The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-11-06


even though it may be easier to get
servants. Mr.. Editor, your writings
show that you are absolutely ignor-
ant of the trials and neart ache.
the missionary. We have little anx-
iety as to what we shall eat and
drink, or wherewithal we shall be
clothed, but we have troubles that
you know not of.
But, Mr.. Editor, I did not set
out for an argument vita you. Per-
haps in this you would get the better
of me, for you are practiced deba-
ter and [ am not. | give you credit
for having a zeal, but certainly so
far as foreign missions are concerned,
it is not according to knowledge In
reproducing DR.. Ayers letter you had
this to say of the preacher who de-
MED your statements: cit was GER
tainly wrong in the preacher who
accused me of falsehood, to make any
such charge from the pulpit, without
having first made some effort to get
at the truth. Had ne written to DR..
Ayers, or to, the Index, or to myself,
he would not have done himself the
injustice of bearing false witness
against a neighbour" Now, my pur-
pose in, writing this letter is to ask
you, Physician, (Mr EditOr) to take
some of your own medicine. Since
you do write, and encourage to be
written in YOU paper great deal
against our Foreign Mission Board
and it's missionaries on the field,
would ask you TO take some pains to
get at the real truth and afterwards
do your writing ] do not deny that
you have hitherto made great efforts,
but they have been in the way Of
SCI aplng up evidence to support your
preconceived notions of mission
work. | would like to say a few
things to help you in your investiga-
lions and in your thinking:
First. You should consider the
character OF the men who compose
our Foreign Mission Board before
imputing to them unworthy motives.
AS to whether they tyrannize over.
the missionaries on the field, you can
easily fHd out by writing letters and
asking the missionaries. Don't form
your opinion by asking two or three
disgruntled returned missionaries,
whom you may possibly find, but
write to all of them working on our
several fields You might also write
to the individual churches which the
members of the Board serve as pas
tors and see what they think Of their
shepherds.
Again, I would ask you to bear in
mind that most of the members of
the Board are busy pastors and re-
ceive no extra compensation for the
time they give to the Boards bust
ness. It is true the Boards secre-
taries are receiving salaries, but not
larger than men of their energy and
ability would receive as pastors of
churches. Please ask yourself the
question, what reason could these
men have for serving on the Board
other than trying to do the Lords
work?
Now, as TO the missionaries, l
would ask that before you again bear
false witness against us, and beIittle
our efforts, that you find out the
truth about us. The quickest and
most accurate way of doing this, in
deed the only way for man of your
type to do it, is to come and live
among us for awhile and watch our
manner of life and method of work.
We do not pretend to be perfect in
either Of these. 1t may be that you
could tell us both how to live and
work better than we do. At any
rate, if you were on the field and
knew the conditions, we should GER
tainly give more consideration to
your suggestions than we do to your
criticisms made in your Editors