The Van Buren press., 1898-12-31
CHINESE WAKING UP.
C14es and Organizations for the DE-
fenHe of the Empire Be-
ing Formed.


The English are great on clubs, but
the Chinese can beat them in that line.
Since the war with Japan the breaking
out of clubs has taken the form of an
epidemic. Of the more ephemeral or
CARNATIONS. the most noted was the
Reform club. which gave umbrage TO
the government and FASTENED it's own
death by demanding free constitution
and an elective parliament. Another
formed about the same time still exists
under the curious title of School for
Shame Its prime object Is TO excite
proper state of feeling in view OF
China's humiliation at the hands OF
her neighbors, beginning with the
islanders on the east.
A more formidable society is now
looming on the verge of the future. II
bears the name of pao-kuo-hui, or Pa
triotic association. The account of lis
origin, as given by one of It's members,
is as follows: A squad OF German SOL
diers having made their way to Kaoml,
a town adjacent to Kiao-Chou, some OF
them entered the Temple of Confueius,
broke of an arm of the sage and carried
II away as a trophy. destined to figure
In a Berlin museum. This was more
than Chinese pride could stand. The
story was industyiously circulated
among the scholars of the empire as.
sembled for the triennial metropolitan
examinations. Rushing together like
the silversmiths of Ephesus, they an
nounced that their religion was in dan
ger. not from missionaries, but from
the vandalism of German soldiers. The
creased cartridges which lighted the
fires Of the great mutiny in India be
cause they were supposed TO be de-
signed TO break down the native eastes
were not quicker in arousing popular
indignation than this broken arm of
Confucius.
A petition to the throne was drawn
up. In which the signers pledged their
lives. fortunes and sacred honor to aid
in sweeping the country of its foes.
The next step was to organize, and this
was done by the adoption of constitu-
tion consisting of so articles and rs
bylaws. The portentous document,
however, says nothing of the broken
arm of Confucius, who might now very
nrudently wear the famous gown that
had one sleeve shorter than the other,
but begins by saying: This patriotic
club is formed for the defense Of the.
empire, in view of the fact that our ter
ritory is daily sliced away, the powers
of the government daily eircumseribed,
and the people more and more. op-
pressed [by whom ~" In the second
article It cites a decree issued shortly
after the late war, which calls on the
nation TO prepare itself to avenge the
past and to safeguard the future, usipg
a Chinese classic phrase which might
have been borrowed from Virgifs van
quished bull, which lay on stony ground
and chewed the cud of bitterness until
able to humble his adversary. The
three things to be defended are ''the
territory, the people and the religion
One of the measures proposed was IN
institute in all meetings of the central
and affiliated clubs a system of preach
ing, confessedly borrowed from the
west. On this subject bylaw pre-
scribes that the texts for discourse
shall be confined to themes relating
to the preservation Of the state, the re-
lIgion, the people and the race"
The race" referred to is not the
whole human race, but that portion OF
the yellow race, or that branch Of IT.
| which aourishes on the mainland. The
thing to be sought with all diligence is
to preserve It from contamination by
intermixture with races of lighter
shade. This branch Of the subject Is
certain to offer unlimited scope for
vituperative eloquence Of the Chou
Han type. Efforts are to be made'to
extend these clubs TO every town and
hamlet in the empire. Any wind rs
better than dead calm, but the ex-
tension OF these clubs Is much more
likely TO make lively time for mis-
sionaries and their converts than II Is
to check the zeal of soldiers In quest
Of objects OF antiquarian fnterest.-
North China Herald