The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29

not really religious. but substitutes for
faith 4 wide spreading superstition. and
profound respect for what Is known as
Fengshui. occult Influences. There are
societies of vegetarians. of teetotalers, of
nonsmokers and of celbates (both men AMI
women). There are anti-eambling leagues,
vigilance committees. trades guilds. mu-
tual loan and benefit societies and a hest OF
others. Bankers form leagues for mutual
help and guaranty: thieves are organized
and have their codes of honor: beggarI are
formed into companies and have their chief.
who levies blackmail on those who would
escape his motley crew.
The society whose name Is on every
ones lips at present-the so-called Box
ers'-has been represented as being origin
ally an athletic society, devoted to the
practice of boxing. Quitting" as the
Chinese call II. This was very ancient
Chinese and Mongol sport. but there Is
reed To go far afield for an explanation of
the name The society. whose origin is OBJ
scure. calls itself IL Ho Chuan." The
Righteous Harmony League. but the word
Chuan. with different infexion of the
voice. means also Fists and Ia any who
know the Chinese fondness for a play upon
words II is easy to see the context. At
the sane time. doubt, the aims OF the
society were for awhile cloaked by the pre-
text OF athletic exercises. but for many
months past all such disguise has been
ard camps have been established.
The original propaganda of the l Ho Chu-
an was exclusively religious. and directed
against Roman Catholicism. From that II
became anti-Christian. and finally antl-for-
eign. Its birthplace was the Province of
Shan-Tung. where the high-handed policy
Of Germany had aroused a very strong anil
foreign feeling. The bad season and failure
of harvest last year reduced many OF the
farmers and af,riculturists to great straits.
and large numbers Joined the league in the
hope Of getting a living by plumber.
At the beginning OF the present year the
American missionaries Of Shan-Tung pre-
ferred formal charges against the society
and accused several Of the provincial au-
thor1ties OF countenancing It. The Gov
ernor of Shan-Tung was one OF these. and
II Is certain that In a secret memorial he
advocated the society as useful agent
for driving out foreigners. He was re-
moved from his post on the representations
Of Germany, but has nevertheless been
held In high favor by the court ever since.
As a matter Of fact the Empress Dowager
was far from desiring the suppression Of
the Boxers. and In edicts promulgated from
time to time against secret societies (which
are all Illegal IN China). a fine discrimina-
ton was shown between other societies of
q less seditious tendency and the Boxers.
who are described peacefully practicing
defense. and TO protect their homes and
villages. The Empress DowaRer. not only
as the representative OF the Manchu Tar
tar dynasty so hated by the Chinese, but
also because of her pro-Russian sentiments
and the foreign entertainments she has per-
mitted. has become intensely unpopular
throughout China. Ever since the coup
detat she has felt more and more pressure
from without. and deprived by the evident
powerlessness OF the Government and her
anti-reform measures Of the sympathy and
support of a very large section OF the Chi
nese people. she imagined that by secretly
encouraging the anti-foreign movement she
might at the same time get rid Of uncom-
Portable neighbors. and reinstate herself in
the sympathies OF the Chinese. Under her
protection, however. the society which was
to have done her dirty work assumed pro-
portions which she was not able to control |
The Boxers took for their motto. Uphold
the dynasty. extirpate the foreigner" and |
In 30 doing they alienated at once a largo
proportion of the better class of their coun- .
trymen. who realize the effeteness Of tho /
Aanchu Dynasty. and at the same time they