Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-07-02


more especially since her war with
Japan, in 1895, has been made the
theme of such untold thousands OF
magazine and newspaper articles, as
well as of hundreds of more or less
elaborate books, that it would seem
welI-nigh impossible, writes an "ex-
attache," that there should remain
anything to write about this great
problem, aptly described by Emperor
William as the yellow peril, and which
has now reached an exceptionally acute
stage. And yet there are some points
which apparently still call for explain
alton, while there are certain facts.
forgotten or ignored, to which it is
timely to draw attention at the pres
ent juncture for the purpose of pro-
noting proper comprehension OF the
situation in the far east by which the
great powers of Christendom are now
confronted Numerous inquiries have
been addressed to me during the last
few days by my readers, asking for in
formation as to the immediate cause
of the present trouble, the reason for
uGldy
States, and other great powers, to
take common. and at the same time eff
fective, action, with a view to the pro-
lection of the white people, mission
aries and leaders who are being mas
sacred, and of their property which is
being destroyed; how it comes that the
very Chinese societies which, until a
year or so ago, were endeavoring to
overthrow the reigning dynasty at
Pekin, are now cooperating with the
latter, and, lastly, as to what is likely
to be the outcome of the embroglio.
Secret Societies.
China is honeycombed as no other
country in the world, with secret So
cieties, embracing all classes, having
an existence dating from the second
century of the Christian era-an ex-
istence not of tradition, but vouched
for by record. They are diverse in
the elements Of which they are COM
posed in their rules and practices, al
though most of them, especially the
Triad, which is the most important of
them all, have such extraordinary an
alogy with western Free Masonry as
to imply community of origin. The
symbols and tenets are the same, the
ceremonies of initiation are similar,
the test questions bear close re-
semblance thereto and, in fact, the
only foreigner who ever obtained adj
mission to the Triad, namely, an Eng
1ishman of the name of Mason,
achieved this feat on the strength of
his belonging to the higher grades of
the Scottish Rite Of Free masonry.
Originally, a form of oriental mys-
ticism, founded on moral and cosmo-
logical theories, these societies became
political factors toward the seven
teenth century of our era, and until
a year or so ago had in view as their
principal object the overthrow Of the
Manchu, or Tartar dynasty, and as
watchword, China for the Chinese. ?
The TAPPING rebellion of forty and
fifty years ago was fostered and
promoted by the Triad, and came near
Overthrowing the Pekin government,
which it could doubtless have accom-
plished had it enjoyed the cooperation
of the other secret societies.
To Expel Foreigners.
Today the meaning of the watch
word of the various secret societies,
namely, China for the Chinese" is
changed. For the aim is no longer
antl-dynastic, nor do they seek the
expulsion Of those ten or twelve mil
dion Manchus, who, for the past 200
years, have imposed themselves as
the ruling class over 100000
Chinese, compelling them to adopt the
Manchu style of hair dress, namely, a
pig tail in token of subsection. Today
the secret societies have for their OBJ
from the land. 1t is a mistake to be-
lieve that John Chinaman is a
stranger to patriotism. Indeed, so
passionately devoted is he to his ma
tive country that he makes arrange
ments for the return of his bones to
the Flowery Kingdom in the event of
his dying in foreign lands. This fiber
of patriotism has been utilized by that
extraordinarily clever woman, the
dOWager empress, TO rally the entire
nation into the presentation Of a vir-
tually united front to the foreigner, to
convert the secret societies from anti
dynastic into anti-foreign movements,
and to achieve that which the Triad
sought in vain to bring about at the
time Of the TAPPING rebellion, namely,
cooperation of all secret societies one
with another against the common foe,
which this time is not the Manchu, but
the white foreigner.
1t cannot be denied that for more
than half century past China has
been subjected to a degree of indignity,
insult, extortion, and bullying on the
part of foreign powers, which no
Christian power would have tolerated.
Treaties have been imposed upon her
by force, her finest harbors seized, and
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