The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-12

and are promptly degraded. An example
OF this will be remembered in the case of
Ii Hung Chang in the Carbohydrates war.
when he was expected to conduct a CAM
pa1gn while still carrying on his duties as
Governor General, as superintendent OF
northern trade and various other func-
tons. This without any organized staff.
and merely with the assistance of such
men, foreigners or natives, as he was able
to pick up.
With the two-fold object of maintaining
their dependence on Pekin and preventing
corruption. the term of office of all the
higher officials Is limited to three years.
and a sort of general post Is constantly
kept up. which. while doubtless preventing
the establishment of territorial interests
likely to be inconvenient to the central
] government. also prevents the officials from
getting any real insight into the affairs of
their Province or department. and effectu-
ally debars them from taking any real in
terest In the Progress and development of
thaI section OF the country. The one idea
Is 10 get through the three years with as
little friction as possible. This law. how
ever, IKE most in China, is frequently
evaded.
Aesuiatlon prevents a mandarin
from holding Office in his native Province.
Inc reason being that he might establish
territorial ascendaEcy or influence indie
pendent OF Pekin. tEn PEASANT, it may be
remarked that the term mandarin" an
piied by foreigners to officials has no Chi
hese equivalent. and is derived, 1 believe,
from the Portuguesel.
AT the head of the enormous administers
1--WE machine the Emperor is assisted bv
TWO counciis-the Cabinet or Imperial Chan
Gerry, and the General Council in soma
respects resembling the Ministries of West
err nations. Beth these bodies are chosen
by the Emperor from the leading officials
anu Aiohh the Manchu funCtionaries of the
court Under the two councils are six
poares-CiVl Office. Revenue. Rites. War.
PUNISHMENT, Works-and u Naval Board
was Hofhihaiiy added a few years ago.
OUTSIDE THESE stands a very important body.
tue Ishsorate. whose members constitute a
sort OF Advisory and Critical Board. They
are appointed to watch over the welfare
Oh the people. and to censure whatever thew
See amiss in the conduct of officials. and
even of the Emperor. Their memorials ara
often exceedingly outspoken. and contain
audacious arraignments of the Sovereign
ana imperial family.
The Maritime Customs Department in
emma is under foreign supervision. this
oeing the outcome of a temporary arrange
nnent at the time of the Tai-Ping rebellion.
waen maritime customs were taken under
foreign protection. The system worked On
wen mat 1t was finally adopted. and the
ehinese government allows a certain sum
LOT the upkeep of the department. whose
mead Is styled Inspector General.
The body whose name Is best known In
the west. the Tsung LII Yamen.i Is a creation
OIL recent times. not more than forty years
ago. and was constituted as a go-between
LOT the emperor and foreigners who came
TO the capital. and who hitherto had been
treated merely as tribute bearers. Ostensi-
ply created for the furtherance of relations
with foreign Powers. the Tsung Lii Lamen
mas rather acted as an impenetrable barrier
between those Powers and China.
one of the canons of Chinese officialdom
IS that every Minister is personally re-
sponsible for the advice he gives. and this
has engendered a not unnatural desire to
avoid the expression of any decided opinion.
An interview with the Tsung Lii Yamen is
therefore a very considerable exercise in
patience for the foreign Minister who de-
sires an answer to some question. Re
freshments of a nature not very grateful
TO Western palates-me!on seeds and sugar
plums probably-are brought in with much
elaboration and must be partaken of with
ceremony. Even when this is over. and the
question is asked, there is no attempt to
answer. one of the most rigid points OF
etiquette being that no one shall speak
first. When they do speak all speak at
once. and their dexterity in passing the
question from one to another has been COM
pared to that of Rugby forwards with the
football. Very little satisfaction has ever
been had from these conferences.
Such in brief outline are the salient fea-
lures of the plan on which the Govern
ment of the AGO. C0, 900 of Chinese is con-
Quoted. The decay of the Manchu dynasty.
rotten at the core. has spread through every
rank of their servants and dependents, and
1t Is obvious that II China Is ever to make
a fresh start a complete reorganization will
be necessary.
Copyright in the United States Of Amer,
lea by D. T.. Pierce.)