The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-23
OPPOSES MARCH
OF CIVILIZATION.
Why the Society Of the Big Knife Wages
its Horrible Anti-Foreign War
in China
in Ohlna.

Citizens of civilized lands who know /
little or nothing of the conditions that
exist in China can scarcely understand
why there should be such a well-defned
opposition to the advancement of mod
ern ideas in the Celestial kingdom, or
why it should be possible for any organ
izatiOn of fanatics, however powerful
to murder missionaries and destroy
Christian church property without inter-
ference from the police.
There was a time, not long ago, when
this ignorance concerning the condition
of affairs in China extended to the high
est circles in Europe and America, but
of late the revival of interest in the
country as a commercial possibility has
brought it more directly within the line
of vision of the civilized nations. The
organization of the American Associa-
ton of China was a step in the right
direction. and it probably will not be
long before the great nations of the
world will be exerting a wonderful in
huence over the entire internal policy of
this kingdom of the East.
One of the first steps that will have to
be taken by the Powers, however, will
| be to compel the suppression of the So
| ciety of the Big Knife, better known as
! the Boxers. OF all the organizations in
| the world there is none that is more
thoroughly opposed to everything that
| is at all modern, and civilization will
make little progress in China unless
something is done to force this society
! out of existence.
Scarcely a missionary has been MUIR
dered in many months, and scarcely a
church property has been destroyed, that
| the crime cannot be traced directly back
to the Boxers. Fiendish as some of
these assaults have been, they do not
begin to represent the limit of the atroci-
ties that will be committed if the Powers
do not take the matter in hand and de-
mand the complete suppression of the
| organization.
MUST BE PREVENTED.
At the present time the sentiment in
the official and semi-oficial circles of
China is such that it is extremely doubt
full if such a work of determination could
be carried out successfully by the au-
thorities, and it is for this reason that
it is believed that it is not at all IN
likely that Uncle Sam will join with
some of the European Powers to send
armed forces into this country to do
their exterminating for them. If such
a work should be undertaken there can
be no doubt that it would be well
done, for the patience of the Christian
countries is now about exhausted and
the knowledge that neither the life or
property of a Christian in China will
be safe as long as the society exists
will urge them to most thorough efforts.
| 1t is estimated by those who are most
conversant with Chinese affairs that
there are not less than eleven millions
| of men who are members of this So
| ciety of the Big Knife and to-day the
| organization rules China almost as the
| Camorra and Malta once ruled Italy.
Unlike these European societies, how
ever, its purpose has not always been
for evil.
Originally the Society Of the Big Knife
was a most reputable organization whose
only object was to protect the province
of Shan Tung from the depredations OF
bandits. For years it occupied this ex;
allied position, and then it began to de-
scend the moral scale.
The Boxers began to attract foreign
attention early last winter, when they
formulated a series of riots as a protest
| against the innovations that European
influence and capital had inspired. They
did not approve of anything that savored
| of foreign methods. To their minds the
old way was the best way, and they
registered their opposition to civilization
/ by creating disturbances and destroying
property.
As practically no effort was made te
punish them, they gradually grew holder
| ana IN december last Uney murdered
Rev. Sydney Brooks, a Church of Eng
land missionary, under the most afro
cious circumstances. Savages in the
: widest frenzy could not have devised
more horrible torture. This, however
was but the first step in their campaign
for since that time many murders have
been committed by them.
Chinese converts to Christianity nave