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for support in opposing the appointment.
Ho A-mei's advice to his countrymen was: “All Chinese merchants, who have any regard for themselves, should refuse to assist in the consummation of an act that is wrong. Let them be peaceful and law-abiding, but with enough pride as Chinese to stand for what was their nation's due.”
The letter evoked critical comment from "Brownie," who wrote the newspaper column, "Fragrant Waters Murmur." He questioned Ho A-mei's motives.
According to him, a consul had always been A-mei's "pet scheme.” In fact, Brownie said he was sometimes facetiously called the "Chinese Consul" because of his close relations with Chinese officials. He sometimes acted for them in an unofficial capacity.
Brownie thought these connections should have made Ho A-mei fully aware of “the devious ways of Chinese officialdom.” Certainly he could not really believe that a consul would benefit Chinese residents.
An editor, commenting on A-mei's letter, implied that its author had himself had an unhappy experience with Chinese mandarins. He pointedly asked: "Were you, Mr. Ho A-mei, ever fined a large sum of money for your temerity in presenting a work or despatch of yours to the Viceroy and did you think it fair treatment?"
Under the caption, “How rich Hongkong residents are squeezed," the China Mail published a chapter from a work entitled: Chips from the workshop of a self-sacrificing officer. It related the difficulties the Li Sing family encountered at the time of the Second Opium War, when the Chinese Government put pressure on members of the family to make large "contributions” to the Ch'ing Government. At the time, the family was accused of collaboration with the British against the Chinese.
The example was interesting inasmuch as Ho A-mei had a long