The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-07-29
ONE CH|NAMAN
Says THIS
Of MISSIONS

The celebration OF the centenary OF
Protestant missions In China which took
place In Shanghai during the first week
In May. furnished occasion for a notable
eddress by Taotai Tong. who attended
the conference ar a delegate from the
viceroy Of the LANG -kianG Taotai Tong
is graduate Of an American college.
and his address was delivered In excel
lent English. In the course OF II he said:
"One OF the first duties OF any person
DESTROYS OF making the acquaintance of
strange or fresh community Is to study
the idiosyncrasies and etiquette OF that
community Especially does this apply
to the wcsterner coming to China for
purposes Of propaganda.
He encounters civilization much
older than his own and of which the In
habitants OF this country are justly
proud He comes in contact with peo-
pie who have existed as a concrete ma
ttonality for untold centuries.
Now, there IL not n person here
present who does not In his heart
treasure the records of his own race
and family, and we In China have
every reason to regard ourselves as
not the least among the races OF men.
And yet II has often been known that
a stranger Immediately on his or her
arrival In our midst has trampled on
our most cherished ideals and has
posed as being In a very much better
position to tell us what we ought to
do than we have ourselves learned by
hard and long experience. In con-
nectton with this we all know that
to be doBmatic is not always to be
convincing and that the possession OF
good tool is not always n guarantee
OF good workmanship on the part OF
the owner.
IL would suggest TO you that the
aim you have in view would he fur
thered by more social intercourse be-
tween yourselves and the communities In
which you reside. and by an abandon OF
that -r4tsse-tiet tr- riirEutturr IF superiority
which. however unconscious II may he. Is
40 often evidenced In the demeanor OF for
cfgners In this country. At this moment
we are In a hall belonging 10 the Chinese
Y. NJ. G. A. Has II ever struck ony one
that Jesus Christ did not differentiate one
tot between the races or nations? This is
the headquarters OF Young Mems Chris
tian association; why place Chinese be-
fore "?
Again missionaries are often deficient
in their knowledge ~ the Conf,ician clas-
sics, and consequently appear iliterate
to the Chinese This lessons the respect
for the missionary in a very marked de-
gree.
THE mistake is made N thinking that
two or three years to equip him or her
for work among the people. whereas II
requires many years OF study and pfac-
tice. The better way would be for the
learned missionary 10 transfer his knowl-
edge Of spiritual creeis and faith to
competent Chinese scholar. who I'm his
turn would teach individuals able to form
an opinion and choose for themselves.
THUS n proper understanding. brought
about by efficient study. would emphasize
the fact that neitheg Confucian nor an
oestral worship-so-ca -caled-is considered
az Worship, In the Western sense OF the
term. 10y the Chinese. We DO not bow
down to or worship our ancestors.
Each family has It's own forbears and
our respect and admiration for them II
a simple expression Of flial piety. Sind
larry our expression OF reverence for tho
great onfuciuS-whch II wrongly term
ed worship-is performed more out OF
respect 10 the learned sagc. We ask no
favors such as protection either from our
ancestors or from him We do this sole
Ia 10 God. FIX