The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-27
ABBEVIILE 8. c.. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 81, 1909. e.
The MISSIONARY MOVEMENT.
News and Courier,

America conventions under the direction
Of the Protestant Laymen's Missionary
Movement, which will endeavor to raise
funds wherewith to convert the heather
world to Christianity. The campaign will
be vigorously pressed and led by men OF
raise a quarter of q billion dollars year
for missionary purpose. This Is an i'm
mense sum, almost million dollars day
exclusive ofSundays and religious holidays
There are many who believe in foreign
missions and who do not believe in an as.
salt in force. There are many who do not
believe in foreign missions at all. Christ
taught that we should "go forth Into all
the world and preach the Gospel" but
going forth is quite different from sending
forth. Perhaps If the vast number OF
speakers who are to join in this monument
would spend year each In China, they
would be able to convert as many China.
men as would a million dollars day, and
with just as much probability OF their re-
naming converted. Speakers who are able
to get a million dollars day out Of the
American pocketbook, which Is more than
the Federal Government was able to get be-
fore the War Between the States ought to
be able to talk q heathen out Of superstition.
The Washington Post declares that every
heather who becomes e-Christian costs
81, 900 for his conversion. We do not know
that this statement Is correct, though 1t
probably is, but we shall use 1t for pur-
poses Of illustration. At $4,000 head a
million dollars would convert 200 heathen
Two hundred heather day would be 49, 600
a year, or almost million in ten years. 1t
would be really less number than this
for there is to be a million dollars a day
only on week days and days that are not
holiIouc WorEipn 0r, fhic r,r-ir.
ciple. it is estimated that the world might
finally be converted, the heathen world, for
about five trillions Of dollars. There Is
scarcely that much material wealth In the
world, credits and all. It seems like q
hopeless task II money is to be the sole
means of conversion. However, the most
disappointing feature Of 1t all Is the fact
that, while all this money Is going into
heather lands, the Church Is falling to
make the gains 1t should make at home,
and the probability would be that these
very heathen would have to come over and
convert us at the end of score of years
There are probably as many heathen In
New York city to-day as there are in Arabia
and they could be converted, no doubt at
less cost.
The Mormons are great Delivers In mis-.
sionary work, and they make many con.
verts, but they do not spend much money
doing so. The reason for this is that the
missionaries work without pay, for the
good Of the cause, and the glory of 1t. A
missionary who does that is apt to be, q
good missionary. There have been many
complaints In this country about missiona.
nes abroad. No doubt most Of them dc
good work. but there are some who do not
They get their salaries more regularly
than many Of the ministers at home, and
living is cheaper where they are, generally
speaking. The new movement recognizes
this by avowing that there have been many
mistakes in the missionary policy Of the
past, one being no doubt, that the different
sects worked against each other. Be that
as it may, they have been very successful
in entangllng the Government and having
war ships sent to their personal relief.
A million dollars day would much good
to South Carolina. It would drain lands
now unreclaimed and it would cause an era
Of prosperity such as this State has never
known. It would make the the people &c
prosperous that they would have time later
to 60 themselves and aid In the conversion
OF the heather. Part of 1t should be spent
here any way, for there are many heather
in the State. That should entitle US to q
share. We are not apt to get 1t, for it Is
not to be supposed that our own colleges
need help when our citizens are going to
give $4,000 to endow q college in China
Charity begins at home, and there are ways
OF converting the heather which do not de-
mand huge sums OF money. .