Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-05-13

uprising and perhaps TO defend the
hearthstones OF her people from an
outside foe"
Minister WI said that the anxiety
OF young men and women TO acquire
a modern education in schools at
home and abroad. and the joyful sacri-
nee on the part OF parents and elders
OF luXuries and comforts, to which
they have been accustomed for years,
IN order that the younger generation
may receive a liberal education, cost
ing ten or twenty times more than
the old method. affords a sight unpar-
alleled in our history. Female educa-
ton, very much neglected in the past.
is recognized as work OF the first I'M
portance, and the position of women
is approaching, though at present
slowly, the ideal of that in the west.
"A movement of striking signif-
canoe" he declared ION account of the
remarkable success. t has met, is that
started by the ( ti-foot-linding So
Getty. Foot-binding. originally only
intended 10 check the feet of young
women from attaining abnormal and
disfiguring size grew into a most hor-
rible custom. through the perverted
ideas of beauty, until it became the
exception rather than the rule tor
women to possess a pair of natural
feet. could never bring myself to
see the beauty of human feet COM
pressed and arbitrarily shaped by arti-
fetal means, and from my boyhood
always expressed my strong eondem-
nation of the absurd fashion.
Another popular movement. which
has given great joy to all friends and
well wishers of China, has been the
efforts for the suppression of opium.
No eVent in China, has given more
and better evidence of the hopeful VI
tality and the solid moral character OF
our people than the enthusiastic and
energetic manner in which the vice
| of opium smoking is being attacked,
| On the part of the government the
highest officials in Picking have been
suspended from Office for not curing
| themselves of the habit creating sen
sation in mandarindom DEGREES and
proclamations have been issued com
handing an annual decrease in the
! cultivation of the poppy, the closing
of public opium dens. the registration
of smokers, and other measures which
will result in the wiping ont of the
national curse in eight or ten years
Only a few days ago, | received by
cable two imperial DEGREES issued on
the It'll and 10th of last month which
strengthen the growing conviction tina
my government is thoroughly in earn
est in its efforts to suppress the opium
habit. BY the first decree Prince
Kung and three other high officials i
Picking have been appointed member,
Of an imperial commission whose duty
is to find out and see that all officials
addicted to the use of the drug II
Peking and in all the provinces are
cured of the habit. and that in cast
any opium smoking official should BE-
discovered, he and his superior fol-
failing to report the same should b'
both punished, Tho second commands
that all the members of the diplomats
and consular corps abroad must Civ
up their noxious pipe at once, whit
those too old in age or too inveter
ate In the use Of the drug to do 81
must retire from the service ON
people In foreign countries are alsf
urged TO exert themselves in putting
an end to the use of opium But thy
more encouraging feature Is the atti
tude OF the people towards the opium
question A few years ago. opium
smoking was no more condemned thar
cigars or cigarettes. and It was the
fashion for giddy youths 10 sleep ant
eat with the deadly drug Today. al
opium smoker confesses his habi
with shame and all society regaI Is
him as more or less an oulcast, Ant
it is this healthful change in public
Iopinion that will liberate my country
from the chain of the opium devil. Al
the recent closing Of the opium den'
IN the important cities, the student
turned out en- masse. with their hag'
and banners and musical instruments
celebrating the occasion as IF It were
a victory in war, and so earnest were
the people in their efforts to suppress
the evil that the very keepers Of this
dcns themselves gathered together
their vile instruments Of smoking anC
made a huge bonfire of them