Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
REFORM And REACTION IN CHINA

| ines in China. and during the visit
river pirate was tried and condemned TO
torture by being suspended by the thumbs
| Shocked at the exhibition. the writer
protested. The judge smiled and said to
the interpreter: Tell the stranger that
| the f1end who is being punished could not
respect the law with anything less than
4 that
| The civil and military school reforms
have been inaugurated on a vast scale.
verted into schoolhouses. Many hundred
students were sent to institutions 10
Japan and bonzes went to Toxic TO
study the doctrine Of Shintoism.
! In the month of August the court sent
to Europe and America the missions OF
! the Duk Tsai Use and
Foreign Toan Fang The question
/ r:.., of constitutional laws was
| discussed. and there was q
general infatuation with reform on the
part Of the sovereigns as we'll as high
fuEctionaries. scholars. notables and mer-
| chants. The leaders of this apparent
evolution were Cinnamon. not Manchu-
Tcheng-Che-Tong. viceroy OF the Hou:
Tsen Tchoen Hen, viceroy of Canton.
and Yuan-S ie-Kwai. viceroy of Pechili.
The last named with his followers.
| numerous staff of Cantonese students
| educated i'm America should have exer-
cised. it seemed, a preponderating infu-
ence at Picking. But these three. who
! could have achieved almost any reform
for their country. were rivals. and. fail
ing to comprehend their opportunity,
wasted their energies in miserable efforts
| to ruin each other
| During the first part OF the year 1906
the fever of innovation dominated all
minds Among the viceroys there was
lriN- 1v.x- 30 AAl>1 snf,
greatest number Of schools. Yuen-Sie-
| Kwai reported $500 for the province of
Pechilli. The discussion OF the opium
commerce question was renewed. the es-
| execution of public works. the creation
| of arsenals. the complete organization OF
a powerful army and navy. and finally
1t was proposed to change the national
costume and adopt the European.
/ An imperial decree of September, 1905
esta blished constitutional laws. an event
which caused sensation in the western
| world. Alas. things were moving too
quickly for great body like China. The
| Manchu element and a group of man.
darins opposed reform and deferred the
execution OF the proposed laws for three
years In November the triumph of the
reactionary party was confirmed by the
disgrace of Yuan-S.e-Kwai. the acknowl-
| edged chief OF Young China.
| Yuan was absent at the autumn ananeu-
| vers when the reactionary cOterie caused
him to be attacked by the court censors.
Twenty reports charged him with pride.
ambition and wanting in fidelity to the
throne. The councillor OF the empire,
Tie-Liang, accused him Of conclusion"
X
| Tcheng- Che-Tong. who is Chinaman,
and who has heretofore favored modern
ism. declared himself op-
Counter posed to change. and &C.
rharo. cused in turn his quon-
dam friend and colleague
through the intermediary OF LANG Ting
| Foen. the supreme Judge OF Hoppe.
Yuan. unable to Withstand the assault Of
the combination against him. resigned all
his offices excepting that of viceroy OF
| Pechili
The year 1907 commenced by radical
change of policy in Picking. The ardent
refOrmists became devoted conservatives.
Reforms were ignored and the young ar
my neglected, Yuan himself following the
traditions of his country accepted his dis
favor and humiliation with humility. He
prayed the throne not to change the old
customs and suggested that his functiona-
riey should defer all innovations.
| In May an incident OF importance hap
pened. Tsen Tchoen HEN. viceroy of
Canton. was appointed to Setchoen Ell
quette Of court required that an appointee
to new post shall pay his respects to
| Inc SOVefe1SnS. 1ScN 1ClOen Hen pres
ence in Picking brusquely changed the face
/ of things. Tsen was an audacious spirit
| and full of independence and energy.
| which marks him perhaps as a man OF
whom much is to be heard later. In 1900
when the empress was fleeing from Pc
| king Tsen was viceroy Of Chansi and
| welcoming Tzu-hsi in an outburst Of piOus
loyalty he seized her in his arms and
bore her to place Of refuge. The en-
press referring to the incident afterWard
| with emotion said: "TSen Is my SON.
Tsen, received with ELUSIVE joy by the
old queen. fastened to profit by the sit
uation. He accused his enemies. the
| Manchu and conservatives. not forget
tins Tchung Che Tong and Prince
Using The latter he charged with having
received big sum of money from
mandarin for whom he had obtained the
| post Of governor of Helongkiang. The
scandal was great and the circle (where
every one was guilty. feigned stupor and
indignation. But in secret each felt him
self menaced by the coalition like that
which had thrown down Yuan Sic Kwai.
+
The empress. of course. had nothing to
refuse her beloved son Tsen, and down
| went his enemies in quick
swift time. When the feeble
pa+ra.+ minded empress had read
Tsen's reports, which were
very warm. she sighed and cried:
''The affairs of China. are they indeed
! so bad? 1t is discouraging truly. II we
had not called upon Tsen Tchoen Hen
the empire would have gone to ruin
| But Prince Using. profiting by the i'll
ness of Tsen and his absence from court.
| re-es tablished himself in favor and pro-
cured the downfall of the reformists. Tsen
! had only twenty days of imperial grace.
| The reaction tIiumphed anew and main-
tained itself until the summer of 1907
when. after the disorders In Pingchang
and Lying. on the confines of Hounan
and the kiangse the court decided again
to direct its policy toward reforms.
| 1t would seem that In the duel between
Tsen Tchoen Hen and Tcheng anad Using
Yuan would have cast his fortunes With
Tsen tho bold and courageous rcformist
Not SO; Yuan sided with Prince Using!
| Now that tho court once more for
reforms ii sent for the three viceroys-
Tscn. Tcheng and Yuan. The two latter
comfifurc. refused and remained In Can
| ton.
! Recent cables report still another yaria-
tion In the policy at Pelling and that
Yuan Sic Kwa;. discouraged at the fail
ure of his projects for progress, has asked
the privilege of withdrawing. The reno
walton Of China is slow and vexatious
process and must wait In any event upon
the death of the dowager empress. even
Though the astrologer. Prince TSai-Tou,
may have correctly cast TIL hsis horo-
scope.