Amongst the many social questions which are being daily discussed, that of tempora ance or total abstinence must always hold a prominent place. the fact as we may, that intemperance is Whether ted B. & S. hero in the east than we are at home, or whether our noble army of police ha very greater number of "drunk and incapables" to deal with, is needless to discuss. The bane is in our midst, and any and every antidote ought to be hailed with Ladi Temperance organizations are laing a noble work in all parts of the world in the midst of much opposition and discouragement. Shanghai is no exception to the rule, The Temperance Society has long been doing ite utmost to stem the tide of intemperance, and its efforts have been nobly seconded by those of the Good Templars, with whom we had the pleasure of spending the last hours of the year which has just closed. Concerning the organization of the 1.0.G.7. much has been said and written, There are those who, perhaps, with more or less reason on their side, take exception to what appears to outsiders to be a bur-lasque of Freemasonry. They contend that if the principles of total abstinence be in accordance with reason and common sense, they can surely be impressed on the minds of drunkards and moderate drinkers without an absurd amount of mystic ceremonies, secret signs, regalia, ete., etc. It is further asserted that if an inveterate toper cannot be convinced of the error of his ways without such aid he is not likely to remain steadfast in the ranks of the fra-eternity. The ties which are supposed to bind him to a life-long pledge of abstinence
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.