considerable effect. Indeed, I think there is now some danger that soon we may be run by a political caucus, or be in a state of servitude similar to that of the city of New York with its Tammany "boss." This fear is aroused by the foliowing circular letter having been sent, to me:—
Dear Sir:—Ii you would include the names of Messrs. X—and Y—in your ballot for the Council next Monday or sday, it would be doing me a good community sincerely at heart. and intelligently Faithfully yours, ete.
very good young man for whom The writer of the stream is 8 have the greatest respect the only little thing against him is that he belongs to an organization which is more than half inclined to take upon itself the tremendous task of shepherding the whole human race. But why should I be asked to vote for the two men he mentions in order to do him a good turn? What particular axe has he that needs grinding? It need scarcely be said! that in voting we should be actuated by no other motive than the desire to select for office the men we think are best fitted to serve the community, not to do a good turn by our votes to someone who may be able to reciprocate the: favour. "Boss" rule with all its corruption thrives upon bargains of, that kind. Let us hope our young and innocent friend will see th mistake he has made. I am not sorry that of the two men for whom I was asked to vote in this dubious way, one was beaten and tke other was near the bottom of the list.
Tt may be said this is a great deal of fuss over a small matter. I not think so.
A short time ago) I was arguing with a friend concerning Chinese representation on the Municipal Council. I contended that, whatever was the tenor of the original treaties or agreements, the time had now come when the Chinese should have a voice in municipal affairs; all the more so as at the last ratepayers' meeting there was an ominous manifestation of the power of a particular class to dominate the Council and the community, and if Westerners even were apprehensive of this domination, why should not the Chinese, who were likely to suffer the most, be given a little power to protect themselves? My friend replied that from the point of view of the idealist or unpractical theorist he could agree with me.
"But here is the difficulty," he went on, "among the Chinese themselves it is said that a position on the Council is worth $500,000; to the lucky man who obtains it. And if you do not believe this, can you in all honesty point me to a single Chinese city, town, or village, the officials of which do not squeeze) to the utmost of their power, to say nothing of the very high officials in Peking? What guarantee is there! the Chinese won't squeeze in their own peculiar way if they once get' into the Council? Things are not] perfect, but they may be infinitely' worse."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.