Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-07-16
Clinpses of .he New China.
Extracts From Personal Letter Received
by Mrs. Stevenson of Boston From Mrs.
(Bishop) Bashford.

''These are stirring times ip Pek-
ing, with eight hundred representa-
tives Of the nation gathered here to
make a new Government. After
more than fortnight has elapsed
and the National Assembly has not
been able even to elect its own OH
GERS, one wonders how the varying
views are ever to be reconclled so as
to make possible the framing Of a
constitution and the election of a
President. However the Chinese
often show rare genius in finding a
way out of hard places. Party
politics run too high at home for
us to throw any stones.
''The Peking Daily News (Chi-
nese) commenting upon the party
stife in the Assembly says: The
flesh of these members should be
exposed and devoured blythe beasts!"
Most of us take a more charitable
view and keep hopeful.
THE Cabinets cal! to prayer
brings surprise and Joy and deep
sense of responsibility to the Chris
tians of China and, we trust, the
world. It surely means much that
all Christendom will unite on the
9th in prayer for the Chinese Gov
ernment. 1t is reported that priests
of the native religions are growing
jealous of the increasing influence of
Christianity Budhists are trying
10 unite in a revival of their religion
and Confucianists have founded a
society for Gne better study and diff
fusion of Confucian teachings. They
may well take alarm for China is
now facing the future and not the
past.
THE Y. M. G. A. campaign Of
February and March, in fourteen
leading cities created prof i'm.
preston among the student class. In
various provincial capitals the edu-
cational authorities provided halls
for the evangelistic meetings, advis-
ed the students of government
schools to attend, gave banquets to
the speakers and committees in
charge and IN many ways showed
their favor.
Mr.. Robertson prepared the way
with science lectures, Mr.. Mott or
Mr.. Eddy, sometimes both, follow
ed on subseq neut days with strong
Gospel appeals. In Foochow 1900
men and 100 women, mainly Gov
ernment students, enrolled for Bi-
BILE study. Not a few are joining
the church. In the past month
more than hundred have been re-
ceived into our Asbury church in
Peking.
DIR. Motifs Conferences were
timely and have done much to pro-
mote unity and advance all mission
interests. You will notice that The
Christian Church in China is the
new name of Federated Protestant
ism. That is in Itself a real gain.
The Chinese are deserving of great
praise for the progress they have
made in the opium reform. They
realize that in this and in all re-
forms the Christians are strong al
lies. From the beginning of the
revc luton the leaders have shown a
most friendly attitude toward Chris
tianity. Many of them recognize
that it forms the true basis of moral
character which is the greatest need
of any nation. The appeal for
prayer is a sincere cry for help in
a grave national crisis. Is it not a
world crisis? We have not seen Mrs.
Goodrich (China's w. G. T. U.
representative this Spring but hear
she has formed several active Tenn
perance unions, one in our Girls
school in Peking. She has not yet
been able to realize her hope Of al
lying Christian and non-Christian
women in reform work. That seems
very desirable. l have heard of the
possibility of enlisting Miss Wang,
now in Albion College in W. G. T.
U. work. The absence of the queue
and, for girls, the combing up of
hair so as to show the forehead i'm
proves the appearance of multitudes.
The chief impression our men
brought away from the opening ses-
sion of the Assembly, April s, was
of the foreign suits and tall hats of
the members!"
l am so glad to share this letter
with our women throughout the
state and trust it will result in more
earnest prayer for China, for the
work of the Woman's Christian