New-York tribune., 1900-06-29
TWO BOYER PLACARDS.
LITERATURE" THAT IS SCATTERED
BROADCAST IN CHINA

A Tien-Tsin letter to 1.-The London Standard"
bearing date of April 80 gives an account of the
antiforeign propaganda then in progress in North
ern China reference to which has already been
made in these columns rhe writer remarks that
similar literature" as politicians would call it.
circulated largely in Hoo-Nan ten years ago
and led TO the serious riots of that period
"At the present time he continues. I'VE are
having a dissimIlar. II less violent, recrudes-
cence OF anti-foregn literature, OF which the fol-
Rowing are very good samples. The first OF them
is in rhyme of peculiarly attractive form. the
metre throughout representing two lines of three
characters each. and line of seven characters
TLis is particularly easy TO memorize. know
some Chinese Christians whose families repeat
it by heart after or two readings, and they
assure that it is a style OF placard which
would be universally memorized. whereas the prose
p!acards are read but make lasting impression.
I append & literal translation OF the poem without
any attempt at rhyme, for fear OF destroying the
effect
Gods assist the Boxers.
1t is because the Foreign Devils disturb the MID
Urging the people to join their religion
To turn their backs on Heaven;
Venerate not the Gods and forget the Ancestors
Men violate the human obligations;
MSTsn Fo2asn 3 are aeueF noE produced by mankind
If you doubt this,
Look carefully:
The eyes Of all the Foreign Devils are blush
The earth is getting dry '''"
This is because the Churches stop the Heaven.
The Gods are angry, a..
Both are come down from the mountains to de-
- liver the doctrine
The practice Will not be in vain
To recite incantatlons and pronounce magic words
TO invite the Gods and Genn of all the grottoes
The Gods will out of the grottoes.
The Genii will come down from the mountains.
And support the human bodies to practise the
When ali the military accomplishments or tactics
It will not oe difficut to exterminate the For
Pull ogt the telegraph Lh poles 49,. ...
viii grow cold and downhearted:
Let the Varioas Jus 'Foregn Devils" ali be sed
dynasty be ever prosperous
The translation Of one OF the prose placards is
as follows:
The relatives and friends of all around notice
recently that members OF the Protestant and
6o%e agd ba %6oeT9 ee drinks
water have their lungs and ntestines rotten with
in eighteen days Two men have been arrested
by US at Liu Ii Chqang. and we find they have
Questioned and bold when tortured Those who
smell the poison will die Immediately. You must
who see this notice must make it known; 1t will
means be done.
Both these placards were posted up in a dis
trict called Taicheng. in this (Chih-LD province,
six days ago- e., since the last proclamation.
Taicheng is about 14O II, or fifty miles. south OF
Tien-Tsin. The dense and universal ignorance of
the people makes these placards, silly and child
ish as they may appear to U.s. very dangerous and
highly calculated to excite the widest ideas and
promote trouble. The people just pc
cuarly in the mood. moreover, TO be excited The
autumn and spring rains have not fallen the earth
is lying hard and parched and starvation stares
them in the face They cannot explain II, nor IN
derstaud why the clouds gather but produce no
refreshing showers. In their blindness they blame
the foreigner. To illustrate the public temper OF
the day I may mention that the widest supersti-
tions eXtant current about kerosene oil.
Several large fires have occurred through the
breaking OF lamps and the people discov-
eriug that kerosene promotes scarlet fever, small
pox and plague, injuries the eyesight and other
wise brings calamity. Upon this OverWrought state
of mind such placards as the above act very
strongly
The correspondent adds that there is no doubt
that these infammatory placards have official
sanction.