St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-09-21

Troubles in the mission have been
almost constant. and now former
members OF the mission are out in q
public circular, which they are send
ing widely to America, making vari
Gus charges against the mission and
its head. 1t is reported that the
American consul general is taking
steps to require Mr.. Hollding to pro-
vide return passage to America for his
missionaries, since number of them
have become charge On the consul
ate. For it appears, according to this
circular, that of the 81 missionaries
brought out, three have died and 3S.
have left the mission in dissatisfac-
ton. Most of these have remained in
China, in connection with other mis-
| sionS; some have gone into business
here, and some have returned to Amer
| lea.
The circular charges Mr.. Houlding
| with lack of proper qualifications for
| leadership, with denying the mission
aries voice in the management OF.
the mission; with running a sort OF
| absolute monarchy, all the property
being in his own name; and with max
| ing representations concerning the
work which are not borne out by the
facts. The signers of the circular say
that they have made the mildest posi-
! BILE presentation of the real situation,
| and they hint at more serious evils.
Some of the many stories current here
| Ind 0f
mission was British, and liked his cup
of afternoon tea. The mission thought
this a wicked and sinful indulgence.
| When he persisted in the practice,
they held a mission prayer meeting
over him. to show him the evil OF his
coursei Another member was SINH
larly disciplined for being too fond of
peanuts! All this while grave evils
were existing in the conduct of the
mission.
Stranded Missionaries.
One hears many stories in the east
concerning Independent missions,
without substantial and responsible
bodies back of them at home. Espe-
cially are tales told of the faith"
missions. Jealous and unqualified en-.
thusiasts come out on faith" and the
other missionaries and foreigners
have to support them to keep them
from starving, until they can secure
work or provision is made for their
return to America. l have repeatedly
been told instances of this sort con-
corning a Scandinavian mission whose
| people come chiefly from Minnesota.
Some of the Independent missionaries
who do manage to get along, are
obliged to give large part Of their
time to cultivating their American
constituency.
These missionaries who come out
with no other equipment than enthusi'
asm make strange blunders. One
party of Swedes, whose advent is a
pronounced memory in missionary cir.
cles, bore each a musical instrument
They would play and sing hymns
along the street, to the entertainment
of the Chinese. The young women
wrote home glowing accounts Of the
crowds they gathered by their street
meetings, not realizing at all that In
China such performances as theirs are
always attributed only to evil charac
tiers and the basest of motives. In
stead of doing good, they actually did
only harm.
Akin to these, are the religious fad
dists who enter the foreign fields
representing some special tenet OIL
doctrine. These make no special eff
fort to reach the genuine heather, but
confine themselves to PROSECUTING
among the native Christians. Still
easier mission work is that done by {
holiness sect in America which pub
fishes a paper called THE Gospe
Trumpet" 1t appeals for funds tt
eyangelize the heather, and ther
spends the money for sending copies
of the paper to missionaries Of the
various denominations, already on thu
field! Thus, every missionary in ia
nan receives THE Gospel Trumpet,
and none, so far as could learn, eve
reads it.
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles)
GREAT FEAT OF MEMORY.