New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-04
THE WEAKNESS OF CHINA.
CORRUPTION AND INCOMPETENCE.
,,x.IIoN BY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF III"
MASpARtNs-wHY FOREIGN RESIDENTS
p.ruIzr WITH FRANCE.

l,,,to pp
an nations merchants and missionaries - a hcr
- ro.ooc,,,c the official life OF INN" anu ~
.hu,,v IA cone with any first class lo'o, -. hove
mt mean by this that everything .""' ~ on - likely
ao,. 70 tho chinese or that France mas 49, h rrow
-, .. ,r,uv Unsuitable In the eyes OF 'n" WY .,,
,ha e-np,ro so we'll but all are asfee' no g., own
~ f f, ,,,s..o-, Powers that China en- learn i' wv
,noss and their strength, can ever i'''" W ; m
~ r aver he led TO adopt western uhp'
.,ar,s ,f progress and edicaUoh' +" may w -
,a that this is not only the prevailing OPINION VI a."
,,rners who have lived long in the East on' Oh All
I,,a,o, VIII, have studied travelled much IN Eng
land America
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION.
onetenth OF what is told is true China IS the para
a Of the civil service reormer Such thing AZ ohca'
ru,ity is said-and all taxpayng Cinnamon oeicNc lno
ssseron-froln the Picking authorities down 10 inc pe
andarin who has "a ship few Soldiers III charEe'
there TO be one continual squeeze IL the Emperor, Vi
those representing him, want silks, mirrors vi o'"
Injuries for palace they send word to the Noero! "
anne province. who that the articles are Suppncu
without delay. His place depends on MS ooeyhR 'o
command II he does happen 10 have the money nc
soueezes IL out of the taxpayers Whether he mas " ."
hand or not, the squeeze is inevitable mahuHih wiz,
has grown suspciousv rich is told that the impe''
Government Is poor and needs certain sum vi ioo9
lie 10 quite aware IL it is not paid he VIII be arrested
for incubation viceroys expected 10 pay sIa'e'
anonnt into the national treasury II business mas occ
bad and taxes slow in coming in, he applies the screW
little more vigorously and the amount Is ior'"o7'
or he pays 1t his previous ill-gofien gains 'o
eraI is supposed to have army OF so many tno"s"
men. 1t exists paper and he gets paio ior Una" m,
her When review called for by some hi9her onci'
he hastily fills up his ranks from the heius vi III"
ot the neighborng city. The superintehahs moi'"'',
AT the arsenas are constantly paid for men VINO are ue"
or who were never employed. They are paid lor ma
tesl that was used. They are paw" LOT "o'N VI
material of one quality and furnish work or material OF
anober ouality For instance. the shells found at roo
Chow were filed with charcoal instead OF the po""e o'
which the manda0ns had received the haiu cash Vi ''
Government Even the sacred name OF IA HUNG '"ahS
Il not SHARED In accusations of this character though just
r,,v while the income from the customs Is light MS
rva,c purse is said To drained supply his country
needs 1t Is doubtless not alone the necessity OF having
some Minister familiar with foreign politics anu peisoh
ally agreeable foreigners but the need OF some COM
petent financial adviser or amoner that mas leu 10 Ills
reinstatement. -.
Tho Cbtpese have leen engaged in building lines OF
oecraph since their last trouble with Russia In kuda
which gave them idea OF It's usefulness INC worh mas
been done under the direction OF Danish Officers U!
soldiers or by coolies Opportunities for pecuiaion nave
teen ample and not teen neglected when inc Inc
was begun from Tien-tsn 10000 poles were ordered
The mandarin In charge poor when he took the con-
tract tul became rich. His offence was Migrant
and generally known and 1t was expected nc woau lose
his b 10 button his head Instead OF this he shortly
af,erward appeared with red button showing that IN
whispered he had made the usual present To persons
IN authority OF golden horseshoe, or snnh box con-
talnng In sdGicnct form portion OF the spols
A GENERAL "sQUEEzE."
