The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-19
CHINA TRUSTS THIS NAN
BUT SIR ROBERT HART STANDS
NLONE AMONG ALL THE WHITE
PEOPLE THERE
HAS THE CONFIDENCE OF ALL
Was Begged to Leave Pekin Before
the Outbreak, but Said He
wouldn't Leave the 9th
erH to Die.

Is the OHiy White ildll III OAIlAid WIZ WoS
offered his life when the edict went
forth among the Boxers to kill all for
eigners in China, says the Philadelphia
Tir;cs.
Sir Robert Hart is the only white man
who has ever won the confidence and es-
teen Of the Chinese government and its
people. He is the greatest friend China
has ever had and has done more for
China than any other single individual.
In recognition of his services to the en-
pire, the high admiration in which he is
held both by the government and the
Boxers themselves, he was warned, even
begged to leave Pekin week before the
outbreak He refused, saying he would
not leave the others to die
The offer Of his safety came from
Prince Ching himself, who concocted the
scheme whereby his fight would be COM
paratively safe. The prince called on sir
Robert in person and warned him of the
impending danger. He told him all for
eigners in China were to be killed His
plan for Sir Roberts safety was to dis
guise him as a mandarin, his fluent
knowledge Of the Chinese language MAX
ing his detection almost impossible. He
was TO leave the British legation at night
and make his way TO Korea.
What his fate has been is unknown.
Rumors of his safety have spread from
time to time, but until the curtain that
hides the bloody drama in Pekin Is
raised, his fate will remain unknown
The last word from Pekin, ere the
tragedy of the legations, was the des-
pairing message OF Sir Robert Hart,
and it seemed in accordance with the fit
ness of things that the farewell of the
Europeans should come from the pen of
tereSted in the welfare of the unhappy
country now destined to be the scene Of
a bloody war Sir Robert Hart is, or
was, director of the Chinese imperial
maritime customs, a post which he held
since 1885, and in this position ruled with
absolute authority the most important
branch Of the Chinese government con-
trolling not only the collection OF the
customs dues, but regulating the tariff
with such unlimited power as to eXer-
else functions which in our country are
committed to several distinct branches
of the government. The revenue depart
ment of China was entirely under his
hand, and the fact that for SO many
years he remained undistur bed in SO en-
viabie a position IS sufficient proof not
only of his integrity and ability, but also
of the tact and discretion that enabled
him to hold his own against the machi-
nations of host of enemies, who would
have been glad to see him displaced, and
who no doubt exercised all their Influence
tc this end
Hart was born in Armagh, Ireland, in
1926, his father being Henry Hart, man
Of property and influence in his county.
The elder Hart was a miller, and APP
preciating the advantages Of education,
determined that his sen should have the
best the country afforded. Robert was
accordingly sent to the - cyan school
So Taunton, and, after passing through
the COURSE with credit to himself entered
Queens college, in Belfast After grad
nation he is reported to have said to DR..
McCosh, then president of the institu-
ton: You have gwen me an education
which has untitled me to work in my
fathers mill; can you not recommend
to me a career worthy Of the education?"
In reply Mr.. McCoSh advised him to APP
ply for position in the English consular
service. He did so, passed the necessary
examinations, ard In 1854 was sent to
China as q member of the British consul
lar staff IN that country. Only few
years elapsed ere, with the permission
of the British government, he. entered the
customs service of China, and in 1868
was appointed inspector general of i'm
perial customs dues post which he
held until 1885, when, as already stated,
he Was appointed director.
The customs service of China as at
present constituted, is the outgrowth Of
an incident of the war of 1853, when, as
at present, China was at the mercy
of a horde of rebels Shanghai having.
been taken by the insurgents, the for
eign merchants doing business there re-
fused to pay customs dues, either to the
chiefs of the rebellion or TO the officials
of the government, on the ground that,
being forced to protect themselves, they
could not pay either party without run
ming the risk Of being compelled also to
compromise was effected by the APP
poiutmenL of collectors to receive the
dues, hold them in trust and at the end
of the war turn them over to the estab-
hshed government. Thus the merchants
were TO be secured and the regular gov
eminent, If 1t succeeded in establishing
its authority. would suffer no loss. The
United States, France and England were
the three countries whose citizens were
most concerned in this arrangement; each
appointed collector, and when the au-
thority of the. government was re-estab-
lshed and the accounts were balanced
at the close of the war the imperial gov
eminent at Pekin was delighted to find
that the Shanghai customs during the pc
Rod of foreign administration were near
ly double what they had ever been be-
fore. The satisfaction Of this welcome
discovery led to Trnirau0n-to con-
tinue the system that had worked so
well, so II was not only continued, but in
time was extended to all the ports in the
empire.
The explanation is this: The Tao Tails,
or local governors, charged with the col
lection of the CUSTOMS has always been
IN the habit Of making an estimate of the
probable returns of the ports. For their
own purposes these estimates were made
as low as possible; then every cent OF
dues that could be squeezed from the for
eign merchants was eXacted, the Tao Tai
turned over to the government the
amount of his estimate and appropriated
the difference. The system had been IN
vogue probably ever since China had a
commerce, and So was hallowed by ages
of time, but the imperial government
though scrupulous in its adherence to
precedent, was quick to discern what adj
vantage accrued from a doubled revenue,
and wisely determined to utilize for It's
own advantage the business sagacity
and honesty of the foreign devIle'' who
insisted on trading with China.
This was the beginning of that system
with which Sir Robert, then plain Mr.
Robert Hart, at once became identified
and of which he was soon the acknowl-
edged head. AS Dr. w A P. Martin, of
the Imperial Tung Wen college, freely
admits, the system was far from accept
able to the local governors 1.-THE Tao
Tais are all against u.s." said Sir Robert
on one occasion. The fact Is not surpris-
ing, for the Tao Tails We're one and all,
bent on making what they could not OF
their offices, and to the repugnance of the
Cinnamon for any and all things foreign
was in this case the added modification
OF seeing large sums pass on to Pekin,
which, according to Tao Tai reasoning,
ought to have remained in the Tao Tai
pocket. Some idea Of the efficiency of
the work done by Sir Robert. as wei as