The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-02
The NEW CHINA: ITS PRESS
"Ser Aon OF London Who tn


both for ablutionary and drinking pul
poses, with considerable aversion
While they strike me as being in al
pearance an average Clearly people 8
regards their persons, and particular
so as regards their attire, their abster
ton from bathing, both in public an
In private, is remarkable. The countr
is well watered one, and many mi
lions of them live either on the waite
or In its immediate vicinity; yet
never see those crowds of bathel
which are TO be seen under similar cor
dltIons In India, Africa and Japan.
Their penchant for herbiferou
drinks can be easily accounted for b
thefact that tea and its kindred hert
are Indigenous to the country, and e,
perlence teaches us that the beverae
OF country is the one best adapted fC
use in that country through a long Pre-
cess of natural selection Under ce,
tain circumstances a drink of cold wa
Ter is supposed to entail speedy dealt
For instance, If a traveller who ha
been Hospitality entertained over nigh
in the usual manner prevailin
throughout China, is suspected by h
host of having violated that hospital
" in manner 1 need not mention, h
is tenoered-on leaving in the mornin
uDO
his way and his host firmly believe
that If he is guilty he will shortly di,
II he is innocent no i'll effects will re
suit. This again illustrates a phase G
that philosophical temperament pecu
liar to the Chinese, in that he is salts
fed with the idea of a problematica
revenge without resorting to persona
violence.
"Footbinding among females is grad
ually Dying out under the pressure O
the agitation which the press so abb
seconds. The idea that small feet con
stitute an attribute of beauty, thong
common to many races, has been par
ticularly favored among the Chinese
who for centuries have practiced thi
torture Now the Golden Lily" as ]
is fancifully termed. is following tn
wasp waist" among the females O
other nationalities.
Curse ofOplum.
THE curse of opium is too lengthy !
subject for me to do more than toucl
upon. Unfortunately for the knowledge
of the world generally, many diatribe
written against 1t have nearly all pro
ceeded from other than lay pens, Will
the result that the majority of peopl
have come to the conclusion that tn,
evils of opium have been greatly ex
aggerated 1t may be unnecessary 70
me to say that my walk of life has no
been associated with any profession
pretending TO the possession of a cod
OF ultra-morality. and that l am sim
ply practical secular observer.
Say-and / can prove-that opium
smoking and all that is associated witt
1t is having a disastrous effect on TIL
Chinese, and through them on TIL
world at large. l say that opium smok
ing and all that is associated with i
even in the smallest degree is a dirty
damnable business, with which n,
man should be in any way associated
save to do his best to Danish it from
earth.
Female infanticide is one OF thos,
matters Intimately bound up with tn.
social and economic problems of popu
lation. The woman of China has beer
virtually a slave and plaything. Tn,
birth of son is regarded as a blessing
that of a daughter the reverse. Witt
the rise of that spirit of nationalisn
embracing proper comprehension OF
the rights of existence and the dutie.
of citizenship which the Chinese press
is so ably advocating and supporting
this-like other fearful abuses-will ul.
"A little blue-gowned boy came ints
the office with sheets of 'fiimsy' in his
hands. His coal-black queue had white
silk threads running through it's ex-
tremity and terminating in a tasseI. He
was in mourning. His beady eyes and
round, frank face gave evidence of ar
which. extraordinary as II
is in its prevalence among the Chinese
always gives me food for reflection. He
handed me my hat and stick and tho
editor accompanied me to the door. say
ing, II shall do my best to abolish al
these bad customs and habits, and tC
all those foolish beliefs
which lie at their root. Our Confucian-
ism is not a religion, but it is a phi
losophy which teaches many practical
and unitarian maxims. We believe
that there is a spirit of power which
will conserve and energize the ethics
Of Confucius and render them of real
benefit to our people. Combining util-
ity with progress. / hope that my pa
per will contribute In some small de-
gree to the enlightenment and peace OF
China"
With the existence among them of
his spirit. even If there be many who
10 not share it, the influence of my Chi
nese confreres on the evolution of the
new China cannot be overestimated
WALTER KIRTON.