Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-07-20
CHINA AND THE CHINESE.
(From the Scientific American }

n rom LHt 'ocltuLlUC
The area Of China IL 1918, 401 English
square miles. OF this territory only
1 1886, S41 miles belongs to China proper,
the remainder being the dependencies OF
Mauchuria, Mongolia, Thibet, Jungaria
and East Turkestan. Notwithstanding
the relatively small size Of China proper,
| it contains the bulk of the population.
having 1856, 900, 900 inhabitants out Of a
total population Of the kingdom Of 402,
| $50, 900 The present Emperor Of China
belongs 10 the Manchu dynasty, which
overthrew the native dynasty Of Ming
in the year 1914 As the late Emperor
died suddenly, he did not designate u
successor, as is the custom in China
where there exists no law Of hereditary
succession This Is one Of the causes Of
the trouble in China, owing 10 the fact
that the Empress Dowager was able to
obtain ascendancy over the young
Emperor, 80 that On September ~, 1893,
an imperial edict was issued announcing
that the Emperor had resigned power
10 the Empress Dowager, who had since
retained the direction Of affairs and by
her dislike Of foreigners has done much
to foment the troubles and has made it
easy for the Boxer movement To gain
headway even IL she in not directly res
ponsble for their attack IA has been
suggested by those who have al init
mate knowledge Of Chinese affairs.
On January "a, 1900, it was declared by
decree that the son OF Prince Tuau
should succeed the present Emperor.
This IL generally regarded as equivalent
to Kwang Sus deposition. The lively
interest which Prince Tuan is taking in
the attacks on foreigners il easily ne
counted for by his sons right 10 the
throne.
The government Of the state Is based
upon the government Of the family
The supreme direction Of the Empire il
vested in the privy council or grand
council The administration is under
the direction Of a cabinet comprising
four members. two Of Manchu and two
Of Chinese origin, besides two assistants
from the great college. who have 10 geo
that nothing IL done contrary 20 the
civil and religious laws OF the Empire
These members are called ministers Of
state Under their orders are seven
boards Of government. each oi which is
presided over by u Manchu and u
Chinese. The boards are: !. for civil
appointments 2, for revenues .. for
rites and ceremonies; 4. for military
affairs; 3, for public works; g. criminal
Jurisdiction 7, admiralty board Inde-
pendent Of all government, and theO
retically above the central adIninistra
ton. 10 the Board Of Public Censors.
which consists Of forty or fifty members
under two presidents. They are priv
legged 10 present any remembrance 30
the sovereign, and one Of them must be
present at the meetings Of each Of the
Government boards. Each Of the
eighteen provinces is governed by II
governor general, who is responsible to
the Emperor for the entire administra
tiOn, political, judicial military and
physical. He IL assisted by q council
aud other officials Each province ~
subdivided into departments, ruled by
perfects, and each department into dis
tricts, each under n separate ruler
Each town and village also has it's gov
crning body and among the various
rulers there IL regular gradatiOn in
rank, each being responsible TO his i'm
mediate superior. Political Office in the
general administration Of the Empire il
less sought after than the position of
viceroy or governor in the provinces,
where there are opportunities of acquir
ing wealth The number Of foreigners
resident in the open ports of China was
II, 42l at the end Of 1893 British sub
predominating. About n half Of the
total number Of foreigners reside ut
Shanghai.
Three religions are acknowledged by
the Chinese as indigenous and formally
adopted COnfuciauism, Buddhism and
| Taoism. The Emperor IL considered
the High Priest Of the Empire and can
alone, with his immediate Representa-
tiyes and ministers, perform the great
religious ceremonies. Confucianis1n ig
the State religion. With the exception
Of the practice Of ancestral worship
which is everywhere observed through
out the Empire. and was fully com
mended by Confucius, Confucinnism
has little outward ceremonial The
| study and contemplation and attempt
| ed performances Of the moral precepts
Of the ancients constitute the duties Of
a Confucianist. Buddhism and Taoism