The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-12
III.
HOW CHINA IS GOVERNED.

The Government of the Celestial Empire,
to quote from China in transformation
Is on the model of an ancient theocracy, the
Emperor ruling by divine right: without
church or priesthood; Will no dogmas to be-
come obsolete. no ritual to be corrupted, no
scriptures to be perverted or criticised; only
one solitary man standing between heaven
and earth. The Emperor stands as a media
tor between divine authority and his people,
and is alone responsible to heaven, in return
for which burden he is invested with COM
plete and absolute authority. Such is the
ideal of Chinese monarchy, but it must be
noted that, should the Emperor not govern
In accordance with what seems to his people
the divine wish, he may be supplanted, and
If his dynasty is decadent and effete another
must be raised up. This provision allows
license for innumerable Emergencies of opin-
ion on the subject of divine commands or
wishes and makes revolution not only posi-
BILE but invests it with a sort of sanctity.
The idea of family life, which is SO i'm
portant in China, is the foundation of Gov
ernment The Emperor is the Great Father,
bound to give protection and nourishment to
his people, and they on their side to yield
the complete submission of children. This
thought runs through all state papers and
edicts. and the sacred duty of filiai obedi-
ence Is insisted upon. Rebellion. therefore,
is regarded as parricide, and parricide is
considered the most heinous Of crimes. To
illustrate the stress which Is laid on this
| view we may quote an instance of such a
crime in which a man and his wife caused
| the death of his mother. Not only were
! they punished by death, but the whole dis
! tr!ct in which they lived was placed under a
| ban, scholars were not allowed to compete
In the examinations. Magistrates were de-
| prived of their Offices; everything was lone
to impress all who should hear of it with
the absolute sacredness of family life and
the dire vengeance of the Government on
all who, by outraging 1t, outrage also the
family life of which the Emperor is the sole
head.
Despite all this, China is the classic
ground of rebellion, and the country is
hardly ever free from disturbances In one
part or another. This anomaly is only
one of many which confront us in this
land of paradoXes. but the difference be-
tween theory and practice is noe perhaps
confined to the Celestial Empire. AS a mat
ter of fact, the Chinese, under an autocrat.
are perhaps the most loosely governed peo-
pie in the world. and are accustomed to
manage their local affairs without inter-
ference from the central Government
While theoretically believing and acknowl-
edging the ineffable supremacy of the Sun
of Heaven, the Chinaman is practically
a law unto himself. and ready at the slight
est provocation to declare his conviction
that the Emperor is no longer acting in
accordance with divine wishes and that
therefore his allegiance is forfeited. The
elaborate and high flown Chinese method
of speech has about as much relation to
the thought it embodies Tor conceals) as
the theory and ideal of government In
China has to its actual enforcement.
To turn from the abstract to the con-
crete. The Chinese civil administration has
at its head the Emperor as the apex of
the Government pyramid; in effect, how
ever. he no more governs absolutely than
a constitutional sovereign or the president
of a Republic. and though he is supposed
to possess the power Of Initiative, he Is
practically only able to pass or veto the
measures presented to him, or he can re-
! turn them to the boards for reconsidera-
ton. The method Of procedure is by me-