The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-23

article. Besides, what do you mean by
"poor mans Injuries" Did you not vot,
down tho MCKINLEY tariff because 1t IL
"tho browning atroclty ot clnss legisla
tion"3 And after that, do YOU propose u
70 in for another kind Of class Legislation
by admitting the poor mans luSuries with
out duty p
There can DO only one safe and equa
rule: the sar,e burdens for all in the form
Of taxes equally imposed In proportion t.
taxable property: and no favors and nc
special exceptions. for any.
Foreign Pow ers and the SiaInese Affair.
To appreciate the complications likely to
grow out OF the p sition taken by France
with regard to Siam. 1T Is ncedful to keep
carefully distinguished the demand for n
pecupiary Indemnity on account OF injuries
eaid to have been inflicted on French cit-
CONS. and the demand for tho surrender of
o vast region lying on the cnst OF the Me-
kong River. II Frenchmen have been un-
justly put to death or made prisoners In
Siamese territory, no one would deny the
right or the duty Of France To require COM
pensation, though 1t may seem peremp-
tory and overbcnring proceeding on her
part to fix beforehand the amount OF
damages, without waiting to ascertain ju-
dicially tho existence OF the wrongs conf
planned Of and the amount of money that
should be imposed by way OF fine. How
ever inequitable and arrogant such a course
might appear. neither China nor England.
nor, much less. any other foreign power,
would feel called upon to protect Siam
against extortion. Tho territorial cession,
however. which is said to form the chief
part Of the French ultimatum. raises an
entirely different question. and one in which
two foreign powers are deeply interested.
One OF these. China. will doubtless inter-
pose to shield Siam from spoliation. and it
is hard to see how the other. England. can
avoid assuming similar attitude.
That Siam is dependency of the Middle
Kingdom is, not only historically but actu-
ally true. The suzerainty OF the Chinese
Emperor over the King who rules ut
Bangkok has been for many years
recognized by the annual payment Of trib-
ute. The power Of the Pekin Government
would be seriously shaken in Yunnan and
the other southwest provinces, which were
dlsa6ected thirty years ago. II it suffered
tributary State lying close to their borders
to be dismembered with impunity. Nor
should 1t be imagined that the Chinese en-
pire is powerless to act. however strong
may be the motive for interference. The
Chinese navyis far larger. better organized.
and more efficient than twas at the time
Of the French conquest Of Tonquin. A
war between France and China. whatever
might DO Its ultimate result. would cost
ko pfr,v 80
Of francs, an outlay which the French fiscal
resources could not sustain without grave
risk Of bankruptcy. and which neither pub
lie opinion nor even the desperate majority
Of tho moribund Chamber of Deputies really
intends to sanction. We believe, therefore,
that France will heed a resolute declaration
that the Pekin Government will not permit
Slam to BIO deprived Of nearly 100. 900 square
miles Of territory by threat to lombard
her capital. and that any controversy re-
gardipg boundaries resulting from the dis
puted construction Of the text of treaties
must be referred to joint commission or
to arbitration.
At all events. such q stand on the part Of
China should prove decisive II it receive
the moral support OF England. There are
good reasons why England should tender
TO Siam not only moral but material pro-
lection against the mutilation of her terri
tory We do not lay stress upon the facts
that the British subjects In Siam number
1880. while the French citizens number but
$50. and that the British trade with the
Siamese kingdom was valued last year at
e12. 100000. while that Of France did not
exceed $4,000 at the same period. II
England had to defend every country
With which she has lucrative commerce,
ehe would have too much work upon her
hands. On the other hand. as some OF her
subjects have obtained from tho Bangkok
Government. and are working. valuable
mining cessions in the region east Of the
Mekong. she has q right to ask that the
question whether their titles are good shall
be settled by q judicial tribunal rather than
by an act OF violence. The claim OF Eng
land. however. to see to it that her Siamese
neighbor Is not forcibly deprived of territory
10 which by treaties she may be entitled.
rests upon broader grounds. Siam In the
east. like Afghanistan In the west. consti-
tutes buffer" State between the domin-
Ions or dependencies OF European powers;
and 1t has come to be n maxim OF diplomacy
that the maintenance Of such buffer States
IN their territorial int, gritty is matter
with which contiguous European powers
may rghtfully concern themselves.
At the time OF the Penideh incident, no
one questioned England's right to resist
the Russian encroachments upon the Az
CHAN frontier. and the same principle would
Justify her protest against a French absorp-
ton of the eastern half OF the Melsong Val
ley. Nor have we yet exhausted the argu-
ments for English Intervention. 1t is not
yet certain whether the French claim the