Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-08
CAUSE OF RIOTS.

The official Chinese reports on the
riots in that country against certain
missionary stations, prove the utter
lack OF regard for the natives, from
which some OF the ) representatives OF
western civilization are suffering. NO
less than eleven missionaries have
been put to death In China by mobs,
since last October. During that month
five American Presbyterians were
killed at Lienchow. and at Nanchang,
only n short time ago, six French
Catholic priests were the victims. on
both occasions the foreigners seem TO
have needlessly stirred up the fury of
the Chinese,
According 10 what is accepted as a
reliable report of the tragical incident
az Lienchow, a festival was celebrated
there by the populace. near a hospital
connected with the American mission.
a platform, the report says, built for
the occasion happened to encroach
slightly upon the ground belonging to
the American missionary society. Or.
Mache desired its removal and seized
three consecrated cannon on the altar
This act excited the indignation OF the
village people and brought on a riot.
The other side of this story may
possibly be that the Americans object
ed TO the noise In the vicinity Of the
hospital, and hoped to have the assem-
bly, and the program, whatever II was
removed to some more appropriate To-
cation; but the seizure OF the "conse-
Grated cannon" was. nevertheless, an
objectionable act OF indiscretion, What
would be the fate of any Chinese in
this country, who should enter u
church and seize any OF the property
set apart for sacred ceremonies? We
fancy, I'm some localities their time on
earth would he brief indeed.
In the Nanchang affair, the French
were more than indlscreet, The Cath
Ollie missionaries, It Is claimed. issued
an appeal for subscriptions to their
church in the form and with the char
acters used for official documents. The
authorities protested and the priests
refused TO acknowledge that they had
done anything wrong" Another ac-
count says; Serious blame attaches
TO the French Catholics. Chinese
friendly TO the missionaries object to
priests exercising civil functions"
These missionaries. IN other words, en-
deavored to raise money and. to give
their appeal to the public the appear
ance of an official document, Initiated
the form used by the regular author
tiles That was an act Of arrogance
and trickery.
A Japanese diplomat recently de-
plored the lack OF tact of missionaries
he had come In contact with, and ne
clearly knew whereof he was speaking.
The trouble is that many OF those mis-
slonarIes do not go out to the world
as ambassadors of peace and goodwill.
They go as standard bearers Of west
ern civilization, its land-hunger and
commerciallsm not to say It's preiu-
dces and even vices. Foreign mission
aries should be men and women with
no other aim than the establishment Of
the kingdom of God upon earth. Even
then they might fan martyrs TO the
cause, but they would be innocent OF
offense. and their death would bear
| fruit.
China will, We presume, be called to
account for these mob murders, It is
necessary that the foreigners there are
protected. az far as possible. But II
fun justice is to be done. the provoca-
tons TO anger must be given due
weight.