As China is to-day, it was a bold speech that Dr. F. C. Tong delivered on Thursday in Nanking at the Kiangsu Chambers of Commerce conference and Dr. Tong may be complimented not only his frank speaking but also for the* way in which he goes to the root of the matter. As he indirectly shows, there is no use in talking about the iniquity and illegality of any particular tax until the right of the people of China to say, through their elected _representatives whether a tax shall or shall not be imposed has been secured. That sounds like asking for the moon. But a system of local self-government such as thinkers, generally, are more and more demanding would be a step in the right direction. The point in Dr. Tong's speech at which one has doubts is his proposal virtually to adjourn the conference to Shanghai. It may well be that the merchants would meet more safely there, could not meet safely anywhere else. But if they are not ready to risk something for China's sake, they cannot expect to do anything No Government central or provincial will pay the slightest attention to beautiful opinions expressed in the security of Shangh The conference will be useless unless as a preliminary to concerted action throughout China, If: that can be got,- great results should accrue, for the Government, would hardly dare to disregard the united action of all the guilds and chambers of commerce.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.