"BE NOBLER MEN."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1709, 28 March 1913, Page 5

"BE NOBLER MEN."

REMONSTRANCE TO CHINESE. AGAINST GAMBLING. IP CONFUCIUS CAME TO NEW ZEALAND. Quaintly worded, with' reference to i their forefathers and ancient writers in China, tho Acting-Consul for China, in. New Zealand. mates the following appoal to Chinese resident in New ZealanA in. regard to gambling:— ••• An Appoal by the Acting-Consul 1 ' for China to tho Chinese Resident In : New Zealand) ! It is written in the Lun Yu, "In serving llis father and' mother a son may uso : gtntlo'remonstrance; if lie sees that the.y pay no heed he should not desist but 'merely increase in deference; if life pliuis" nro tlirowu away lie must show no resentment." \

; Tho Acting-Consul for China: in - New Zealand' for' tho time being is an liumblo ! servant of tho Dai Chung Wall Mini' Gwalt and' tho Chineso resident abroad' 'are- part of tlio Dai Chung WalL Mun- ■ Gwalt: , Tho Acting-Consul' hears' with : sorrow 'that certain of tho Chineso in ' New Zealand 1 are bringing the- Dai- Chung [Wall Mun Gwalc into discredit in flio Dominion' of New- Zealand; because those'' , Chinese db not observe tho law of New Zealand! regarding gambling; The' Acting--Consnl, knowing: this, thinks it i'S his' dlity to uso gontlb remonstrance, aud' lie makes tho following appeal':—' Everyono knows that gambling is a" very attractive occupation for; men. .who liavo nothing to do. Everyone. knows that many men' who have" work to do will' sometimes- neglect that! work and' spend their time' at the gambling bibles. If a man . leaves his work undone ho does , not'earn- money; and 1 cannot hupport' -his parents. If a- man-earns money and : spends it in gambling lie has 1 no money to' |send to his parents. If a'man digs'a pit for his neighbour to fall into and iliis' neiglibonr falls into tho pit and'gels • hurt so that ho cannot work, and' snp■porfc. liis parentis; tlio-blame is on' tliolinan who dug the pit. I'f a man' mikcs> -things, intended 1 'to be used' in playing ,pak-n-poo lie- knows' that some of tho ; people who use those tilings- will'. JoseI their money and' will 1 not bo able to 1 do-jt-hcir duty as sons. Tho matt' who- miilies' .thingsto-he used' in-'playing- | breaks the 1 moral law because lie makes tho instruments by which tho moral, law ;is broken. If- a marf acts as banker to a pak-a-poo- shop lie breaks tho moral law because lie knows that tho nioijoy* 'lie pays away to winners- is made up ,with money which the losers- should liavo.. sent to their, parents to keep them' from:poverty. Tho pak-a-poo shop tries to.get ;a righteous man to bo its- banker ,bfi» cause tlio righteous man can be trusted, but the man who is banker to a pnk-n-I'poo shop is ii'dt righteous; by ksowingly acting tis "banker for a pak-a-poo-shop lie takes part in breaking tho moral law, 'and' lie v/lio; breaks- tho- moral law is not righteous. , . ; 1 Obedience to tho law of tho land i»' ; th() duty of tho. righteous- man,, and hoi who breaks- tho law of tho land alro i breaks- tlio moral law and' is : not right-, coup; T.he.,li)'W;,of the land' gnywtlmtgambling "is illegal,--therefore the. man wltoi gamble.*! bffiaks,,tho law. '» It is ; .^yrjtten-in tho'Luii Yu, "Tlio man- of hior.u virtuo wishing to stand' jfirm himself Will lend' firmness to others:, wishing himself to be illuminated ho will illuminate- others.,. To bo able- to dpi toothers' as' wo would bo done' by—this istho true domain of moral virtue."

The- Master Confucius said: "When-you - see tho (food; ant as though you could never quite conjei^up-,with it; when. you. aro .brought face'to faco with evil, act as though you wore trying tho Ileal of •boiling water :, I haw heard some such ; .saying ns this, and ! Have.seen men live up 'to it." .' - _ .. .If-, tho Master, came to Now Zealand I'could- lie- say: "I see many men'live up-to it"? ' ■ ' . While China was nnder_ the> do/mnalion,- of tho Manchu race it is possible •' that Sons of Han neglected to'.oboy all the' moral law and smoked opium and gambled in order to drowri their: sorrow, but China is now a Republic and- tho Sons of Han are independent. If tho , Sons of Han wish to make China a power in tho warld, they must begin, ' fomving., themselves . and casting. off, bad liabife. They must make China a country of the nobler men. "At 1101110 0. young", man should show t tho qualities of a son; abroad, those- of a younger bro- , ther. "He should be' circumspect but truthful-. Ho should, havo charity in his . heart for all men, but associate' only with tiw virtuous/'. "The nobler-sort of -nidn is proficient 1 in the knowledge of liis duty; the inferior , man is oroficient only in money-making." Bo nobler men, and turn your backs on: : the gam biers. * ' ■ p Bo nobler men, and. do not seek to malt© money o'nt of tho vices of others. , Bo nobler men, and set an example to those' who still have tho, good fortunoto have, .their parents alive. Bo nobler men,- and think of your ancestors ami,.continue '..to cultivate the virtue which yon inherit- from them. ACTING-CONSUL FOR NEW ZEA- ' , . LAND BRANDON. February, 1913. :.