The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-25
THE SON OF HEAVEN DEsPAlRs.
Appeal of the Chinese Emperor for the
Reform of His Empire-Corruptiona and
Decline.
(From the London Times. ,

t@A0Ail UAo 1]OhAOk1 4lA0S.
A curious decree by the Emperor Of
China has just reao he'd this country. II
deals with the necessities of China at the
present juncture and is of great length.
1t opens by saying that since the wal
with Japan great number of memorials
from officials of all grades, recommending
what should be done to strengthen the
Empire and maintain its integrity, have
been received. But when any question
of vital Importance with foreign coun.
tries arises these men who are so eager
to advise are always found wanting.
This is their condition now (pursues the
Emperor just when the country is sur
rounded on all hands by powerful and
crafty neighbors who seek advantages
and combine to overpower China because
they see that the defensss of the country
are neglected and decayed and that the
feet is small and insignificant The
main question, therefore, is reform and
reorganization of the National defenses.
The trouble is that the present resources
of the country are insufficient for the pur-
pose, and deficiency in the exchequer
seems to be very great. Lately, says the
Emperor, he sent out decree ordering
the provincial authorities to prevent pee
ulation in the collection of likin and to
disband useless 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
nor arI tLa
Der Of dummy names on the rolls, and
things now are just as bad rs before
When the present dynasty began to reign,
1--WE are still summarizing the decree, sand
as far as possible using the emperor's ex-
act words throughout), the armies were
enlisted from the whole population. No
one then had ever heard or likin or mis-
cellaneous duties, but there was no want
of money and the troops were never want
ing In their duty.
At present there are many new taxes,
such as likiu and the opium duties,
yielding large sums, yet the ordinary ex-
penses are not paid. This is due to ex-
trayagance Reference is made to the
revenue in 1853 and 1856, and the expen-
diture in those years, and n recent me-
mortal is quoted from one of the presi-
dents of the boards at Pekin, in which it
Is proposed that a careful statement of the
expenditure now should 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 cor
ruption in the likin and salt departments,
and the sinecures for favored officials
should all be dealt with, and the expen-
diture kept within the amount decreed in
all departments. The Emperor approves
of these recommendations, and calls on
all the high authorities in Pekin and the
provinces ito aid one another to serve MS
royalty in our time OF distress, and not
to attempt to shift off upon one another
important duties just because it happens
that different provincial boundary lines
separate one from the other.' Further,
these personages are adjured to remember
the favors hitherto bestowed on them and
Loyalty and diligently to attain the ends
the Emperor is now striving for Again,
brave and capable officers are to be
sought out everywhere, and their names
brought to the Empe1or's notice thai they
may receive suitable commands. Thus
may we hope to obtain officers who with
their men may be a human bulwark to
the country against aggressive foes.' 1t
may be doubted whether any Emperor of
China for the last 200 years has ever al.
lowed such an admission OF weakness, or
such a wall of helplessness to be pub
lished to his subjects