here in the new Aberdeen ceme- tory; everything, in fact, argued in favour of their standing up for their rights against the men of their own blood who were seeking to deprive them of those rights.
The Real Losers.
The speaker then touched on the money side of the boycott. The Tramways Company would be compensated by the Govern- ment; then how would the boy- .cott hurt the Company? The Chinese themselves would be the losers, because that compensa- tion would have to be collect- ed by the Government in the form of increased taxation: 80 that tho people whom the Chinese boycotters were in- juring, were their own coni- patriots and not the British at all. By that means bitterness would be aroused, and all brother- ly feeling, sympathy, good will. and readiness to help in time of need, on the part of the leading Chinese, would be alienated.
He would remind thera that the Chinese of Australia, the Straits and Hongkong had been the first to offer substantial help to China during the Revolution, and that, even in times of peace, the Chinese British subjects had been more than ready to help their poorer brethren in Kwang- tung with monoy. How many millions of destitute people in China had been supported lately by Chinese who are making their money in Hongkong! If the mal- contents brought about the de- straction of Hongkong prosperity, they would bring misery to thou- sands in this colony and to mil- lions throughout China.
The Free Rides.
The Tramways Company had now very generously come for- ward with an offer of free rides for three days. This was any- thing but a sign of weak- ness; on the contrary, it showed the Company's understanding of the Chinese temperament, and the authorities were seeking-by paying a kindly compliment to those who wore the dapes of the agitators to give them an ap- portunity of retiring gracefully from the boycott.
Henceforth, whenever the Chi- nese felt that they had a grievance
against the Government, instead of seeking to take the law into their own hands, they must ap- proach their lawful representa- tives-the Chinese members of When- the Legislative Council. ever this had been done in the past, matters, had invariably been brought to a satisfactory issue.
Here the speaker gave various illustrations as to how the British Government had listened patiently to all complaints and had sought to redress all griev ances. If, on the other hand, the merchants sought to act for them- selves, he warned them that proceedings would be taken which they would not relish. Force must be met by force. That would be a bad day on which law-abiding Chinese had to hand
their together against brethren; but, in support of the Government, they were prepared to do so.
own
Hongkong and Canton. In conclusion, Sir Kai pointed out that the boycotters were now inflicting a grave injustice on the new Government at Canton. Since the Revolution, the eyes of the world had been on China and, if this boycott continued, the Can- ton Government would assured- ly suffer in loss of sympathy, of prestige and of that more sub- stantial help which it much needed He would also draw attention to the fact that this was a British Colony and that Englishmen had a right to expect the law of their Empire to he obeyed. China just now was very indignant at the idea of Russian encroach- ments; might not Europeans have the same right to protest against the encroachments of Ollinese subjects?
Asked as to the effect of his speech, Sir Kai Ho Kai said that he sincerely felt that it had struck home. "Another thing that I urged upon the merchants," he said, "was that each should do his own little part in spreading our views on the matter, and in seeking to dissuade everyone against the boycott. If each of my bearers addressed ten men, and each of those another ten, and so on, the Chinese through- out the Colony would very soon understand how their represent- -atives regard it all.”
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