The age-herald., 1900-07-29
WHY PEKIN IS SILENT
Chinese Want to Decide Fractional Strug-
 gle Without Interference

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 gle Without Interference
 From the New York Mail and Express
 MT. Guy NJ Walker, of this city, is prob ably one of the best informed New York CTS on conditions in China, having lived in Pelxin himself for ten years, and having 8 father, mother and sister in that city now. MT Walker diseredits the stories of a mas sacre His view of the situation is given below:
 Enc silence of Pekin is puzzling to those who do not know the Chinese character or understand Chinese government.
 Particularly has 1t been puzzling to the civilized world because at the same time that mystery shrouds the fate of the diplo- mats and missionaries In the Chinese cap ital the Chinese themselves seem to be in formed as to what Is going on there, ediets issue to the farthest corners of the Empire and only within the last twenty-four hours Ii Hung Chang has sailed from Canton for Pekin in response to a. peremptory con- mand from the throne
 The Chinese are distincly a non-political people, taking little interest in the affairs of state until they reach such condition that they interfere with the comfort, priv ieses or business of the population. While all goes well. no more autoeratic ruler ex' istsr than the Chinese Emperor but as a matter of fact tlie Chinese are the most deuocratio people the world has ever seen, and dyuastfes have held tfre throne only so long as they have recognized the ancient laws of local self-government and secured the people in their rights. Whenever they have failed in this the people have arisen and placed a new dynasty on the throne, whose occupant passing his title on the fact that he is the choice of the people. becomes a. true "Son of Heaven" even though he may have comE up from the peasant s hovef or the eobbler's bench
 In the oldest of Chinese classics, the s'Shnling" it fs laid down as one of the three great axioms of government that ''the people have the right to depose ruler who, either by positive wickedness or vii cious Iaziness gives opportunity for oppres- sion or tyranny The people, therefore,, have ever been ready to rise in protest against wrongs, and either bend the fmpe- rial authority to do their work or break 1t by a successful revolution
 It Is just this which is going on about Pekin at present. The people have been disturbed in their control of local affairs by the advent of foreigners claiming special rights by grant (treaty5 from the throne, while the people do not recognize any power of the throne to make such grants. They have been disturbed in the possession of their lands, barriers have been erected acrasS their ancient trade routes, while in duatry and commerce have been. sadly dis arranged. The people have arisen in prU- test, and civil war is raging about the cap itaL
 The fighting at Pekin is really between three different factions. The original Box CTS blame the dynasty for criminal weak ness and the surrender of the peoples rights to the foreigners, and believe that these wrongs only be lighted by the establishment of a new dynasty. Prince Tuan and his faction are trying to save fFxrrar otx bxrh amir thn all the troubles, and trying to turn the wrath of the rebels against them instead of the ruling house. while Prince Ching is friendly to foreigners and is endeavoring to preserve the dynasty by calling the origi- nal Manchu clans to support it and it's for eigu policy.
 The issue Is still uncertain, for the China man is. always an opportunist and the mass of the people are waching the strug- gle between the rival factions, waiting to see which shows the greatest strength be- fore they join the ranks of it's supporters.
 Any one who has ever dealt with the Chinese knows how utterly impossible it is to carry any kind of an investigation relying them for proof. They are the most stubborn and reserved people to be found. You can never prove the identity of any one of them, nor will they testify to facts which happened before their very eyes. They will deny all knowledge of occurrences which are known to all of them, and which are circulated everywhere by that mysterious method of gossip or werd-of-mouth communication so common among, them and which they themselves call "yao yen"
 This is the reason that we have not heard from Pekin The contest between their factions Is still undecided, and that it may be decided for the best interest of the Empire requires that it be decided without outside or foreign interfereuce; so the out side world has received no news, nor will the Chinese allow any to leak out until one or another of the factions has secured the upper hand and controls affairs at the capital Then those in authority will an- n0unees the results.
 The telegraphs and railways of China are in the hands of the government, and it becomes very simple matter to cut off all communication as they have done. Of course, dispatches to and from the Minis ters at Pekin could not be allowed to pass, for they would prevent the true deterIni- nation of the factional war by fate.
 The strong opposition to the relief force under Admiral Seymour and the fierce re- sistance to the advance of the allied forces at Tien-Tsin have all been part of that Oriental determination that as this affair is, first, one for them to settle among themselves, they do not intend that for eign forces or communications shall inf1u- ence in it's settlement.
 The people themselves do not yet know whether they want new dynasty or will be satisfied with reforms wrung from this one, and until that is settled they will not determine their attitude toward foreigners. Had the allies realized this and attempted no Interference, but held the rival factions responsible for the safety of missions and legations, it is altogether probable that there would have been no hindrance of communication between Pekin and the out side world, nor would the safety of those within be in doubt.
 GUY MORRISON WALKER.
 Served Him Right