The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1895-10-04
MAY SPLIT THE EMPIRE.
WEAK GOVERNMENT OF CHINA.
Emperor Has Little Control Over the
Provinces-1sevolution Likely to Break
Out at Any Tlmo-Omcinls Prosecuting
Foreigners.

Shanghai, Sept. 2S.-The Chinese gov
eminent Is very much like an old wo-
man, feeble and deceplt, poor. ignorant
and superstltlous, whose eighteen sons
are constantly committing murders
and depredations among their neigh
bors. The latter hold her responsible
for their conduct and insist that she
shall punish them, when she Is abso-
lutely powerless to do so. The only
way for the neighbors to stop the mis-
chief is to disregard the old woman al
together, take matters In their own
hands and bring the sons to terms.
There is little doubt that the govern
ment of China is "on the ragged edge"
Its weakness and rottenness were dem
onstrated during the war with Japan,
and no one familiar with the situation
here would be surprised at any time at
the outbreak of n revolution that will
overthrow the present dynasty, perhaps
split up the great empire into dozen
petty Kingdoms, or perhaps divide 1t
among Russia, England and France.
which are always standing ready for
such an event and have immense fleets
in these waters awaiting Its occurrence.
The diplomatic officials here CLINE
that there Is no vitality, no stamina
and no firmneTs in the Tsung Ii Yamen,
which Is the body composed of the high
est officials and the presidents Of the
various boards OF control, having n
general supervision over the foreign If
fairs OF the empire, but no authority I'd
execute their own will or carry out
their promises. The words Tsung Ii
mean general direction and Yamen
means bureau of office.
To understand the system one must
Know something of the Chinese system
OF government, which is based upon
the natural relation of parent and child.
The father is supreme in the family,
the magistrate In the city, the governor
In the district and the viceroy in the
province. The latter is responsible to
the central government at Pckin, In
which the emperor is supreme. Every
magistrate of whatever rank, has abso-
lutte power within his own domain and
Is responsible only to his superior. al
though the people have the right to ap-
peal to the same tribunal II they be
lieve him to be guilty of incapacity,
tyranny or dishonesty. But so long as
the magistrates forward tribute to their
superiors and send them valuable pres
ents. which has become habitual the
people have very little chance to be
heard, and the viceroys are practically
kings with absolute and despotic
power.
The difficulties and dangers are aggra-
waited by the fact that the central gov
eminent at Pckin has no soldiers and no
fleet to enforce its demands, and present
local conditions are such that any dras-
tic measures would be likely to force
the provinces into rebellion IL the EN-
peror should press the viceroy at Fuh-
ken or Szechucn too hard the distant
officials, who have their own armies
and navies and very little respect for
'the son OF heaven" would Immediate
ly throw or their masks and declare
their independence. The only efrectual
power that lies with the central govern.
mcnt is Its authority 10 dismiss and de-
grade viceroys and magistrates at will.
There Is law, and 1t Is strictly en-
forced. forbidding any vceroy to hold
Office In his own fsovince or 10 nppoInt
members Of his own family to positions
under him. The policy pursued by the
government has been to send men from
the north TO rule the southern provinces
and bring men from the south TO rule
over the northern provinces In which
they have no property or personal inter
ests. The natural and inevitable result
has been to prevent conspiracles be-
tween the rulers and the local nandar-
ins, between whom there Is usually n
considerable degree OF jealousy and
friction.
To this practice Is largely due the
preservation of the Chinese empire, be
cause should n northern mandarin who
Is appointed viceroy of southern pro-
vince attempt rebellion or defy the edlcts
OF the throne his property at home
would be conflscated and the members
OF his family would be thrown Into
prison and held us hostages for his good
behavior.