Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-12-15
(By Dan daneyD

home people 10 send out reinforce
ments In the shape Of fresh mission
aries, with a certain salary and al
loWance per head, and see what effect
that viii have. When they become
contaminated we will recall and re-
JuVnate them at home, sending Out
new ones in their places. Commands
and interdicts uttered by surplced
ministers. to minds softened by chant
and organ peal, not Icing obeyed now
in Japan; let us see whether they will
be obeyed when recounted by new
missionaries fresh from home, en-
thusiastic over their new work, and
especially the salary and allowance
accompanying IT, Not a very hope
ful proposal, one would say, coming
from people who set out to convert
the heathen, but now find they must
dispatch missionaries TO save and re-
claim those of their own race, whom
association with the heather has de-
mOralized. Further on Mr.. Bates
says. "Of course, there are noble,
clean, pure Christian men and women
in the foreign communities, men and
women who do not yield to the temp
tations that ensnares so many" but
II seems from what he says, these are
to be found only, in the churches
whose numbers are small, and the lit
tie they can do is very discouraging'
1t goes without saying, these exam
pies Of virtue and nobility are dis
ciples Of Mr. Bates particular creed,
and as a matter Of fact their hands
are tied for the want Of money which
the people at home should supply. Ev-
cry missionary must have his salars
and one hundred dollars per head for
each Of his children annually, and II
is a remarkable thing that he invari-
ably has a larger family than men Of
other calling, either native or foreign
in japan.
But why decant upon non-Chris-
tian atmosphere in the foreign com
munitles which are nothing, If not
Christians? If they are not Chris
tan whose fault is It? Have they
not for years been the headquarters
Of all the religious zeal which Chris
ton nations could send to JAPAN
Have they not been so amply supplied
with money from home, that many Of
the ministers with their families oc-
cupy the most fashionable residences
the summer, at the most
exclusive watering places in the en-
pire? Certainly, and he who doubts
A inform
japanese, any agent for tea merchants
whose business takes him away from
he treaty-ports, or any other man
who has travelled through the country
and kept his eyes open. Mr. Bates
assumes that a non-Chr,stian atmos-
phere is necessarily evil and immoral
But we observe, he Is careful not to
compare the immortality and crime Of
1on-Christian Japan with that pre-
'ailing in Christian America. Per-
maps such a comparison operates too
much TO the disadvantage of men,
whose present easy and future pros
lects. depend upon the ublic at home
that the Jar5Iese are wore"
han they really are 'Hr"e was n
Iapan--the last year it. W uiCh I can
ind official statistics, 1901-all told
lut three hundred and forty-'wo cases
# homicide The best information
1t hand indicates that the number is
Inder 300 for the year ending. In
he United States with less than twice
Tapan's population, there has been
more than ten thousand homicides in
me year. The total number of major
,ffences, for which prisoners were
condemned in Japan for the same
,ear was three thousand and ninety
Wo. In this connection 1T should be
that major offenses in
ludc Violations of the revenue laws
n any and every form, and large
proportion Of The offenseS came un-
Ter the head Of smuggling. As the
luties are in some cases as high as
80 per cent II may he inferred poor
leople will be tempted to smuggle ]
rave no way of learning at present
low many people were condemned in
'hristian America for like offenses,
nut would not hesitate in estimating
he number above sixty thousand.
FOR one year, the convictions in the
Iolce courts for disdemeanors, in the
ntre empire of Japan amounted to
nut seventy thousand, this included
udeness, misbehavior, and escapades
+ all children above seven years OF
ge. In these courts the fine can not |
xceed one dollar for either child or
dult, beyond that 1t becomes major |
ffense.
A residence OF four months in |
apan is sufficient to convince the |
ritter that a moral comparison, |
rawn between Christian foreigner |
nd hethen native would show to the |
dvantage Of the heather, not with !
the foreigners are above the |
verage of their race and include a |
number engaged in mis- |
ion work. 1t is not long since, a pull |
1t was being filled in Kobe by a min
,ter who according to the state
rents Of the entire foreign popula-