The Cotton Factory Times. — 1891-03-27 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

RELIGION LND MISSIONARIES.  " Someone has kindly sent me some werry interesting statisticks on religas affairs," said the president, as he held up a pamphlet. "It gibs the number of converts in. India, Africa, China, an' Japan dootin' de las' y'ar ; it gibs do number o' Sunday schools in America; it gibs the number o' Christians in each State in de Union; 'it gibs de amount of money collected fur heathens, an' de number of Bibles and Testaments printed las' y'ar. While I am werry much obliged to do unknown donor, I mus' confess my disappointment at not final& fuller perticklers. Fur instance, how many Americans war' saved las' y'ar ? I can't fin' de tigers. I can't fin' dat one single clergyman went &tam among de poo' an' lowly an' saved a soul from perdishun. While dey am cryin' ober de heathen across de sea America has 25,000,000 sinners. Fur ebery sermon delivered in favour of makin' heathen converts abroad, America had ten murders, a hum dred robberies, an' no end of smaller crimes. Show me a clergyman who stands in his pulpit an' sheds tears ober the niggers of Africa, au' I'll show yo' more vice au' wickedness widin gunshot of his church dan he could fin' in a hundred squar' miles in Africa. Has any preacher in Detroit or Chicago or New York saved de soul of one single home heathen di s las' y'ar ? Has any congregashun raised one single nickel to convert gamblers, thieves, prostitutes, an' defaulters to Chris. tianity ? While our ministers shed tears ober de darkness which reigns in Egypt, one-fifth of our population make Sunday a holiday. I kin walk out on dat day an' see races, games, excursions, open stores, fights, riots, an' drunkenness. Who could see mo' in Africa? Ebery day I read of murder, 11 robbery, arson, an' plunder. Kin it be any worse in China? Ebery newspaper am full of elopements, defaloations, an' scandals. Am society in Japan any worse? I tell you, my frens, dar am a heap in de Bible dat am all right, an' dar am a heap in die so-called Chaistianity dat am all wrong. Christianity that will send thousands of dollars ober de sea an' lot white women at home shiber wid cold an' hunger fur bread isn't founded on de Bible. Christianity dat preaches virtues an' den furnishes a list of 228 church scandals in a single y'ar cannot he respected. Christianity dat sniffles ober de poo' an yet leaves dem widout a visitors word, ore nod am purty thin stuff. Christianity dat holds noon prayer meetings down town an' beats its house rent, water tax, an' gas bills up town, ain't de sort I'm looking arter. Christianity dat keeps away from the wicked, wicked theatre, an' owes de grocer for six months, de butcher for a y'sr, an' makes a sewin' gal do $lO wort of work for about $6, won't be incouraged in die club. Yes, I'ze much obleeged to de pusson who sent me dis leetle book, but I shall still cling to my belief dat when de day of judgment finally arrovee de Lewd will have no trouble in pickin' out the hyprocrites an' liars from the airnest conscienshnns I ,Cdrahosletni icreaytrni, ,ssiii.tao7Blw,otibeuidts,fhhowysvpoohdieenn,riiili ta dlaacsh' as hr dgaaemyd Christian diskivered in de crowd. I say nuffin' en roagllus 'roan' wC ar s highwayian kl  What a folly it is to dread the thought of throwing away life at once and yet have no regard to throwing it away by paroela and piecameal.— Howe.