New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
PROGRESS IN CHINA.
OPENING THE PROVINCE OF HUMAN TO
THE TELEGRAPH.
BREAKING DOWN ONE OF THE srRoNGHoLDe
OF ANTI-FoREIGN PREJUDIcE-THE REFORM
DUE TO RECENT oUTRAGEs ON


DUE TO RECENT oUTRAGEs ON
MISSIONARIES.
Shanghai March @-One OF the most significant
items showing the gradual breaking down OF the
wall OF prejudice against foreign customs and In
ventions. has just come from Changsha, the capital
OF Human. 1t is wel-authentcated report that
the Governor of this province has introduced.
the telegraph into Changsha. and that he purposes
establishing a line Of small steamers between the
chief cities OF Human and Hankow.
The Importance of this may be appreciated
when IL is stated that Human has successfully re-
sisted for twenty years any attempt to introduce
the steamship, railroad telegraph The people
have been bitterly hostile to everything Euro
pean that any attempt to open the province to
Western improvements has met with dismal failure.
Three years ago the Viceroy of the province gave
orders for erecting a telegraph line from Hankow
TO Changsha. the capital OF Human. The workmen
all Chinese, but the moment they crossed the
border of Huseh and entered the Lichow district.
great mob of Hunanese. headed by several prom
inent literat, fell upon the telegraph force ana
drove them out. severely beating those who re-
sisted. They piled up the telegraph poles In heaps
and made bonlres Of them. and threw the wire into
the canal. When this report reached Viceroy Ii
Hung Chang. he swore in the choicest mandarin
dialect. but he didn't dare to punish these Human
csc. because the whole province rallied to the riot
and any attempt to visit the imperial disp.eas-
ure on the offenders would have led to civil war.
SO. while railroad building and telegraph con-
struction went on In other provinces, Human re-
manned il had been for centuries.
Meanwhile the anti-Christan placards and tracts
Of Chow Han were issued from Changsha. These
the most obscene and violent attacks on Chris
tianiy that have ever been published in China
No pen would have the hardihood to describe the
atrocious pictures and the equally vile doggere be-
meath them which portrayed the orgies that
carried on in the missions by the male and female
dpviiS md he inf traf4
was conducted in the eyes and hearts of Chinese
children, kidnapped to make powerful medicine for
the hated Europeans. These attacks stirred up
Human to fever heat. and attacks were made upon
several missions at Waseh and other places, result
ing in the death of two missionaries and the wound
ing of several others. Protests made by the
foreign ministers. but the Chinese authorities never
punished Chow Han. A formal report was returned
that he had lost his mind and the Chinese law does
not counenance the arrest punishment OF the in
The blocks from which the placards and pam
phlets printed were seized and destroyed. but
that all that done The immunity granted to
Chow Han stimulated other attacks on mission
aries. and the result the barbarous murder last
summer OF the two Swedish missionaries at Sungpu.
This reused all the Europeans in China and though
the Government promptly arrested several natives
and agreed 10 pay $4,000 to the relatives Of the
dead. the Foreign Ministers were not appeased. but
have lately petitoned the Throne to stricter
investigation of the outrage and to degrade and
punish the district magistrates who RESPONSE
bic for the outrage.
1t is known that Viceroy Ii used this appeal as q
club TO secure concessions from Human which he
failed 10 obtain three years ago. He represented
that ani-foreign feeling had led TO these murders
and that the only way for the province TO make
amends was to permit the introduction of the tele-
graph and steamers and possibly the railroad. Had
his efforts been seconded by the foreign Minister'S
TO open this rich province to European trade, but
the golden opportunity was lost .
\ Governor, WI. recently appointed, and
he is no doubt carrying out Ntceroy LIS instruc-
dartns. and gave them to understand that the
policy of rigid exclusion OF the telegraph as well az
the attacks on missionaries must cease He probably
had n stormy time but his orders prevailed. and
which has successfully resisted all foreign i'm.
provements Will soon be open TO all foreigners ex-
cept traders. II may be that the feeling In Human
will prove strong even for diplomacy, and that
would prefer an open rupture With China rather
than continue the present policy OF deceit and
false preteDces.
How strongly the prejudice against railroads and
class is seen In the conduct of OF the literau
who was recently appointed an imperial Censor.
He sent memorial 10 the Throne against the
construction of railroads. pointing out especially the
Shanhai Kuan and Manchurla, beyond the Great
Wall OF China. He declared that the 5000 900
nuay appropriated for the building OF this railroad
could be used to much better advantage In strength
and other rivers which are constantly overlooking
and running large tracts OF fertile country The
Emperor, speaking of course. through the mouth
of III Hung Chang, replied that railroads and river
works equally important, and that special
appropriation had been made for the rivers mem
TONED