Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-26
in MODERN CHINA
VI-The Constitutional Movement
By Frederic j. Haskin

guments learned abroad, but they are
not developments of the Chinese pub
lie opinion and cannot be considered
in review of the broader aspects Oh
the situation.
The Chinese constitution Is, in fact,
only an Improvement of the method OF
ascertaining the public opinions OF the
country, with the added advantage of
affordlng an opportunity for the gov
ernment to talk back to the country
The powers of genuine sovereignty are
carefully reserved to the throne. the
acts of parliament are not only sub
ject to an imperial veto, but they do
not have even the force of half-made
law. The parliament will be empoW-
cred only to memorialize the throne
to make it's will effective by Imperial
edict The parliament VIII be able 10
approach the throne only through It's
president, and that preslalng onlcer rs
not compelled even to submit the acts
of the parliament to the emperor un-
less he sees fit The Chinese pariia-
ment. as outlined in the constitutional
nlan. will have no mandatory or an-
solute powers of any description IL
will be also the provincial and mu-
nicipal legislatures.
1t is provided that the parliament
shall only advise with the throne on the
expenditures, but the present prince
regent in edicts on other subjects has
promised that the budget Will be en-
tirely in the hands of the representa-
tive body of lawmakers. What this
ntradiction means 1t is dufficult TO
say. Perhaps the prince regent VIII
carry constitutional reform farthef
than his predecessors thought adVis-
able.
he parliament will not be- permitted
to debate upon any subjects except
those especially submitted to 1t for dis
cussion. This provision of the constl-
tuition will of itself defeat the estab-
lishment of any real representative
government as 1t is known in the west
1t will, however, give an oportunity
10 the government to inject debates
among the representatives which will
gvie the throne an opportunity to
present arguments supporting move
ments for national advancement when
would never otherwise receive the as
sent of the widely scattered and DIFF
fused provncials.
No greater mistake may be made
than that. of accrediting to Japan
genuine constitutional form of govern
ment. The power Of the throne in
Japan is still absolute, despite the COM
plicated machinery of constitutional
ism The purpose OF the change OF gov
ernment in Japan was not so much to
give the people self-government as 1t
was to devise a method of government
from above which would prevent unrest
and discomfort among the people.
Prince Ito, leader of the elder states
men, and one of the greatest living
politicians, wrote the constitution after
careful study in Europe and America.
His chief teacher was Bismarck, and
Ito was an apt pupil. The Bismarck in
fiuence which no one could term rad
ically democratic, will be transmitted
through the Japanese to the Chinese
constitution.
The Japanese constitution has been
in effect nineteen years, but true rep
resentatiVe government in that coun-
try has not been dreamed of by either
the government or the people. Granted
the forms, however, even an Asiatic
people will in time demand the sub
stance of liberty, and the signs of the
times in Japan indicate that that ma
tion is just now upon the threshold OF
a genuine struggle for true and effee-
tive representative government. In this
the Japanese are generations ahead OF
the Chinese.
The Chinese do not ask for the con-
stitution which they are about to re-
CeiVe, and they viii look upon IL with
suspicion characteristic of the race
when it does come to them. It is per-
fectly true that the Chinese are not
fitted for constitutional government in
the western sense. They have abso-
lutely no feeling of political response
bility that necessary quality OF a self
governing people. This fact, however.
is not an argument against the kind of
constitution China is to have, The
Japanese constitution resulted in the
complete unifcation of the people, and
permitted them to adopt western civ
ilization in so far as they needed ii and
wanted it, without surrehdering any
rights as a nation. The Chinese con-
stitution is designed to bring the peo-
pie of the loosely connected provinces
together to cement them into a true
nation, and bring the people into actual
communication with the central power.
The constitution is to be a prop for the
power of the throne. If 1t is success
full, it will be the means of preserving
the independence of China, and from
the Chinese standpoint that is the thing
most to be desired.
Tomorrow-In Modern China; Vu-The