ishment; the judgment passed on the real offenders was
also unduly harsh. My object in citing this unsavory tale is to show
the different views held in regard to incestuous marriage in China with
its serious consequences.

It is commonly supposed that all men are born equal, and that the
United States is the land of perfect equality. Now let us see if this
is really so. There are men born into high stations of life, or into
wealthy families, with "silver spoons" in their mouths; while there are
others ushered into this world by parents who are paupers and who
cannot support them. Then there are people born with wit and wisdom,
while others are perfect fools. Again there are some who are brought
to this life with strong and healthy constitutions, while others are
weak and sickly. Thus it is plain that men are not born equal, either
physically, intellectually, or socially. I do not know how my American
friends account for this undoubted fact, but the Chinese doctrine of
previous lives, of which the present are but the continuation, seems to
afford a satisfactory explanation.

However, this doctrine of equality and independence has done immense
good. It has, as a rule, caused men to think independently, and not to
servilely follow the thoughts and ideas of others, who may be quite
wrong. It has encouraged invention, and new discoveries in science and
art. It has enabled men to develop industries and to expand trade.
New York and Chicago, for example, could not have become such huge and
prosperous cities within comparatively short periods, but for their
free and wise institutions. In countries where personal liberty is
unknown, and the rights of person and property are curtailed, people do
not exert themselves to improve their environments, but are content to
remain quiet and inactive.

By the constitution of the State of California it is declared that "all
men are free and independent". It must be conceded that the American
people enjoy a greater amount of freedom and independence than other
people. But are they perfectly free, and are they really independent?
Are they not swayed in politics by their "bosses", and do not many of
them act and vote as their bosses dictate? In society are they not
bound by conventionalities and, dare they infringe the strict rules
laid down by the society leaders? In the matter of dress also are they
not slaves, abjectly following new-fangled fashions imported from
Paris? I