The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-06
chin ESB INDEMNITY PLAN.
Entrance Fees for the Civil : erviCe
Examinations.

The Idea to Impress Upon the Orien-
tails That They Are Paying for the
Boxer UprfsinE-ACtIoB to Re tn
ken by Foreign Representatives
Mail adviceS recently received at the
State Department contain information to
the effect that a change has been Sug-
Eestcd IN the method of conducting the
civil examinations for qualification for
holding public office in China The rec
0mmCudatiOn has been made that the civil
service examinations be constituted the
means of paying q portion of the indem-
nifty To the Powers or at least the inter
est on the debt occasioned by the Boxer
OUtTages OF last summer The plan SUE-
EeSted is to require each candidate or
applicant for examination to pay GER
tain fee before he becomes eligible to
enter the competitive contests, and to
use the amount so raised toward paying
of the indemnity.
In this connection the point is made
that it Is the highest aim and ambition
OF every Chinaman to be able to take
and pass these examinations which form
the basis of qualification for holding pub
| lie office They have always. heretofore.
/ been conducted free Vnd are open to the
| hUmblest citizen as well as the Wealth.
! est merchant prince IF made to pay an
| entrance fee before becoming eligible it is
| argued that the fun force and effect of
/ the uprising against foreigners would be
! brought home to them and they would
| be made to feel that they were paying
| for it In this manner the payment of
! the indemnity would be 4 direct tax upon
/ them. whereas If paid out OF tariff or
| other indirect revenues the lesson would
! be less potent one. Besides it is con-
! tended that this action would appeal to
| the most intelligent class of Chinese citi-
/ zens, those in authority in the Empire,
| and particularly to a large element who
! have been instrumental in the agitation
| against foreigners.
| It is not known whether or not this
| suggestion comes from a source OF au-
| thority that viii be able TO make it eff
/ fective ard carry the plan into actual
! operation. but it has been made and viii
| doubtless be considered
/ Included in the suggestion is, also, the
recommendation thar the final examina-
lions for the highest Offices be conducted
! in Nankin instead of at Pckiu as at pres
| ent- The object OF the proposed change
| in the place Of holding the examinations
| is not a--areut here
/ Information has also come to the State
| kang VI who caused q great deal of the
| trouble in China last year Is not dead
as has been generally supposed for
number of months. = deputy who knew
| him well is said 10 have seen him at
/ Hsiau about May l, several months aft
1 ct the report gained circulation that he
| was dead kang VI was one OF those
| who accompanied the Empress Dowager
in her fight from Taiyuanfu TO Hsian
| last October II IS said that fearing that
| he would be obliged to pay with his life
| for the atrocities he had committed. he
| was reported to have fallen Ill at Wen
| hsihsien. a district city of Shansi, near
the Province Of Shensi- Here it was
stated the Empress Dowager had left
him and proceeded toward Hsian- 4
short time afterward the news was sent
TO Pekin that kaug " was most seTi-
| Ously i'll and was not expected TO reCov-
eT. This was preparatory to the com
muniCatiOn Of the intelligence that he
was dead. for with unusual speed the re-
port reached the capital that he had died
very suddenly. The news came III the
form OF Geographic dispatches and was
generally accepted as true although
some did not credit the statement
From that time there was a suspicious
silence regarding the man There was no
| report as to how he died, what had been
done for him. what his ailmenu was. or
! who were at his bedside when the end
! came, facts which the Chinese seldom
| fail 10 report and talk about. especially
in the case of prominent persons. such
| as Kang VI IN short il was as i he had
! dropped into oblivion
Now the statement Is made that he
was seen early IN May coming out OF the
apartments of the notorious cUnuch. i
Lieu-ying il TIE teTsaporary palace Of the
Emperor at Hsiau- The Identified ton i
said To have been complete and has con
fjrmed the suspicious entertained by some
from the first. that he was not dead. but
simply in hiding TO escape punishment fog
his crimes and offences in connection with
the Boxer troubles.
One very suspicious circumstance whica
is said to have strongly refuted the ne1
/ of kaug Eis death was the conduct of
his sixJeen-ycar-cid son Although cloth
ed in the deepest mourning the young
man still ATTENDED the theatres and din
neTs, singing songs, and acting his every
| day joyous life. as If no sorrow had be
fallen him, q course OF. conduct not at all
/ in keeping with Chinese character and
| custom
What action. II any. VIII be taken now
that the evidence Is conclusive that kaue
I u Is alive, IS not cOujeCtuTed. 1t viii
; probably form a basis Of discussion for the
representatives Of the Powers now en-