The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-10-04

A Missionary Travelling by Mule.
nothing like what they should have
DONE" In passing judgment upon the
missions and missionaries, most OF
these Chinese assume the Christian
viewpoint. Thus, the Chinese con-
stantly treat their own people with
greater cruelty and heartlessness than
do the foreigners, yet they declare
that even an air of superiority to-
ward the poorest natives is repre-
hensible on the part of the mission.
airy. A Chinese may revile and beat
and kick his countryman, but for
eigner may not speak sharply to
him.
"Rice Christians"
Despite the fame and unquestioned
service of many veteran missionaries
to the Chinese people, several Chinese
stated to me that the later work OF
the missionaries is wiser and bet
ter than that of former days; or, as
one expressed it, that "the past ten
years have accomplished more than
the previous co." The praise for the
younger men has been pronounced;
but this is not unexpected, when one
has seen the character and caliber OF
the recent crop of missionaries
though it would be difficult to see
how they could surpass the many gi-
ants whose fame is part of the his
tory of Chinese missions.
When 1t came to speaking of the
matter of converts, most official Chi
nese raised their eyebrows or shrug-
ged their shoulders. 81 think very
few of them are honest" said one,
they are after the missionaries
money, protection or prestige"
Again: "The missionaries have reach
ed only the lowest classes Of Chi
nese." Careful inquiry among the
missionaries themselves has con.
firmed this, at least with respect
to the situation prior to 1900. Their
work had until then been accom-.
plished almost wholly among the poor.
er people; since 1900, however, many
Of a better class have been reached.
On the subject of Rice Christians"
i. e., persons protesting conversion
for personal gain, several Of the best
informed Chinese agreed that not
more than 60 per cent. of the con-
verts are honest. One of the most
successful of Independent native pas.
tors disagreed with this, saying that
the percentage is now fully 80 per
cent; probably 20 per cent. are de-
ceiying the missionary. This state
ment was made in the presence OF
veteran missionary, who assented. In
the independent churches, he added,
the proportion of these pretenders Is
practically negligible, for there 10
nothing to be gained by trying to
deceive a strictly Chinese church,
even if it could be accomplished.
squeezing" and Religion.
Naturally, l wanted to know if Chris
tians are exempt from prevailing Chi
nese practices, which,, expressed in
blunt Anglo-Saxon, are plain lying
and stealing. At once began to
hear the difficulties under which
person just out of heathendom, and
person still surrounded by heathen-
ism, continually labors. One mans
cook became a Christian and stop
ped squeezing" Soon 1t became
noised abroad among the household
ers that Mrs. RS supplies were cost.
ing her less than her neighbors'. The
latter called their cooks to account,
who thus lost face" and they
straightway put to work a more eff
fective and far-reaching boycott than
any labor unions know. The cook
and his mistress could not withstand
it. Some missionaries cherish the be.
lief that their Christian servants do
not Squeeze" but the more general
opinion is that they differ from others
in that they exercise moderation!
Copyright. 1907. by Joseph B. Bowles)