Mexico Missouri message., 1900-07-26
THURSDAY. JULY 26, 1900
ABOUT AN ~
r. "HONEST THING"

oWho can say, then, that China
did not do fairly well during her
nOvitiate into the family of ma
tiOnss The electric telegraph was
introduced in all the provinces.
Every stream was open to the keels
of all nations. The imperial mar
thine customs and national post
Office were established. UnfOrtu-
nately riots were common, but
China paid liberal damages. Mis-
sionaries went where they pleased,
settled down, bought land and
built houses. Many fine institu-
lions were started; commerce flour
ished; foreign banks became com
mon; elegant little foreign cities
were built here and there; rail
roads began to be constructed. 1t
did seem that China, like Japan,
would work out her own salvation.
1t seemed that with peace and tran
guilty the time would come when
in her borders the foreigners would
be us safe as in Europe or Amcri-
ca.
"But the japanese war of 1894
rudely broke into the pleasing con
temptation of national progress.
1t dissolved all illusions and left
the great giant shrivcled into u
pigmy,
"Let Japan take to her soul the
wretched lesson that for moment
airy glorifcation she wounded to
the death her Eastern sister.
AFTER the navy was annihilated
and the army, what there was of
it, had taken its lances home, it
was apparent that all the world
could insult, ravage and loot Chi
M with impunity. 1t was the old
story of the traveller tied to II tree
and robbed by q passcr by who
had been asked to assist him. So
the merry round commenced, and
without explanation, argument or
reason Germany, Russia, England
and France demanded and received
concessions of territory.
"Of all these the only one that
has any excuse is Russia. A
terminus for her great railroad
which would not freeze up was Il
necessity. She might have got it
in COrea and left the nation which
she promised to protect against all
Corners untouched. 1t would have
been better for her and for China,
too.
Twill the world never do an
honest thing! When Germany
seized Kaiochow why did not the
powers of some of them protest!
Was there ever in history II more
splendid opportunity to do an act
of simple justices
"And now see the result of all
the robbery that has been going
on. The Empress, who from 1861
to 1889 had maintained II consider
able degree of peace and order,
has become tigress; II great peo-
pie has been dashed into fury, and a
movement rivaling in magnitude
the TAPPING rebellion, in which 90
million lives were lost, is afoot.
"Can it be reasonably expected
that the Chinese should love the
white man while he is plundering
thems Fancy what would happen
if Russia seized Fortress Monroe
and slice of Virginia; Germany,
Governors Island and ii part of
New York; England, Marie Island
and n half dozen counties in Cali
fornia; and France, New Orleans
and hundred miles up the Mis-
sissippi! Then suppose that Italy
asked for Charleston. Is it to be
imagined that such events would
be taken as all being for our good
and that we ought to feel rather
proud than otherwise that the
great nations acted so handsomel,
toward us!
wet this is exactly what has
happened in China, with the add.
ton that Japan took for herself
the Island of Formosa. And SC
the Chinese people are hostile tC
the foreigners, and they show it by
riotous demonstrations.
"But it shall not be said that
Il e II A