The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-11-28
HE FOREIGN MAIL BAG.

| oohA ohoV WhOA CuO SuIACoO uduO up
their minds to change they will effect
in fifteen years as much as it has taken
Japan thirty to accomplish" That
prophecy is being rapidly fulfilled. Take
the one item of postal advance. In 1901
there were only l76 post-offices in the
whole empire; to-day there are ten
times that number. In 1901 ten mil
lion letters were dealt with by the
postal authorities; the total now reach
es about eighty millions. Newspapers
also are increasing with great rapidity
In Peking, where the Gazette once
stood as almost the sole representative
of the national press, there are now
twelve dailies, one of them edited by a
native woman and distinctively a
woman's journal. At the opening of
the century there was scarcely mile
of railroad track. The first short line,
projected some thirty years ago, was
torn up in rage and the rails thrown
into the sea. Already there are 5000
miles of railroad either in actual opera
ton or in process of construction. Now
that the people have come in contact
with the western races they are begin
ming to ask what makes the difference
between China and the West. Many of
them agree that Christianity accounts
for the difference, and in one province
400 leading men sent petition to have
mission work opened in their district,
because that would develop the people
more than anything else. In Human,
where the boast was made seven yea e
ago that no foreigner should ever cross
the frontier, and from whence issued
most of the literature which precipitat-
ed the Boxer uprising, Christian uni
versity, wholly supported by Yale men,
has been started at Changsha, the
capital. This condition offers glori-
Gus challenge to American Christians.
COURAGEOUS CRUSADE.
San Franciscos heroism in throwing
off the rule of the CRATER has its coun-
terpart in China, where the government
is trying to get rid of opium. In re
forms as well as in education the peo-
pie are wide awake. In FoochoW 5000
dens were forcibly closed and those
who resisted the police were put in pris-
on. The popularity of this act Of sup
preston was most remarkable. Teach
ers and students of the public schools,
headed by the president Of the Educa-
ton Board, paraded the streets with
flags and banners, shouting their hatred
of the vice. Christian students were
welcomed in the procession, for it is a
well-recognized fact that public senti-
ment against the use of the drug is due
mainly to the ethical teachings of the
mission schools.
HOW THE GIRLS HELPED.
1t recalls the early days Of the tenn.
perance crusade in Ohio, to read of the
women's interest in this reform move
ment. One teacher writes that on the
anniversary of the. issue of the anti
opium edict her pupils asked permits
sion to prepare a program, issue invita-
tions, and meet the expenses. Radical
AS it seemed, their request was granted.
That afternoon, attended by guard of
police, the long procession of college
boarding school, and day-school girls
marched out of the compound gate,
through the main street to the Dudley
Memorial Church, one of the American
Board buildings. Two girls carried
large Chinese flags, two the anti-opium
banners, two the school banners, and
the rest small flags. The police care
fully guarded the doors to prevent any
men from coming in, and the body Of
the house was well filled with women
and girls. The program consisted of
vocal and instrumental music and a
large number of short, pointed address
es. Once during the exercises the
schools rose and marched round and
round through the aisles, waving their
flags and singing a song OF JOY at the
prt of A tha olnSp tho
guests were invited to the gallery and
served with tea and Chinese cakes.
One can hardly think what such things
mean after the seclusion and stagna-
ton of years.
SCHOOL BADGES.
Following the custom of the govern
ment schools, the girls of the mission
schools wear a blue and gilt metal
badge on which is inscribed the name
and place of the school. Now they
need not fear being seen on the street,
for every one will know they are stu
dents and not irresponsible girls run
ming loose. One of the most encourag-
ing facts in China today is the desire of
parents to have their daughters edu-
Gated in the Christian schools in prefer
ence to those under government aus
pices.
SOME LIVE TOPICS.
In nothing has China turned such
complete somersault as in her system
of government examinations. Under
the old regime the young men who ap-
piled for government positions had to
pass examinations on the teachings of
Confucius, as the prime qualifications
or office. This was as absurd as it
would be to insist that American youth
should be proficient in Sanskrit as the
first requisite for the post of electrical
engineers. Now questions like these
are being put to the students: "What
is the bearing of the Siberian railway
on China? What is the bearing of the
Treaty of Berlin and of the Monroe
Doctrine on the Far East? How do
foreigners regulate the press, the post
office, commerce, railways, banks, taxa
tions, and how do they get faithful
men? What is Herbert Spencer's phil
osophy of sociology? Explain free
trade and protection. What nation has
the best system of stamp duty?" 1t
would be something of stunt for their
compeers in American universities to
give intelligent and comprehensive
answers to these questions In order
TO keep pace with this intellectual
awakening an imperial decree has gone
E., y, kat IL