Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-08-25
CHINESE EMPEROR ON REFORM

wall OF " weakness SuCn HS Culud HAD
Not Heard in Two Hundred Years.
A curious decree by the emperor Of
China has, seys the London Times, just
reached this country. 1t deals with the
necessities of China at the present
juncture, and is of great length. 1t
opens by saying that since the war
with japan, great number of mem
orials, f:c!a officials of all grades, rec
ommen,:';:g what should be done to
strengthen the empire and maintain
it's integrity, have been received. But
when any question of vital Importance
with foreign countries arises, these men
who e.:e so eager to advise are always
found wanting. This is their condi-
when the country is surrounded on all
hands by powerful and crafty neigh
bors, who seek advantages and combine
to overflow China, because they see
that the defenses Of the country are
neglected and decayed, and that the
fleet is small and Insignificant. The
main question, therefore, is reform and
reorganization of the national defenses,
The trcHhle is that the present re-
sources Of the country are insufficient
for the purpose, and the deficiency in
the eXchequar seems to be very great.
Lately, says the emperor, he sent out
decree ordering the provincial au-
thorities to prevent peculation in the
collection of likin, and to disband use
less territorial regiments which only
suck the life-blood Of the provincial
exchequers. The replies to this decree
did not attempt to deal with either of
these two vital points; nothing was
done toward discovering the exact
number of dummy names on the rolls.
and things now are just as bad as be.
fore. When the present dynasty began
to reign 1--WE are still summarizing the
decree, and as far as possible using the
emneror's exact words throughout the
armies were enlisted from the whole
population. No one then had ever
heard of likin or miscellaneous duties,
but there was no want of money and
the troops were never wanting in their
duty. At present there are many tax
es, such as likin and the opium duties,
yielding large sums, yet the ordinary
expenses are not paid. This is due to
extravaganza. Reference is made to
the revenue in 1858 and 1856, and the
expenditure in those years, and re.
cent memorial is quoted from one OF
the presidents of the boards at Picking,
in which it is proposed that a careful
statement should now be prepared, so
that superfuous expense may be dealt
with Systematically. In particular it
is said that the practice Of putting
dummy names on the regimental rolls,
the corruption in the likin and salt de-
partments, and the sinecures for favor
ed officials should all be dealt with, and
the expenditure kept within the amount
decreed in all departments. The en-
peror approves of these recommended
lions, and calls on the high authorities
in Peking and the provinces Ito aid
one another to serve us loyalty in our
time of distress, and not to ATTEMPT to
shift off upon one another important
duties just because it happens that diff
ferent provincial boundary lines separ-
ate one from the other" Further,
these personages are adjured to remem-
Der the favors hitherto bestowed on
them, and loyalty and diligently to at
tain the ends the emperor is now striv-
ing for. again, brave and capable Of
fcers are to be sought out elsewhere,
and their names brought to the emper-
or's notice, that they may receive suit
able commands. THUS may we hope
to obtain officers who, with their men,
may be human bulwark to the coun-
try against aggressive foes" 1t may
be doubted whether any emperor for
the last 200 years has ever allowed such
an admission of weakness. or such a
wall of helplessness, to be published
to his subjects.