There is lust now great need of money TO carry on the
war with the French and the squeeze Ia becoming more
general The Government IL turning It's attention 10 'he
compradores the intermediate agents between the
foreign firms and the natives. some of whom are petty
nandarins and rich. The following incident VIII Illus
trate the point In conyersng one day with the com
prlor OF leading firm pointed ont TO him that block
luz the bars OF rivers meant stopping the customs
revenues and that China had to get money somewhere TO
carry on the war with tho French lie said In his pdgn
English: "Ah. have got plenty money Lest d"y hhs
bae mandarin have makey my tnc) pay S4oo Any rIch
uau alice same Ny b'long Chln,man, my must wauche
m, money inakey fight that Feuchman. But any time |
nv nav money that mand lrn make squcczg half Half
60 Pcking fashion my no likee. My think by ana by
have got plenty trouble My pay one, two time maskee
B'loug three four time no can. Ny inside TOO muciec
hot So fashion my think have got plenty trouble"
TO which was addict suggestions Of forci le re
distance all OF which meant that though the compradOr
might consent 10 be squeezed for one or two months.
even though he knew but one-half the amount he pad
went To Pckng third and fourth time might lead 10
a revolt in which he would use the numerous coolies
under him against the mandarin. And this suggests
another possible danger to China.
TARTAR AND CHINESE RIVALRY.
most intelligent Chinaman familiar with America and
vcrscd in Chinese politics. explaining 10 me one day
the my .tercs OF administration at Picking After euc
dating I'm succession the mystery of the body of censors
ths Cabinet and the Tsung-i Yamcn he went to show
Why China which heart hated the Tartars. tolerated
Tartar dynasty. lie said It a fact that China was
in reality governed by the Chinese The Emperor Is
Tartar I'm the cabinet ana the listing Ii Yauen the
Taftar mad minority That was all he Tar,ars had
The shadow Of imperial power. white the Chinese held
the substance For Instance OF nl tho Niccrcys and
Generals Of Importance IN the empire tc day ony two
are Iar,ars The fartars cin never by Law he anything
bu sod era rhcS cainut be merchants or laoters. o
ftoH uuy civil pursuit., 1htr nnuence therefore, cS-
ttl ~ ttkir-. a. scarcely fet
ltr th,nesr have tot THESES traennq bsn contrn, ,o
tfH int liar3Wt i,nns,t US continue, thr rather that
W. thuese haye nd Imperial a'ry and seii6ns iis
Ntf.s m,rh' nlidW attnae'ir eharrp. i'rt NJ niiti
tirrlNraHt 'ha, ntN ttrae't ,toht 10 t'rh'tb wipn
gtE, " Rse Aetrs iis Htee W N,akiir 49, e@iisna-
iiN WHs ~ eaA&i~ee Ae 'hii " Was iHNfiiANe, HN
Nlilff NN4t NN aiiifi WisNl ttka ANflNs iie HesNi
gag .asi iAe.u WlNl vs. an Npsi3lNr va INa HlEFog
as-lHsl ihe FliiHs ppWpi e fekns ihe p4iaHapa a'd
lp1 iahe llIu aee0ANt suni eaioe, p Filp 40 aI Ne
ipu0d ID tle elmpgalgr the eternal siueeze The
llmse runs CLASSES aHi the French are "a the Chinese
pupIlacG as the upI and the neither milestone. Riots
Resulting from excessive taxation arc not unknown III
Chua. Those who deal with CANA have IN guess al
many unknown quantities There the inter proyn-
edlousies there the criminal classes. the coolies
and the mercantile class the latter really caring little
who rules 50 long they carry trade without
teraption. BUT when rebellion from any of these
people Is sure to give II power and
The Tat ping rebellion began IA religious crpent
but wien II became powerful every Tartar that stood IN
its way Was slaughtered without mercy. II would be
as"n should any rebeious movement proceeding from
10 matter what source. gain head-a possibility about
which the Chinese AT this trouble themselves
very little. That troubles suuceziuv
o. naniarns great and small Is quite possible. Pecula
tion yeneIDic hail, among the Chinese
who would scorn to steal a cash (one-tenth of "A
cent? L. frequently commented. Emerson remarked
of his that the minute prohibitions of The
Mosaic Law proved the low standard OF Jewish morals
G.. cpda NJ onc i.Iu
oil Chinese writers proves that their shameless public
dishonesty began when the Chinese were as "A nation
mulch VoIlu than and then fripbt,ullv