The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-23
BRIBERY CASES IN CHINA.
Scandal Over Literary Examiner
Who Had a Curious pull"
From the New York Tribun,

From the New York Tribune.
Shanghai, May 3.-The corruption in
Chinese public life is so general that it
has ceased to excite any comment among
those who are familiar with the work
ings of that bureaucratic system. so per
feet IN theory, so lamentably deficient in
practice. It is generally believed by for
elgners, however. that the emperor and
the highest officials, like the viceroy, Lii
Hung Chang, are not to be included
among the class of corrupt offceholders ;
but recent incident serves to show that
the young emperor has not escaped
the detilement that taints all parts
of the Chinese public service. This incl
dent is the appointment of a new Tao tai
OF Shanghai. For months there have
been rumors of change in this impor-
taut Official place, but no one knew ex-
actly the facts. Recently The Picking
Gazette" came out with the notice that
on Jan. IL last, "Lu Peh-Yang is ap-
pointed Taotai of the 500 Sung Tai Cir
cult" 1t may be necessary to state that
though this Gazette" appeared a few
days ago, it really represented the Off
cial acts of the emperor and the heads of
the different boards for Jan, IL. There
out appointments by telegraph the day
they are made. Three or four months is
the usual time consumed in getting any
official action before the public in the
pages of the court organ.
The circuit mentioned includes Shang-
hal, which, by reason of the large foreign
settlement and the great increase of for
elgn trade, has become very important
place Usually such an Office is filed from
a number of minor officials who are desig-
mated as "eXpectant Taotais" Those
who know the pull" of each candidate
can determine pretty accurately who will
be the lucky one to win the the coveted
office. But in this case all the calcula-
tions of experts were upset by the naming
of man who was not only not included
among the expectant officials, but who
was unknown Eto any mandarins. THE
Gazette" throws no light on the secret of
this outsiders appointment, but diplo-
matte gossip declares that he secured the
place by bribing one of the emperor's ia
vorite eunuchs. These men, by their
constant association with the lonely boy
who maSuqerades as the head of the
great Chinese empire, acquire great in
tiuence over him, and it is notorious that
they use this influence for corrupt ends
in order to enrich themselves befor some
freak of royal disfavor may throw them
out of the service. In this case the empe-
ror acted in defiance of all precedent,
and appointing to very responsible post
man who will probably have to be
transferred to another one because of his
incompetency.
One may imagine the rage of the old
Viceroy Liu of Marking, in whose prov
ince Shanghai is located, when he heard
that the man he had recommended had
been turned down" to make way for the
protege of a palace eunuch. But Liu is a
\ s,~I1, L.
the new Taotai with great ceremony, and
suggested in his courtliest way that the
post was one which required great ex-
perience, because of the necessity of con-
slant association with foreigners. The
proper thing for the new official to have
done was to reply that he was sensible of
this, and, therefore, relied on the Viceroy
to aid him, and also to suggest an expert
enced deputy. Instead of this polite re-
ply, the new Taotai answered that he
was aware of the difficulties, but he
fancied he could meet and overcome them
without asking any ones aid The old
Viceroy would have enjoyed ordering the
upstart to receive hundred blows of the
bamboo, but he dared make no manifesto
ton of anger. He simply dismissed the
fellow with freezing politeness.
Then he set about characteristic way
of Furnishing his presumption. The new
Taotai can not take his seat and draw
his pay until the Viceroy makes out his
official papers, known as the "Chih
Chin" Although he reported to the
viceroy in January, he is still waiting for
the documents that invest him with
authority, and the old Taotai, Mich, is
still holding the place, ready to vacate
and assume his new Office of provincial
judge of Chekeang, the neighboring
province. The cunning viceroy gives no
intimation that anger had anything to do
with this delay. He ascribes it to per-
sistent illness, which at times prevents
him from seeing any visitors. On April
IL, after long seclusion. the viceroy
emerged and cleared up large arrears of
public business. 1t was then announced
that Shanghai would see its new Taetai
in few days, but nothing has yet been
done What lends additional interest to
this glimpse of practical Chinese govern
ment is the fact that the new Taota1 rep
resents the Antui party, while the viceroy
belongs to the rival Human faction, which
hates foreigners, and which controls so
many high offices under the government.
Some light on the corrupt purchase of
official posts is shown by case in the
same issue of the Picking Gazette. which
records the appointment of the Shanghai
taotai 1t records the Investigation by
an imperial censor of the charge of secur-
ing the place of literary special examiner
by a metropolitan official. Curiously
enough, he adopted precisely the same
methods as that of the taotai-that is, he
bribed palace eunuch. The latter agreed
to use his influence as well as that of sew
eral OF his companions, but he stipulated
that notes must be given for certain
amounts to each, and that these notes
must be cashed at a certain book store
when the applicant received his commits
sion. Ting Wei-Chih, the man who
yearned to be examiner had his ambition
only partly gratified, as he secured only
a small examiaership at SheDsi in
stead of the important post at Szechuen,
which he applied for So he refused to
pay the palace eunuchs. When they came
with their notes to the book store they
were CURLY told by the proprietor that
Ting had left no money and that he had
said he did not propose to be blackmailed.
This made the eunuchs furious, and they
raised such a comfnotion that the police
were called in. The BOOKSELLER fearing
publicity, shut up his shop and tried to
bury himself until the storm should blow
over. but q censor who witnessed the