The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-28
ARTICLE TX.

The Government of China, Its Weak
ness and It's Strength-The Maa-
ehu COnquests-The Great Vice
roys-The Usurping Empress and
the Puppet Emperor-The Hope
less Issue of Civil Service Reform.
Theoretically the government of China
is benevolent paternalism; practically it
is multiform despotism. The nominal
mead of the nation is an emperor, to
whom anyone may appeal, the real head
is at present the dowager empress, who
rules absolutely, but not legally.
Under the emperor there should be an
administrative cabinet of four, two Man
chus and two Chinese, with two assist
ants from Han-lin or great college. The
duty Of the latter is to see that nothing
is done contrary to the regulations OF
the Sacred Books of Confucius. The reg
ulations are the laws of the empire, con-
tained in fifty volumes, entitled the Col
lected Regulations of the Using Dynasty.
There is also a large and very influential
general council, composed of the highest
dignataries, and discharging a large va
riety of important functions. It's forma-
ton is comparatively recent, and its sit
tings are every day.
Ond6f the CABINET are seven boards OF
civil appointments, of revenues, of rites
and ceremonies, of military affairs, OF
admiralty, of public works and of higl
criminal tribune
Then there is peculiar body called the
board of censors. consisting of fifty, and
having two presidents, one Manehu and
one Chinaman. Any member of this
board is legally privileged to present any
remonStrance he thinks pest to the en-
~
not think it best. One censor must al
ways be present at any meeting of the
seven department. boards.
The recent events in China have caused
. the general reader 20 become familiar
with the name of the Tsmigli Yamen.
This is the Chinese foreign office. which
was established in 1861. 1t has control not
only of all foreign relations, but also oil
all institutions in China wherein foreign
erS have any part-Such as the maritime
customs through which the import duties
are collected, and which is directed by an
Engiishman, Sir Robert Hart; also the
Pe1in college, in which foreigners teach.
The abolition of the Tcungli Yamen is
one of the demands made by the powers
in the present negotiations. This is not
surprising, for it is composed of q lot
of incompetents, who know no language
but their native tongue, and are as pro-
foundry ignorant of foreign nations as
they are wise in their own conceit. 1ney
have never visited even the provinces OF
their own country, and most of them
have never been out of sight of their ma
tive Pekin. Such are the solens who ae-
termlne the destiny of a great empire
and its relations with the rest of the
world
But of the people of China the real
rulers are the governors of provinces, or
Vlceroys. Responsible to the emperor
only, they have practically absolute pow
er over the persons properties and lives
of the inhabitants. Each is assisted by
council and numerous officials. There
are eighteen provinces, and how vast is
the power and opportunity of each vice
roy is best imagined by comparison
with our states
Ihe largest province is that of See
chuan, in the interior, covering 1900
square miles and containing IS Q0006O in
habltants. This is larger in area than any
state except Texas, 262, 600 square miles:
but Texas has only 100000 inhabitants
our next largest state is California 49,
0J0 square miles, and oaly S65, 900 people
Ihe most populous state is New York.
with population of 5,0GO.COO
IneSe hgures are sufficient to Indicate
WHAT vast opportunities for good or evil
are possessed by the Chinese vicerovs
ana no one accuses or suspects them of
any altrulstlc weakness. The position
vi governor Is most sought after than
any position IN the central government
anu 1t IS easy TO guess the reason. Be
sldes unlimited opportunities for TYRANNY
and eXtortion, the governors eniov q MI.
ltary independence analogous to that of
the Old feudal first barons of Europe
l. ey maintain their own troops and the
stdplllty OF the throne rests upon their
loyalty.
Dur1ng the recent disturbances there
was some discussion in European and
american periodicals of the possihilitv
-. VI eiie southern viceroys seeding from
the rest, and declaring their adhesion to
some otner member of the royal IamiIv
The present head of the governn,er;t l.
snch by usurpation. The rightful en-
perof is giving his name in fuH-.rsait'in,1
hWahg su, born Aug. 2 1872 son of
Irliice On rm. and nephew of the ruling
hlhpress. He came to the throne nomjn-
ally in 1877
hWang su is the ninth emperor of the
Manchu dynasty of Using. The Man
chus invaded China from Manchuria on
the north, overwhelmed the Chinese dy
nasty of Ming and set up their own poI..
eminent in 1914 A. D. This explains the
diF-si of Pekin into Chi l,se and Man
emu cities, and the bipar ;isan character
o. the boards above mentioIiaj
but Is wang su is not the SON 1f The
preceding emperor; that is net the rule
OF succession in China The ruf. is thar
el'a er perer shall appoint rs his Sue
cessor some member of a younger GER
Grafton than himself
Now. tie last emperor died suddenly.
without having appointed any successor.
leaving an opportunity of which the en-
press deWager took advantage
After she had ruled as regent for sew
erat years she allowed Kwang su to as
surue full power in February of 1885, Rtt
the young emperor had become infected
with the foreign devils reform notions: