Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-08-14
CHINA AND IT'S PROGRESS.
INTERESTING DESCRIPTIVE LECTURE
BY GEN. JAMES II. WILSON.


of Science.
Maj. Con. James II. Wilson delivered
a lecture before tho American Geograph-
ical society, in Chickering hall, New
York city, during the course of which
he said:
In China the family is the political
unit, and if one member goes astray the
whole family may become extinct if the
emperor pleases. No man can bes gov
ernor in his own province, and no gov
crnor is allowed to surround himself
with officials who are his OWE relatives.
Ncpotism is unknown.
The great rivers of China flow east to
the Pacific, and tho populations gather
in the deltas in towns and villages. y
popularity of the great cities is that they
arc surrounded with great brick walls,
with bitches, parapets and gates, and the
gates are regularl y opened and closed
every morning, as they We're 600 years
ago. The new capital of FormoSa has
such wall, after the manner of the
middle ages. The Crystallized labor OF
Japan is seen in these great walls OF
cities, the great wall of the nation that
separates it from outlying provinces and
the grand canal. They spend every year
large sums to keep the grand canal open
Vet it is inaLcQultely supplied with re-
serve stores of water.
lie spoke of the civil service system Of
China as Il Democratic institution, that
gave every man chance to advance
equal to that of his neighhOrs. There is
no nobility, only the autocracy of sci
tMrC The last examination comprised
the competition Of 10000 students or ma
turc age, of whom only thirty succeeded.
Tie learning relates to Chinese history
and Jurisprudence and the philosophy of
CunfurillS, bus has nothing to do with
modern sciences. There is q college III
China presided over by an American,
IN. W. \. T. Martin. but the govern
u!tnt is very slow to admit new ideas. 1t
rnl~ lately began to investigate electric
il 1t is not best for the native China
u,"n to know tou much Of modern sci
eN"c.
>t>n. Wilson spoke Of the successive
destruction of Chinese dvnastics as
iuscparable from the Chinese sys-
tenn. As far as it is practicable,
wherever there is Cinnamon III
office, there is a Tartar to watch him.
The operation Of the censorship IS lnquls-
itorial and Offensive. The whole empire
is held in sub lection by the army and the
censor. The present emperor is only II
wears old. He is the nephew of the late
; emperor; for the first time in many
wears she direct male issue failed. For
some years the practical sway was held
hv two women, the wife and sister OF
the late emperor. But recently one OF
them died, and the empress dowager was
| lett in practical supremacy.
She is never seen by foreigners. She
is a remarkable woman. She selects the
emperor's wives, and has begun by
choosing as his first wife her favorite
niece. The imperial clan occupies a
place about mile square, walled in, in
the middle Of the city of Pekin.
The high officials will not hold inter
course with foreigners. No diplomat
has ever seen the empress dowager or the
emperor. Not even the great men OF
China can approach the throne without
permission, and then they must be pros
trate. There is no such thing as popular
education. The people have nothing to
90 with the government. The govern
ment is absolutely isolated, and holds no
communication with the people. Ideas
never reach the throne from the people.
The foreigners are confined to a very
small part of the seaboard, except that
missionaries arc allowed to 60 to the in
terror. The foreign merchant does not
deal with the Chinese merchant directly,
but through servants. Improvements &C
, on slowly. Vet in the interior may be
found kerosene, cotton cloth, needles and
matches.
The Tapping rebellion had its origin
with disappointed student. The an
tipathy of the rebels to foreigners led tC
the establishment of the lever victO-
rfous' army, under the celebrated Capt.
: Ward, and the development of the hair
Drained Burgevins, whose ambition even
scared to first shipping the rebels and
then taking possession of the empire.
The result was that after he had deserted
to both sides several times the Chinese
lost him one night while crossing river.
Gen Wilson quoted one of the me-
MORALS recently sent to the emperor by
a high Chinese official, written, accord
! ing to Chinese customs, on his deathbed,
! advocating the building of railroads,
mining, the construction of ships, coast
!
/ That this and other similar memorials
have reached the eyes of the emperor is
| known by the fact that many such me-
MORALS have been printed in the Chinese
official paper, which has been published
about 900 years, not daily, but every
now and then. But the ideas of the
government progress slowly. The cen.
| sors are conservative and slow to move
and suspicious of foreigners, although
they have admitted that the foreigners
are not necessarily enemies.
American watches and clocks are max
ing rapid progress in China. The only
| drawback is the fact that American
trade marks are counterfeited.
The Chinese students who began theil
course of study here, but who were re-
called by the censors, complain bitterly
| of their treatment, and despair Of the
/ progress of China while the present
| regime lasts.
China has no floating capital. The
legal rate of interest is 81 per cent. The
! lowest rate on the most favorable loans
is 2j per cent. Every man is liable tt
! spoEiation. The imperial treasury is il
. constant state of collapse. The en-
press follows her own judgment, and
She is now engaged in a vain effort tc
turn the bed of a great river, and the
treasury is not equal to the task. There
is one railroad fifty miles long in China
! The present condition of the country as
regards its foreign foes, particularly
England and Russia, is deplorable. The
| prospect seems to be that before long the
! great empire, unless she can arouse her
self to progress, will be partitioned. The
will Of the emperor is supreme, but ;un
less lie can be reached and directed there
is little hope for Chinese progress.
A curious notion in table decoration il
to have the center Of the table made into