Ix the May number of the Chinese Recorder the Rev. James Gilmour, a missionary of eminence, occupies five pages with an article against the use of Tobacco. He mentions that he wrote last year against the use of opium, whiskey and tobacco, that most of his friends agree with him in his denunciation of opium and whiskey, but "are far from being convinced of the evil of tobacco, and think it is too unimportant a subject for discussion even... and some have asked me on what authority I shut a man out from heaven because he smokes tobacco," and he says, "it is evident that a few more words are needed on the tobacco question."
The grounds of his condemnation are; first, its enormous use in China, where smoking is not confined to adult males, but is very largely indulged in by the women; in which, as he says, "the Chinese pusitivu ly quite concictent and logical, viz,, if it is good for the man, it is good for the woman; if it is wrong in the woman, it is wrong in the man, Let there be fairplay on both sides of the house." Secondly, it is expensive, and people smoke who cannot afford it, and often in consequence have to go short of food and clothing. Thirdly, tobacco is useless, Every Chinaman to whom Mr. Gilmour hus spoken on the subject. "Joins in saying it is no use at all; only having acquired the habit it is difficult to get rid of." Fourthly, it harmful, The Chinaman who smokes, expectorates. "Point this out to a Chinaman and he at once admits more earnestly than a foreigner even, that uva is a precious element in the bodily and that in spitting it out he away one of the constituents ily, it tends to indolence and Aman who has nothing to do, sits down and smokes; whereas, if he gave up smoking he would get up and do something. Sixthly, smoking is demoralizing, A Chinaman "knows that in smoking he is not following his higher instincts. In smoking he is degrading himself in his own eyes... he knows and feels that the tobacco trade and use add in many ways to the difficulty of procuring the necessaries of life." Seventhly, to give up smoking acts as a first stepping-stone to reform motion ju more important points, And then as his eighth point Mr. Gilmour proceeds to controvert the argument that the use of tob: promotes trade and uses fertile but remote districts, brings wealth to poor cultivators, gives employment to men, ete., etc. Livery bit of land that is devoted to the growing of tobacco, he says, is so moh abso tracted from the production of necessaries. "We pray 'Give us this day our daily bread,' and simple consistency demands that we cease to limit and waste our supply of bread by drinking and smoking." His last position is that the Chinese expect Christianity to prohibit smoking. " When they hear of our bringing them a superior religion, they are surprised to find tobacco not set aside."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.