Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-08-20


present satisfactory condition." which
being interpreted means that certain
foreigners having stolen 4 right Of way
for purpose not recog mixed by the
Government, the latter was to be bul-
lied by foreign pressure into COM
pliance. An American citizen was
placed in charge of the grading, and
the American representative declared
that he was ready to defend the right
of the projectors to build the railway
The only stirring incident in the con.
struction of the road, however, was a
fight between the American citizen
aforesaid and an old woman whose land
was endangered by his refusal to place
a culvert where the grading crossed q
ditch. Although the projectors ha d
no right to construct the railway, i,
was purchased by the Chinese Govern
ment at fair price which was determ.
ined by arbitration. 1t is a matter OF
recent newspaper comment that the
rails have been taken up, and exported
to this country as old iron.
The history of the attempted tele-
graph line is substantially identical
with that of the railroad. In October
1875, Danish company, without any
legal authority, began the construction
of telegraphic line from Foo-Choo,
the centre of the tea industry, to the
port of Annoy, and continued the con-
struction, although, the officials had
positively refused to sign contract
In this, as with the railroad, the
American representative was not slow
to intimate that the diplomatic body
should insist upon the permanent en-
joyment Of the rights appropriated
without the shadow OF law. Twenty
miles of the line were destroyed by To-
cal officials, whereupon a claim for in
demnity was set up by the Company.
As the latter had a quasi agreement
with body known as " the Board OF
Foreign Trade" of the Province, the
matter was finally settled by the Chi
nese Government purchasing the whole
concern for the sum of one hundred
and twenty-four thousand five hundred
Mexican dollars, which ended the con.
troversy, and with it the telegraph
line.
During fifteen years, the American
Steam Navigation Company owned a
feet of twenty steamships, two OF
three of which were of American,
and the other of English build, and
which were trading between Shanghai
and Yangtse ports and Tientzing. In
1875, a Chinese corporation, the Chi
nese Merchandise Company, had ves-
sells on the same water routes. In
that year the Chinese Government
agreed with the native Company for
ce rtain freights at rates more than
twice as high as those obtainable by
either company in the open market,
and which of course amounted simply
to a subsidy to the Chinese Company.
In less than two years the American
enterprise was bought out by the Chi
nesc, and American competition with
native shipping was ended on the riv-
ers of China. The philanthropic idea
of supplying China with a currency
by the coinage of the trade dollar it,
lustrates our ignorance Of Chinese
methods and Chinese wants. In the
north is China, not five hundred of the
new coins were found two years after
their introduction while in the South
they utterly failed to replace the Mexi-
can dollar, which is favorite form of
silver.
So much for our diplomacy with
China, in matters of comparatively
minor importance; for those referred
to are dwarfed by comparison with the
Burlingame Treaty, in which the far
reaching Chinaman found in an Amer
lean politician convenient implement
with which to manipulate. the policy of
an aggressive but short-sighted nation.
That treaty conferred on each of the
parties thereto all the rights granted
by the other to the most favored ma.
ton. The United States has granted
to the most favored nations the right,
on the part of their citizens, of pass
ing without restraint to all portions OF
our country, of transacting business
to the same extent and in the same
manner as our own citizens, and oi
freely exercising their religion without
let or linderance. China has granted
to her favored nations the right ol
their citizens to travel to and reside
in certain open ports, and nowhere
else. To quote the language OF oul
consul at Ningpo, " it is settled ques'
ton so far as the Government OF the
United States is concerned, that mis-
sionaries have no right to reside else
where than at the open ports" and
that such right does not extend te
other citizens. This Interpretation o.
the treaty has been concurred in by
our State Department, and also by the
British Government whose instruc
tions to her envoy have been OF thu
same tenor.
Such are the results abroad OF ou
interference in Chinese affairs, and o
our diplomatic relations with China
But it is only when We consider thei
outcome ON our own soil that we cal
fully recognize their utter folly, tn
mischief already wrought by our co