The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-31
THE REAL QUESTION

New York Journal Of Commerce: The
narrow escape from armed conflict be-
tween British marines and Russian cos
sacks at Hankow illustrates very for
chilly the perils attending the present
international situation In China. Han
kow is the Chicago OF China, as shang-
hal Is the New York. 1t is situated on
the left bank of the Yangtsze, some 600
miles from Shanghai, the great river
being at that point of sufficient depth
to allow the safe passage Of vessels
of 5000 tons drawing thirty feet Of wa
ter. Hankow has long been one Of the
chief trading centres of China, and the
Russians established there years ago
factories for the manufacture Of the
brick ten which is shipped by caravans
across Siberia. But, up to 1896. there
WIS no settlement at HankOw over
which the Russian government could
exercise authority. In that year both
France and Russia applied to the Chi
nese government to concede to them
Tor settlements certain lands adjoining
the British concession ut Hankow. The
request was granted, ndldificulties at
once arose, because Considerable por-
lions of the land thug granted for
French and Russian dbtlpatlon had
been previously bought and occupied
by subjects of Grent Britain. In the
case to which reference has been made
In the cable from Shanghai, the Rus
sian consul refused to recognize the IT,
lie OF AIessrs. Jardine, Matheson &
Co, TO land which had been in possess
sion OF the firm since 1868 and the title
to which had been duly registered in
the British consulate. 1.-THE Russian
consul denied that length OF possession
was any proof Of legality Of possess
ion, and insisted that the only sub
stantlnl evidence was the original Chi
nese title-deed. The Russian ambassa-
dor seems TO have susta ned this con-
tcntion, with the result TINT the whole
dispute has gone from bad TO worse till
the captain OF a British, Rppboat finds 1t
necessary to land boayD Of marines
and train his quick-aFpg gun on the
Russian consulate.
The Incident illustrates not only the
InHammable character of. the mater
Ials lying loose in China, but the abb
iect helplessness Of the Chinese govern
ment to make its authority respected.
The representatives Of two great pow
ers who have been granted the right to
occupy certain portions OF Chinese soil
proceed to fight over it p8,tt the sover-
eighty which resides at, ,Pekin were
non-eSlstent. In fact, the Chinese gov
ernment Is held responsible for any
loss that may accrue to British subjects
from the hlgh-handed proceedings OF
the Russian agents, on the grounds
that the question of the validity OF
otherwise OF the titles TO land on the
new concessions is one which should
have been settled by the Chinese au-
thorItles before the concessions were
granted. All this helps tnsilnstrate the
description which Rang Yu-Wei gives
in the Contemporary Review OF the
feelings Of the emperor Of China In
facing the decay OF his ancestral herit-
age: Having endured this for ten
years, each day and each year worse
than the last, he saw his country about
to sink in the earth. about to be buried
In ruins. about to burst like an egg
about to be divided up, about to morti-
fy. about to be torn In shreds, about to
become like India, or AMMAN, or Bur-
mnh-a dependent Of another power.
His ancestors heritage was to fail to
such depthl The myriad people Of
the Celestial Empire henceforth were
TO sink TO oblivion! The ancestral
temples 10 be deserted;rour national
gods to have no more sacrifices offer
ed to them; our bell towers to fall into
ruin and our clothes to be covered with
mud and ashes: our imperial palaces to
become cultivated corn fields. And this
without any knowledge of the danger
the people fast asleep on n heap Of
fired fuel"
YiAs il the wall of the patriotic Chi
na1lan, but II is also the protest OF
higher civilization against being en-
quilted by q lower one. No better reply
could be found 20 the nonsense which
the Russian npologists talk about the
kiushIp between the Slav and the Chi
nnmRn than the scheme Of legislation
which KanE Yu-Wel presented to the
emperor. The scheme IS essentially one
OF f-government. and has as little
relation TO the Russian system as that
has to what we are accustomed to call
Angio-SaXon institutions. Kang fu-
Wei told His Majesty. among other
things, that II he had made up his mind
ia reform he should begin by the adop-
ton Of three methods. the chief of
which was this: Decide upon ma
tional policy and yourself propose the
thing to be sworn toto put away the
old and put on the new. so as to be-
gin a new era for the penple. Com
mand all the ministers TO subscribe
their names that they will change the
old and strive after the new. or II they
cannot subscribe to that, let them ask
permission TO resign, so as 70 get the
officers and government ALL Of one
MUD" He further advised the emper-
or to establish a memorial office TO
which all the scholars should have the
right to present their petitions or rec
concentrations. He next advised the
establishment OF a cabinet In the pal
ace to he composed Of dozen OF the
ablcst men OF the empire When once
elected. whether princes or high minis
ters. or mere scholars. they were to
meet IN perfect equality. and His Ma
jcsty was to visit this gathering daily
TO decide what should be-, added or
changed, aud to weigh the advantage
and disadvantage OF changing the
methods Of the government. One Of the
most clcar-sighted Of Hangs reforms
related 10 the establishment OF n reve-
nu" department for the better admins
trati0n Of the finances. He shrcwdly
remarked that while the area md pop
ulatlon Of the Chinese Empire IS double
mat OF Europe II is much poorer, and
It's revenue IS only like that Of small
nations, because It's rulers did not
know how to manage their finances.
Another modern idea was the lnstltu-
tl9n or university nj Pekin, the es-
tahllshment Of n college In every pro-
rlHcnl capital and schools in every pre-
lecture and county. The very essence
OF Hangs reforms was to be found In
his principle that the object Of estnb-
HsmhE a government is for the good Of
lhe people, and that II the people are
nor considered then the whole Is but an
empty name. AS he puts the case: AN
EoN,rnments begin with the nepple. Be-
i ,'. IN district magistrate therf are on