The National tribune., 1900-07-05
An Account of Their Origin and
Purposes.
sUpERsTITIoNs OF CHINESE MASSES.
Interesting and Authoritative Statement
by Chinaman Relative to the Causes
which Led to Present Disturbance in
China.
By W. W. YEN, B. A.

called Boxers and yet so little is known
that some additional and amending obser-
vations direct from Chinese sources will
not be inappropriate. The best way to
obtain a clear and distinct notion of any
thing is to define it, and the best defini-
tion / can give of the Boxers is Society
of Anti-foreign Chinese Patriots. bound
together by fanaticism and superstition.
The original name of the Boxers in
| Chinese was E Ho Tuant generally mis-
| translated as Righteousness, Peace and
Fist. These three Chinese characters,
however, properly, and were intended to,
signify the Righteous and Peace bringing
| Volunteers (militia). This society has
| been identified by some writer's with the
Ia Tao Hui, or Big Sword Society, but it
seems that while many members of the
former are drawn from the latter, they
| nevertheless are two distinct societies. The
members paying great attention to- and
| placing much Importance on, the art of
| boxing, and the character '"Tuan" (yolun-
teers) bearing close resemblance phonet-
ically to the character ''Chuan," fists, the
original title of the society was corrupted
into its present one, the Righteous and
Peace bringing Fists IA parody on 1.-The
Mailed Fist of the KaiserO
That the word Fist" was employed only
subsequently is evident, because if not un-
der the guise of being merely a body of
volunteers, the society would have been
wiped out of existence by the Govern
ment long ago. But parading as an or
ganization among rural districts and vii
lagos for the mutual help and protection
of the country people, who are subject to
frequent famines and maraudings from
numerous bandits, the e Ho Tuan was
tolerated by the rulers.
The society dates its birth some II or
15 months ago in Western Shantung
Province. 1t is a suggestive fact that
Kiaochow (seized by Germany is in Shan
tung, Port Arthur tseized by RUSSIA is
near Shantung, and Wei-hai-Wei (seized
by EnglandD is in Shantung.
The inhabitants of Shantung are distin
guished for their magnificent physique and
wonderful muscular powers, so that the
words "a Shantung man" almost pass as
an equivalent Of a man of fine build. In
the military examinations (as opposed to
the literary of the Empire. in which the
competitors are tested in boxing, sword
playing, lifting weights, etc, Shantung
men compose the majority of the success
full candidates, and from the latter our
military officers are drawn. Nine times
out of ten the masters of boxing, and
there are thousands of them. male and
female, who give exhibitions Of agility and
strength in public squares in all parts OF
China, came from Shantung, or claim so,
at least, and the fame of some is as great
and they are as much admired as Fitz-
simmons or Jeffries in this country.
The apparent and declared object Of the
society was, as has been intimated, mu-
tual help and protection. The almost an
nual overflow of the Huang- Ho, or Yei-
low River. is a cause of famine in Shan
tung, which brings in its trail hordes OF
robbers, disposed thereto both by birth
and training. To protect themselves from
the enemies. to check violence and rapine,
the society was formed. which was moth
ing then but sort of rural citizen police.
AS snch it was sanctioned and encouraged
by the Governor of the Province, who, il
is said, even supplied them with arms
At first, then, the principles of the league
were praiseworthy and its functions
proper.
Its transformation from protective
union to an anti-foreign league, thus com
pleteIy metamorphosing its mission, can
not be satisfactorily explained. The most
probable theory is that members of eX
isting anti-foreign societies perceiving the
prestige and influence of the younger or
ganization, entered it, and by dint of their
experience and ability soon became lead
ers. After that it was easy for them. by
persuasion and by appealing to supersti-
tions and patriotism, to turn the animus
of the new followers from its original
laudable purpose and to direct it against
foreigners in general and native converts
Originally keepers of the peace, they now
became destroyers of peace, robbing, MUIR
dering, pillaging Christian villages In the
Province, Christian in their eyes being
identified with foreign.
Their works of murder and incendiar
ism may be justified and amellorated by
the fact that they are under fanatlcal and
bigoted leaders The masses of China are
stepped in superstition and as credulous
as they are supcrstitious. In few other
countries do incantations, horoscopes, for
ne-tellers, future-readers, astrologists,
supposed witches and wizards, etc., thrive
more than they do in China. The mum
Der of unlucky words and actions, which
my people avoid and dread and make eff
forts to ward off, is innumeraDle. Some OF
them arise from the extreme views of po
liteness and desire to avoid offense. For
instance. in counting, the character for
ten" in Shanghai dialect is ''zeh," which
is the same pronunciation for the word
thief" What does a thorough Shanghai
man do? He pronounees it ''zans!
Again, the Chinese are firm believers in
flung shui,' wind and water: j. e., geo
graphical superiority or eminence. To re-
tain this superiority, many devices are
employed. 1t is not unusual to see mir
ror over ones front door, to defect any
evil current or influence that the lofty
chimney of the neighbor in front may
originate, while! a broom-stiek on the roof
is able to sweep off all obnoxious tenden
cies. Gencralizing these cases, we meet
with more serious and just as firmly cred
tied superstitions. Ignorant of the COM
monest facts of everyday science, the
Chinese are credulous of phenomena
which the Occidental children are famil-
lar with, to an extent almost impossible
to conceive. The wonderful inventions of
the mechanical and electrical sciences the