The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1901-08-03
Rule of the People.

rathay. - in the middle ages and even
M TO a comparatively recent time,
students Of its history wondered what
could be the secret of its national
longevity. All agreed that some vast
power of statecraft must GUIDE lts
affairs, for, however its dynasties may
have come and gone. the stupendous
fact remained that here was people
comprising u third of the earth popu
lation who had lived under civilized
government for many centuries longer
than any other.
Naturally, such government, what
ever its other features might be, must
be phenomenally strong one, as we
understand the term applied to govern
ments. SO we all reasoned. what,
therefore is our surprise when we are
informed by Mr. WI Ting Fang, the
erudite Chinese minister to this country
that the Chinese government ana the
government of the United States rest
upon the same foundation and are
controlled by the same guiding prin
ciple the rule of the people A writer
in the Atlanta journal quotes him
AS saving that it is the practice OF that
principle which has caused China to
outlive all the nations of antiquity and
that if the rule of the people continues
in the United States our government
..shall not perish from the face OF the
earth.
I'm recent speech Mr.. Wu said
According to popular belief China
is MS far removed from the United
States MS the east is from the west, not
merely in geographical position, but in
other respects also China is an Eastern
monarchy the United States isa west
ern republic; the one is old the other
is modern. Here feverish activity
shows itself everywhere; there settled
repose seems to pervade the very air.
Il might be supposed that there could
be no bond Of sympathy between the
two countries-no common point OF
contact. Travellers, writers and all
who are In a position to speak with
authority combine to confirm this i'm
preston. But there is no greater
mistake. As the canons Of Confucius
and Mencius as laid down In the Chinese
classics constitute practically the magma
charta of the Chinese empire let me
quote the words ofMencius that have a
bearing upon this question. The
people, says the sage, are the most
Important element in nation the
spirits of the land and grain (that is the
country are the next; the sovereign
the lightest. Therefore, to gain the
peasantry Chat Is, the people) Is the
way to become superior IL this Is
not government deriving Its just powers
from the consent of the governed do
not know what 1t Is.
According to Mr.. WI, the difference
between the governments Of the two
countries lies in the manner In which
this principle is carried out. We
choose our public officers through the
ballot box the Chinese select theirs
through the examination hall. In
this country, says Mr. WI, "all men
are equal at the polls. The chief
magistrate of the nation rs well as the
lowliest day laborer has no more than
one vote. The man who has grown
gray in the service of his country as
we'll ~ the man who has just taken ont
his naturalization papers has no more
than one vote. Every vote Is just as
good us every other and counts rs much
rs every other. Those who get the
most votes are entitled TO represent the
people. Thus the governors are
recruited from the governed, -
Mr.. Wu explains the Chinese method
in these words
"In China we endeavor to attain the
same end by different road, The
competitive examinations are open to
NIL. At the examinations all the can
aidates stand on the same ground and
have nm equal chance of success The
son of u minister of state is accorded nc
more consideration than the son of the
humblest tiller of the soil Indeed Il
poor, Woodworking student IL more mp,
TO pass tho examinations successfully
than the luxury-loving scion OF ~
jllustrions house. In this way certain
proportion of the ruling class of the
land IL drafted at stated intervals
directly from the people. y
Here Ia the startling peroration OF thu
learned Celestial's discourse, which II
calculated TO take the breath away. ant
vet its averment is no doubt rs true o
The Chinese rs II Is Of MS NJ this day
ut will be seen that the government
of China IL IN its essential feature I
government of the people, by thu
people and for the people, as well ~
that of the United States, Such
government, NJ Lincoln observes, shall
not perish from the earth, China Is ,
living witness TO the truth OF hi
words, -
Surely there are no new things under
the un-exoept the gaining knowlodg,
of the old ones.