Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-08-25
C0LQUH0UN ON CHINA.
Present Crisis Discussed by an
Authority on the Far East.
ORIGIN OF THE BOXER SOCIETY.

Started-COmpIicIty of the Empress
DowaRer-A Possibility of an UprIs-
ing In the Yang-tse Valley.
In endeavOring to obtain any insight
into the national life OF the Chinese it
is necessary, first OF all, to rid our
selves Of the predlsposition to judge
| everything from our own standpoint.
says Archibald z. ColquhOun, author
| OF China In Transformation" The
| Overland TO China" etc. in the New
| York Post. II we try the Chinaman
| by western standards, we shall simply
| fail to understand him, for his view Of
| life, his most elementary ethics, even
| his conception. of right and wrong in
| IT'S broadcast sense, are totally opposed
| to our own. The Chinese compass
| points TO the south and not to the
| north, like our own, and the Chinese
| reverse In q similar way many of the
| conclusions which appear to us abso-
lutely unquestionable. Much that ap-
pears to US distorted and ridiculous Is
TO them perfectly natural and inevita-
bic.
There Is, however, one powerful SEN
| timent which has dominated China for
though at present not SO well develop
ed is found very largely in our own
country at the present day. The
greGarious instinct which drives men
together into towns or communities in
the first place teaches them. after q
complicated civilization has made the
struggle for existence more keen, to
band themselves together according TO
protection and benefit.
The Chinese adopted the plan of
trades unions and guilds very early in
their history. for besides its obvious
advantages 1t appeals to a side of their
character which is perhaps little I'M
derstOOd. The average Chinese is
not at all interested in what is known
as higher politics. He is practically
governed by an alieu race, he has lit
tie representation In the councils of
the nation. no part in the direction of
its affairs. But the Chinese are allowed
n great deal Of freedom in their local
government. and there is little inter
ference i'm their private matters. On
such questions. therefore. the Chinese
merchant or shopkeeper is not only
keen. but IS able TO exercise a good
deal OF influence. though that is usual
ly Of the rough and ready order.
The formation Of numerous clubs,
therefore. so different in their con-
stitution as to give every man
the option of Joining one or more.
was at once an opportunity for
recreation to the social Chinaman
and safety valve for his views
and grievances on local politics.
There were. OF course. some clubs
whose original aim was larger. the
Triad. for instance. one Of the oldest
and largest. founded as protest
against the Tartar conquest of China.
The original aims. however. We're
generally lost sight Of, and the socie-
ties became a refuge for bad charac-
tiers. malcontents and ne'er do weels.
as happened with the society OF the
Triads. who, beginning with the pro-
fession OF religion and virtue. ended
with the wholesale maSSacres OF the
horrible TAPPING rebellion.
Other societies began with n wholly
eliSious aim. and these probably de-
generated sooner than others. since the
Chinaman Is not really religious. but
substitutes for faith Il widcspreadinC
superstition and a profound respect
for what Is known as fengshui. or Oc-
cult influences. There are societies
OF vegetarians, OF teetotalers. Of non
and celibates. both men and
women. There are antigambling
leagues, vigilance committees. Trades
guilds. mutual loan and benefit So
cieties and n host Of others. Bankers
form leagues for mutual help and
have their codes Of honor. beggars are !
formed into companies and have their |
chief. who levies blackmail on those |
who would escape his motley crew.
The society whose name is on every |
ones lips at present. the so called Box |
Crs. has been represented as being |
an athletic society. devoted |
to the practice of boxing. or Quitting"
as the Chinese call IL. This was very |
ancient Chinese and Mongol sport. but |
there is no need 10 60 far afield for an /
explanation of the name. The society.
whose origin is obscure. calls itself II
Ho Chuan." the Righteous Harmony /
league. but the word chuan. with a
different infieNion of the voice. means
also fists" and TO any one who knows
the Chinese fondness for a play upon
words IL Is easy to see the context.
At the same time no doubt the aims
Of the society were for awhile cloaked
by the pretext OF athletic exercises. but
for many months past all such disguise
has been thrown aside. drilling has !
gone on openly and camps have been
The original propaganda of the l Ho
Chuan was exclusively religious and
directed against Roman Catholicism.
From that II became anti-Christian
and finally antiforeign. Its birthplace
was the province OF Shangtung. where
the high handed policy OF Germany
has aroused a very strong andfOreign
The bad season and failure
~ harvest last year reduced many OF
-he farmers and ngriculfurisrs TO rraar |