To the Editor of the "Norra-Cama Datty News."
S1n,—Permit me, as one of the number who are working for the suppression of opium shop licences, to "repudiate as strongly as possible the disgraceful insinuations advanced by Dr. H. V. 8. Myers as his contribution to the opium discussion." I quote from your issue of to-day's date.
I cannot follow the North-China, Daily News" in some of the arguments presented in thie discussion, nor can I support it in ite attitude on the opium question in general. I do not think it represents the strongest and best British sentiments on the questions involved in the present discussion, but after more than a quarter of a century, in the missionary ranks of China, good portion of which has been spent in Shanghai, I venture to say that Dr. Myers' letter does not ex. press the sentiments of missionaries general, nor of the Shanghai missionary body in particular.
"When the question was under dis; cussion in the recent meetings of the Shanghai Missionary Association no such insinuations were made, and hed they been voiced they would have been promptly suppress ed. We do not expect all business men to look at this question as we missionaries view it. No doubt some of them feel the commercial interests involved are of far more importance than the moral intereste. No doubt some of them have been so blinded by financial interests that they cannot see the iniquities of the traffic. No doubt to some of the members of our Council the financial interesta involved loom s0
Inrge they do not see the disgrace to the city and the ruin of body and soul which the traffic brings to millions of the Chinese. But in saying this I must dissent from Dr, Myers' statement thet each member of the Council says to himself, "If my business. @ threatened I should expect my fellow Councilmen to protect me, so I will protect my fellow Councilmen." This is an insinuation which should not be made and I wish to enter my protest as a rate-Rayer and a missionary.
Thanking you for publishing this protest, I enclose my card, T am, etc., A Missionary.
Shanghsi, Dec. 24.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.