The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07
SOCIAL QUESTION IN CHINA.
By II Tsechung, Former superintendent c
nese Secret Service, Pekin.

nese Secret Service, Pekin.
The labor questien-or, perhaps, more
precisely expressed, the socialist ques.
tion--is at the bottom OF China's
troubles. An imperial investigation
into the causes Of the present unlawful
uprisings will show that.
Three years ago the Tien Tsin-Pekin
railway line was opened for the last
twelvemonth or longer it has been in
active operation, while smaller auxilli.
airy or branch roads have sprung into
existence at intervals Of from 80 to 40
days all along. And as the railway net
spread and 's new connections by rail
are constantly made, the labor market
becomes daily more demoralized--that
is, opportunities for work less and less,
Traffic between the coast and the me-
troEolis, and especially between the
commercial centers, Tien Tsin and Pc.
kin, is normous-hundreds of thou.
sands OF people lived by 1t from time
immemorial, They found their daily
bread on the land and waterways as
carriers, carriers, forwarders and helpers
generally. The horse owner, drayman
or expressman, the caravan leader,
driver, camel, donkey and mule attend
ants; the shipowner, boatman, sailor
all made a modest but assured living
along the road, astheir fathers had done
before them. They had the stock, the
custom, the experience. They were
good for that business and for no other.
Then there were the inn and boarding.
house keepers, supported by the passing
crowd and dependent upon IL; the
wagonmakers, sailmakers, saddlers and
iced merchants. The bus, caryall and
livery stable people. likewise transported
passengers. The number of officials
alone who go 10 Pekin half a dozen
times or oftener per year reaches into
the thousands and the masses of candi-
dates for government positions ,going TO
the capital for their examination are ten
times greater.
And as the signal for the fret train
from Taku TO Tein Tsin-Pekin was given
all these industrial merchants, owners
Of draft animals and other means of
transportation all these drivers, eating.
house keeperss, these workmen and
helpers, lost their means Of livelihood
lost it without hope Of retrieving their
fortunes in stock or other work.
The branch roads robbed another class
OF poorly paid but contented people Of
their only chance for keeping body and
soul together. The branch road wiped
out the coal oarrier-the poor devil who
on his own or his donkey's back trans.
ported black diamonds TO the consumer,
often covering hundreds of miles, plod
ding patiently for trihe. European and
American journals have often made fun
OF this antediluylan way Of carrying coal
as they called it suited the people who
lived by it well enough.
The unemployed at least chronic un.
employed were unknown in China be.
fore ths arrival of the steam engine and
freight car, but for the last twelve or IF.
teen months the territory between the
Gulf of Pechilli, Changting.Pu and Pckin
has been overrun with them.
And the disiranchised men have not
been in good humor-hungry people
generally are not. Still, they have con.
tinued TO suffer patiently-for at bottom
the Chinamanloyes peace and is capable
OF much endurance-if 1t had not been
for the militant class of must.be-idlers,
For the railway hurt the professional
private police, also known as Boxers. NO
less than the industrial and laborinp
classes already mentioned.
Ia this country the Boxers would
probably pass under the name o.
athletics-that's what they really are
strong men drilled in the use of arms
who sell their powers to these in quest
of protection. In anti-railway days if q
man of any consequence went travelling
he hired couple OF Boxers TO save
him from molestation by beggars and
sneak thieves and to protect him