Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-17
y foreign devils without difference or

the Boxers are not put down. But the
truth is that China may fairly be justi-
fed in not putting down the Boxers on
the plea that she can't do it Any one
who has listened to the pop, pop, pop
OF Chinese guns when the Chinese sol
diecs are practicing outside the walls
iof Peking. trying but failing to shoot
together in volleys. viii agree with
this. Not long ago had the good for
tune TO witness an inspection of the
Picking braves by the mayor of Picking.
and it was a spectacle, 1 can assure
you, not soon to be forgotten. 1t look
ed like Boston Common without the
grass on the Fourth of July, when all
/ the folks are in from the country. The
tents for side shows are all stretched,
the fat man stands before his tent. the
alligator lies winking in his pond. the
peanut vendors have established their
stands on every side, and the little
boys have all brought horns, which
they insist upon blowing everywhere
and at all times, while a great lot of
men have put on striped clothing, as
though thousand clowns had escaped
from the circus and were now having
q good time while out of reach of the
lringmaster'S lash. The horns are
blown, the flags wave, the peanut vend-
Iers sell peanuts and candy, crowds
gather. together around an organ grind
terminus the organ-and he cuts ca
pers with his sword, the whole being
highly suggestive OF a crowd of small
Chinese boys ! once saw playing sol
diers during the Chinese-Japanese war.
1.-The youngsters had each found a
small stick or a large weed, which
they used as guns. and had arrayed
themselves into a company. Then they
made a feint as II to charge with all
their force on some imaginary antag-
oniSt They screamed and ran about
in quite as military array as real Chi
nese soldiers or as crowd OF boys
playing prisoners base. This they
kept up for some seconds until one of
those in the front rank cried out in
mock terror: The japanese are COM
lingl The Japanese are comingy when
they all took to their heels like real
Chinese soldiers and fed in disorder
and dismay. The obvious reason why
the Chinese soldiers do not defeat the
Boxers is their utter inability to &C
complish the task. As they said about
the Japanese, One or the other must
retreat, and, as the Boxers will not,
we must" 1t is a Chinese proverb that
mo good man will ever become sol
der And it is to be feared the
proverb is nearly true-in China.
Ever since Ii Hung Chang was
appointed the representative of the
dragon throne at the coronation of the
Russian emperor there has been more
or less suspicion OF Russia on the part
of other powers. 1t was about that
time that Sir Nicholas O'Connor, in an
interview with Prince Kung, told him
in language as blunt as any Britisher
ever spoke and as forcible as any that
ever fell from the lips of son of Erin
that unless he and his countrymen
altered their methods and mended their
ways he should not be surprised if
within five years he heard of Prince
kung being beggar on the streets Of
Picking. At that time many thought
there was deep laid project beneath
that appointment of the great viceroy.
"But with all our making fun of the
Chinese because he cannot fight we
must not forget his power as a diplo-
matist. He may be easily overcome
with the weapons of modern warfare,
but look out for him when you come in
contact with him in a diplomatic way.
Your European representative froths
and fumes, pounds the table and some
times swears, and the Chinaman pa
tiently waits, until he gets over it and
Is ready 10 talk business and then sug-
gests that we go on with the affairs of
state Among the ranks of those who
WELD the tongue and pen the Chinese
statesman stands in the forefront, and
he never forgets that the pen is an
index of a higher state Of civilization
than the sword.
The mistake made by the adherents
OF the young emperor, Kuang Hsu,
was in entirely disregarding the army,
poor as that body is. If Kuang Hsu
had first surrounded himself with a
bodyguard that would have protected
him from the eunuchs of the palace
and the empress dowager, he might
have carried out his magnificent re-
forms to a successful end. And never
In the history of China did so magnifi-
cent beginning come to such lam
entable and pitiable end. That q
young man raised from infancy in a
palace prison, with two old conserva-
tive women as his chief advisers and
associates. should break away from all
the mossback official customs and
musty traditions, both of his own an
cestry and that of the people he gov
erned, and set himself to study the
Christians Bible. western science in all
its branches. including mathematics,
physics, medicine, history
and even the English language, is evil |
dence enough that Kuang Hsu is not a |
'weakling,' as some Of the papers rep
resent him to be, but a character |
which, when the true history of China |
Is written. viii shine either as the first |
martyr for liberty and reform or the |
Constantine, Charlemagne or Cromwell |
OF the orient"