Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-03-05
POLITICS In CHINA.>-

q - A<A - Avn A4N hs.' 4
Il
There Is Much Corruption Among
High Officials.
Scandals That Approach Very Close to the !
- Doors of the Imperial Palace
once Obtained Through
bribery.
The corruption in Chinese public life
is SO general that it has ceased to ex-
cite any comment among those who
are familiar with the workings Of that
bureaucratic system, so perfect in
theory, SO lamentably deficient in
practice. 1t is generally believed by
foreigners, however, that the emperor
and the highest officials, like the vice.
roy, Ii Hung Chang, are not to be in
Guided among the class of corrupt
officeholders; but q recent incident
serves to show that the young emperor
has not escaped this defilement that
taints all parts Of the Chinese public
service. This incident, says Shang-
hal letter in the New York Tribune, is
the appointment Of new taotai OF
Shanghai. For months there have
been rumors Of change in this inn
portant official place, but no one knew
exactly the facts. Recently the Pc
king Gazette came out with the notice
that January II last "Lu Peh- Yang is
appointed taotai of the Soo-Sung Tai
circuit" 1t may be necessary to state
that though this gazette appeared
few days ago, it really represented the
official acts of the emperor and the
heads Of the different boards for jan
uary IL. There are no reporters in
China eager to send 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
Shanghai, which, by reason OF the
large foreign settlement and the great
increase of foreign trade, has become a
very important place. Usually such an
Office is filled from number OF minor
officials who are designated as lex
, pectant taotais" Those who know
the pull" Of each candidate can de-
termine pretty accurately who will be
the lucky one to win a coveted office
, But in this case all the calculations OF
experts were upset by the naming OF 9
man who was not only not included
| among the expectant officials, but who
. was unknown to any mandarins. The
: Gazette throws no light on the secret
of this outsiders appointment, but
, diplomatic gossip declares that he Sc
, cured the place by bribing one OF the
= emperor's favorite eunuchs.
: One may imagine the rage OF the old
1 Viccroy Liu, of Marking, in whose
: province Shanghai is located, when he
r heard that the man he had recommend
1 cd had been turned down" to make
e way for the protege of palace eunuch
: But Liu is diplomat to his finger tips
s He received the new taotai with great
e ceremony, and suggested in his court
: Hest way that the post was one whlcf
t required great experience, because o
/ the necessity of constant association
s with foreigners. The proper thing TO-
d the new official to have done was to re
ply that he was sensible of this, and
n therefore, relied on the viceroy to al
r him, and also to suggest an expert
It enced deputy. Instead OF this polit
# reply, the new taotai answered that n
" was aware of the difficulties, but h
j. fancied he could meet and overcom
n them without asking anyone aid. III
o. old viceroy would have enjoyed order
r. ing the upstart to receive hundre
ir blows of the bamboo, but he dare
Is make no manifestation OF anger.
: Some light on the corrupt purchas
ut of official posts is shown by case
ir the same issue of the Picking Gazett
I'd which records the appointment OF tt
n Shanghai taotai. 1t records the inve
tigation by an imperial censor OF tt
charge of securing the place of literai
special examiner by a metropolis
official. Curiously enough he adoptt
precisely the same method as that
:, the taotai-that is, he bribed pala'
;s eunuch. The latter agreed to use
&c influence as well as that Of several
~ his companions, but he stipulated tn
:, notes must be given for certain amour
a.. to each, and that these notes must
IA cashed at certain bookstore when t.
applicant received his commissio
~ Ting-Wei-C the man who yearn
-. to be examiner, had his ambition on
ON partly gratifed, as he secured only
ha small examinership at Shensi, inste
81, of the important post at Szechue
en which he applied for. So he refused
nm pay the palace eunuchs. When tn
h;s came with their notes to the Doc
store they were CURLY told by the p
+ho prietor that Ting had left no none
,nt and that he had said he did not p
ter pose to be blackmailed. This made
100 eunuchs furious. and they raised su
nd a commotion that the police we
~ called. The bookseller, fearing publ
I'M ity, shut up his shop and tried to br
no himself until the storm should bl
,;S. over, but censor who witnessed
nm affair began an investigation that
bis suited in many damaging facts. Tn
ara he called upon the throne to appoin
,or commission Of inquiry. -,
inns Three high officials were select
. and the result of their work shows