The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-01

The Chinese Empire furnishes an excel
lent illustration CT Herbert Speaeer's dc
tum that al al.osratic Government foster:
socret societies. In popular Government
where the national policy is shaped by pub
tic opinion. freedom of spseeh depTiyes tn,
secret society of its very reason for being
and where citizens Of Republic form Sc.
cret association it must BE- froo, the pur,
love Of secrecy. Blu: in Government
where the power Of life and death and tn,
pursuit of happiness IS in the hands o
one. and where opposition or even remon
STRANGE is deemed treason, those who de
Sire TO effect reform or achieve revenge
must resort to secrecy until the strength
OF numbers gives some assurance of safet,
and success.
The Government of China is paternal,
but not of necessity despotic, the thoTy
being that it is the pleasure Of the En-
perez to care for his people as father
for his children. and that he will give
patient heed to all complaints from his
subjects. which, according to the En-
peror Wouti of the Han dynasty. is one
ereigns information. But Chinese theory
and practice are widely separated. The
officers with whom the people really come
IN contact have generally, in spite OF the
civil service examinations, bought their
way to place like the Roman proconsu!,
and. like Caesar. have three fortunes to
make before they return from their Gov
eminent: and as their tenure of power
is extremely insecure, these farmers OF
the public revenue make all the hay they
can while the sun continues to shine. The
imperial Government is patefnal, but the
rule of the mandarins is rather of step
father And so from the earliest times
China has been, as it is now, honey
combed by secret societies. Indeed, popu-
lar plottings in secret serve the same
purpose in China as does the ballot box
in our own country; they answer the peo-
pies will in framing the national policy
and changing the national head. Not that
such societies are always revolutionary
or even political. for they are Cften So
cial or religious: and yet. like the So
ciety for Gazing on the Noon, than which
nothing could appear more innocuous, or
ganizatiors originally social are some
times used TO accomplish the most mo-
mentous political revolutions.
The first of these associations OF which
We have record is the Crimson Eye
brows." Immediately before the beginning
Of the Christian era the great Han dynasty
which had ruled China for two hundred
years, and was to rule for two hundred
more, was temporarily under a cloud.
formed by a too powerful Minister named
Wang Msng, who made and deposed En-
perors al his will, and permitted each mon
arch 10 retain the crown cnly so long as
It served the ambition of the Minister. I'M
til, having by long practice become pro-
fcient in the art of creating Sons of Heav-
en-, he brought forth his masterpiece, A.
D. G. by himself assuming the purple or,
more accurately. the yellow In nc coun-
try has loyalty to fallen house been
shown ;rore devoteiiy than in China in the
many dynes.ic changes which have occurred
during heI history of five thousand years
Ar Army of Fiery Optics.
The new Emperor had to meet rebellion
on all sides. but was able to do SO success
fully. and executions followed his victori-
Gus arms until it seemed that to oppose
a legitimate opportunity for the China
mans genius for conspiracy Fan Chong.
an adheleat Of the Hans. organized band
in the Province Of Shantung which quick
ly grew into an army, ssfd to number ,
200. 0oO men Each member of the band
had his eyebrows painted crimson TO sig |
Nifty that he dedicated the last drop of his |
blood 10 tbs cause and IL was without |
doubt. this symbolism. SO effective upon the |
childish mind of half-civilizei man, which |
determined the issue of the conquest. The |
100000 fiery eyes struck terror into the SOL
Tiers OF Wang Mang and brought inspira-
ion to the forces Of Han, and the usurper
vas defeated and slain.
The curse of China has been the indo-
ence of its Emperors, who have too often
esigned all power into the hands of Min
sters or the Empress. Lirgti "a. d. 16S-
s0) OF the Hans left the country to the
of the eunuchs of the
alace. Then was formed the association
( the yellow Bonnets," who melted a
evolt; but the head dress of imperial
elbow did not command the success which
ad attended the Dragons Crimson Eye.
nd after a few initial victories the yell
Dw Bonnets met defeat and extinction at
he hands Of Lingti's generals.
In 1878, after a desperate struggle of
early half century China passed under
he rule of the Mongols, and Kublai Kahn,
he successor of the great Genghis, found
d the Yuen dynasty The Chinese were
most unwilling subjects, and after a rule
Il ninety years. the foreigners were driy-
n back across the northern border whence
hey had come. Strange 10 say the leader
Il the patriots was Buddhist monk. and
NE most powerful factor in accomplish
ng the happy result was the Society for
iazing on the Moon. The ostensible pur-
'ose OF this association was TO promote
he worship of the Queen of Heaven, and
whether anything more inimical to the
eigning house than this most innocent
aversion was intended by the founders |
the society is not known. me Chinese
ignify the most trivial affairs OF lie with '
entinlents borrowed from the ancien;s,
nd cover the most dangerous conspira-
les with the moral precepts of Confucius. !
its original purpose. the society
ecame potent ally to the political 4
lotters who were striving to restore a
alive rule 10 the Empire. The annual
estlval for the worship of the moon be-
anne gathering OF conspirators, and the
axes which IL was the custom to eat in
onor of the lunar goddess were made to
o duty as ENJOYS most extraordinary
lmmons TO rise against the Mongols on
set day was inclosed In the cakes, which
ere sent from place TO place throughout
le Empire.
Under the Reign of Yang Ching.
We hear nothing Of such societies dur
lg the succeeding Ming dynasty. but b
18th the Manchu conquest in 1914 the
ecret conclave was revived with in !,
-eased vigor. The Manchus and Chinese Il
ave never amalgamated. and have hari;; :
ingied; the conquered still regard the