Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1910-06-10

families; 2O3 are living In hotels:
SG2 are soldiers; 81 are In Bilibid
prison.
Apparently, the average American
does not find the atmosphere of the
Islands conducive to church-going. A
count was made, upon recent SUM-
day, OF all the American men in at
enhance upon the city's 20 churches,
toman Catholic and Protestant, and
me aggregate number was found to
De 4lo. At the Columbia club were 81
ina at the Luneta sacred concert were
10. over against these 1872 (among
whom were doubtless many dupli-
'ates) who were under religious or
wholesome" influences, may be placed
ne count of 1895 in attendance upon
baseball games, races, etc. At two
similar resorts where the count could
1ot De made, the estimated number
vas ESQ more.
Ihls does not mean that Manila is
IN immoral city; in truth, l was
amazed at the quietncss and orderli-
less OF 1t, and at the manifestly high
character OF the people. So far as l
'Culu ascertain, the attacks upon the
lorallty of Americans in the Philip
mes nave been cruel exaggerations.
"hlle they apparently do not lean
efoASIy to church-going, the men of
4aIIld yet manifest an alert interest
Il the moral welfare of the city. The
project to build a hundred thousand
dollar Young Mems Christian associa-
non building, with lodgings for hun
afed men, was made a civic matter,
and pushed through enthusiastically.
Ine Y. M. G. A, by the way, was the
lEst Protestant agency at work in the
islands, and its splendid service for
the soldiers, now supplemented by
work for civilians, has continued to
this day, winning warmest praise in
all quarters.
Churches Get Together.
The first outstanding fact concern
ing the distinctively missionary work
OIL the islands by the Protestant
churches is the plan of cooperation
which was lately adopted. Profiting
by the experience of other mission
fields, the denominations early got
together to apportion the territory, so
that duplication and conflict might be
avoided. In order also to present a
united front for Professionalism, a COM
mon name, Evangelical churches"
was adopted, in place of the varied
and confusing UNCONVENTIONAL appel
lations. From the first there has been
substantial unity and cooperation
among the missionaries; who are, as
already indicated, a superior body of
sensible, capable men.
In the division of the islands among
the denominations, the Methodists
have the greater part of Luzon, north
Of Manila, and the Presbyterians the
southern portion of the same island as
well as four other islands. The Dis
ciples of Christ also have four sta
tiOns in the most northerly part of
Luzon. Since 1900 the Baptists have
occupied Negros, northern and south
ern Panay and the Island of Romblon,
with II missionaries and II native
congregations. Congregationalists are
located on the Island of Mindanao,
where they work in close cooperation
With the Presbyterians. The Episco-
1alians have a work for the pagan
tgorrotes, and also for the Chinese.
Methodists likewise have a mission
among the Chinese. The United
Brethren are strongly established
about San Fernando. Spiritualists and
Christian Scientists have work in
Manila.
The total Protestant membership of
the islands, reported to the Evangen-
cal Union last year, was $4,000, ex-
elusive of 10000 prohationers record
ed in the Methodist church. The last
named body Ia witnessing an extraor-
binary growth; with only nine
Americans engaged in the Filipino
work-it now reports, according to
Rev. NJ, A. RAIDER, presiding elder. no
less than $4,000 members, including
probationers. A curious fact about its
congregations, and those of the other
missions, is that two-thirds of them
are men, and Of this number three
quarters are young men. There are
500 licensed native workers in the
Methodist church, only few of whom
receive any financial assistance This
characteristic of independence and
self-support runs through all the
Protestant missions. The great bulk
of their churches throughout the
islands has been built by the natives
themselves.
Educational and eleemosynary eff
fort on the part of the missions in
cludes the Presbyterian hospitals at
Iloilo and Qemaguete and the Silliman
Industrial Institute for Boys at the
latter place, the Protestant Episcopal
Dispensary and Settlement House in
Manila, the Methodist hospital and
schools, the Jaro Industrial school of
the Baptists with about 800 students.
and various training schools for ma
tive workers and periodical religious
publications maintained by the diff.
ferent denominations.
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles)