To the Editor of the —The cessful neti in the Nativ City together with mmr comments thereon, hax not seemed to arow the Phot so radical a step should be taken and ied to a successful termination has earned the congratulations of the entire native and. community.—By prohibiting 0 smoking, China has ranged with other Powers in fighting the cause of suffering humanity, be regarded ax the first fruits which official China Aas given to th strennonx Iabours of many good men, earnest of further advances on the] path of progress, That "this inch-wished-for step, which China has taken, should not meet with foreign sympathy, approval would be disastrous ta progress, mere absence of that 1 should produce stich an effect, much more untoward results must be looked for, should action be taken or suggested, to prevent China from successfully emancipating herself from the cardinal vice. A yet it! would seem as your editorial comments on the Minutes of the Municipal Council in your issue of the 4th instant, yea have left yourself open to" such an imputation. the effency of the enforcement of the Wherein whilst coldly acknowledge
edict in the Native City, you express your doubts regarding the efficacy of its enforcement elsewhere.
You suggest the postponing of the closing of the opium dens in the Settlement until March 31, 1908, on the grounds that the revenue is hypothecated until that date—an argument for postponement, which is based merely on the question of an. adjustment of accounts, and applicable to any date of the fiscal year, except that on which it terminates, The benefits resulting to the victims, their fullies, the Settlement amd the resulting from the proxunoking, does not win yon; the invidious position the Council would occupy were it to continue to minister to the vice of the people, to complete its Budyet, when the despised Ni City hax swept its house clean, fortunate, 'There would seem in this, enough for just comment; but were' this all, 1 would not have put pen to paper. Bat the concluding paragraph is so out of line. with clean thinking, as to demand a protest; appearing as it does, in an editorial of the origan, whi posed to voice the opinions of the in the Kast, It is as follows ies who are now determined, ug stock to. outside coolly pnt such requests, without proposing an adequate quid pro yue." "There are many that might be suggested: monetary compensation is out of the question, to the Settle-an extension What is this bat the suggested barter of a royalty, on China's cardinal vice, Yon CaN RECO nggestion with the iples of Christianity, civilization and justice which your paper should uphold, is not easily' seen, 1am, ete., Vox Porvtt.
We reply to this letter under Notes and Comment
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.