me TO write
this letter on a sub jeCt which received great
deal OF my attention while in South Africa
and one on which have always felt that the
American pu bile needed enlightenment.
In that portion OF South Africa lying be-
tween Cape Town and the Zambesi River.
and Portuguese East Africa and Walfish
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. l came
into contact with a large number OF these
missionaries, and from my observations
believe that the foreign mission does more
harm than good. During the course of leo
ture which delivered before a foreign mis-
sionary society in st. Louis a year ago i ex-
pressed myself pretty freely on this subject,
and aroused such a storm OF Indignation that
have since been rather timid about giving
publicity to my ideas In regard to foreign
mission work and It's results.
Some might call me an atheist but ] 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
conduct a trading business In the field OF his
missionary operations. l was much amused
at Palapye, in Khama q country. where my
regiment was stationed for a few weeks, by
missionary who. in explaining the enormous
store which he 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
small. averaging. l believe. about ESQ. but
1t is a 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 very prosperous
and populous native district and there were
a 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
had been a drought for many months which
threatened to ruin the crops OF the natives.
Our missionary had been reading Of TIE con- .
struction OF apparatus by means OF which rain
could be produced, and he decided TO try
this mechanism to overeome the drought; lie
|
epsed 81 he n anf fhs @ R
greatly increased when, the apparatus itself
arrived. and it can readily be understood how
great was the concern of the natives in any
thing that could overcome the drought when
it is stated that these NATIVES live 9nly , from
years starvation. On the day when the great
trial was to be made, 1T is said. there were
Tr Trans to Witness The trial Of my religious
friend, and. extraordinary "a II may seem.
the test was made in the morning, and ire,
and continued until the drought was entirely
broken.
forth the most popular one in the whole dis:
trct lie was overrur with folio overs. and
has had assigned to him by the King Of the
fertile valley land, in which he has, masnih-
cent home, constructed BY native hands.
broad avenues Of palm trees spendd apssp
and goats. all the offerings OF the poor ma
tives, and he has laushinely admitted to me
h h h h' and he sad
had it not been for this, he would have been
in the same plight as his brother missionaries.
Business e to i've i've upon Three years afterward
another drou ght threatened. and the natives
to this sas4 from 10 tssns
chances Of losing his prestige. and told them
that their own sins were the cause OF the
drought, which was sent to them as punish
could quote many other instances OF the
kind, but have other reasons for dsapprpoyy.
ing Of foreign missionaries. Instinct has
taught the native all the moral laws that are
the basis Of our social structure, lnstinct
Steal eaS a that he eN should not e that he should
not murder that he should not commit adul-
terry. have lived for AS much as siX months
at time among natives OF South Africa who
have never come into contact with mis-
sionary, have found, without exception.
in rhe various tribes with which have been
tad fhnt av
dealings among themselves and with the
white man, 1890,
In fact. have invariably found them. in
their native state, living lives that we VINO
call ourselves Christansed would do well to
The pde,y Of married woman HsnH n.4 is p und
f ofs ve beea lives Rsn DO Why should
we try to teach them our way OF living? The
natives of South Africa who Al the jails are
he of A s oS s g 81 t Sed nstyes
and an W we have taught them the use OF modern
inventions. The natural result is that the
S@@ hpV to be- Simulated they follow Us in
II in the o of tSe
ton Of our vehicles for transport. and in all
WAYS. our improvements are copied. and
therefore IneN are very ready, when VuI
missionaries come. to say: You are great be-
cause YOU have been able to accomplish so
much; therefore we accept. your religion. ~.
Ii is great pity that In giving them the
benefit Of our knowledge 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 religion. all would
be we'll: but unfortunately, the native copies
the bad as we'll as the good Therefore when
our heather brother accepts our reli gion be-
cause he believes 1t Is good. nasmuch as 1t Is
ours he also learns to drink whisky because
he sees the white man drink it, he earns 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 moral Jaws
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 vo,i that am not eAag-
geratng one iota in ,ly expressions herein.
There is no honest traveller (who is not mis-
sionary) who has observed the results of
mission work in South Africa or any other
country who will not support me in my as
sertions.
The development Of heather and unchIis-
TANNED nations is 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 surplus
population. The heather native who would
crushed under the wheels of our ever increas-
of the white man 3 advancement. We have
no better example OF this than the North
American Indian.
The white race and its methods must rule