The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-11-24
WAR ON OPIUM IN CHINA.
Prohibition Movement in America Far
Surpassed BY ''the IIeathen Chlnee.' :
Correspondents n. Q. Times-Demo

Suppose that President Taft and
Jour national Congress should send
Tout an edict tomorrow that every
man and woman in the employ Of
the government must give up the
drinking of liquor or be dismissed
from office, and that no new APP
pointnient should be made at any
one who had contracted the liquor
habit or who would not sign the
pledge. Let this edict relate not
only to Washington, but to every
postofice and custom house, and let
its effect be So extended as to in
clude every State official. even to
the county clerks, sheriffs and their
subordinate employees.
Let another edict provide that
all must show government permits
before a glass of whisky, VINE or
other liquor will be sold to them,
and so that every saloon keeper be
subject to fine and imprisonment
| if he breaks the law. Let the edict
summariIy shut nine-tenths of the
saloons, and provide for the abso-
Lutte destruction of all within the
course Of ten years. Let there be
laws forbidding the distiIling of
| liquors and their importation and.
in short, the Inauguration of a
scheme Of government restrictions
which would entirely wipe out the
manufacture, selling and drinking
of anything Intoxicating within
the space Of ten years. 1t would
be a good. big contract, would it
not!
Well. that is just what China is
trying to do as to blotting opium
and to opium traffic from the face
of her country.
THE ANTI OPIUM EDICTS.
We have had crusades against
| liquor, but they have been mostly
begun by the women and carried
out with the opposition. rather
than the assistance, of the govern
ment officials. This crusade of
China begins at the top. Three
years ago the great Empress Dowa-
ger and the chief boards of the en-
pire at Pekin sent out edicts cut
ting down the size of the opium
farms. shutting up the opium dens
and requiring all dealers in opium
to take out licenses. The govern.
ment commanded all farmers to
reduce OPIUM fields by 10 per cent
every year, and provided that no
opium at all should be cultivated
after the end of ten years. It re-
quired that the merchants decrease
their opium sales 20 per cent every
year, and close out their whole bus
ness in the space of five years. 1t
ordered that all public opium dens
should be summarily closed, and
that the retail opium shops should
gradually be abolished. At the
same time it inaugurated dispen-
saries where free medicines might
be had to take away the opium
craving, and encouraged the estab-
lishment of opium hospitals for
those who had contracted the habit.
In the same edicts it was provid-
ed that all users of opium should
be registered; that they should be
examined-by the police, and the
lhabitual users should be allowed
only a given quantity Of the drug,
at certain fixed periods. These al
lowances were to be gradually re-
duced SO that at the end Of five
years all persons under sixty years
of age would be free from the hab-
lit. All users Of opium we're re-
lquired to wear badges, SO that
every one would know an opium
| field as he walked the streets.
All government officials. includ-
ing princes, dukes. viceroys and
generals under sixty. had six
months to give up the habit or to
/ tender their designations; and all
teachers and scholars were required
to stop opium smoking within the
space of one year. AS to the Off
GERS Of the army and navy. they
were commanded to abandon the
habit at cncs.
This is what China is trying to
| do. The above proclamations have
been followed by others. and today
the Prince Regent and the grand
council are doing all they can to
have these laws put into force.
They are prosecuting their IN
fringement, and they have inaug-
urated such q reign Of terror a.
would create a revolution in the
United States and turn our people
and government upside down
OFFICIALS MADE TO STOP
SMOKING.
1T makes one laugh to think what
would happen if Uncle Sam should
cut off every Congressman's toddy.
should prohibit cold tea in the res
taurant Of the Senate and not allow
the clerks Of the government to
take friendly tipple together
That is what is going on here. /
am told that no less than z500 Off
Icials. more or less prominent. con-
Injected with the government service
| in Pekin either have broken or are
Eendeavoring to break off the use Of
Iopium. Some Of these are habitual
smokers. who have tried So hard to
lquit that they have died in the at.
tempt. Take, for instance. Wen
Hal: He was one Of the highest
Ischolars Of the empire. and was
connected with the grand secretariat
| 10 hold bis job he signed deelara-