Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-07

acter nor to opium users IL is forolooen
to bulIies and criminals, and there are
certain low professions whose members
will not be allowed to come to the polls
In general any Chinese will have right
to the franchise. provided he has the or
binary qualifications, and any boy may
hope TO become a member of parliament
and TO have part in the government.
The constitution provides for the free-
dom Of the press, for the right or pubic
assembly and for freedom from taxation
except by law.
throughout the whole OF this new con-
stitutional program the power or the SOW
ereisn is respected. He will stand in
about the same position which the mikedo
holds in Japan or the kaiser III Ger
many He Is to be the commander or the
army and navy and TO have the rlsn'
to declare war or peace. He VIII nave
in cases of emergencies. all power over
the liberty of the people. with the right OF
pardon. He can fix the salaries of ms
own household and can take the sums
needed for that purpose from the treas
ury, without reference to parliament lie
has the right to appoint all omcla!s anu
can degrade or promote them at Will
From these provisions It would seem as
though the parliament would nave niue
real power. but il must be remembered
that in both Germany and Japan the
force of public opinion is such that the
emperors have to follow it. This VIII be
the same in China under the new con-
stitution. Besides, this first parliament
il but the opening wedge; aud its sue,
cessors may in time split the inper1al
privileges into fragments and leave in
their place a republic. This seems far
cry. but II is possibility:
The provincial assemblies. which are
now preparing, will be much like our
state legislatures and will correspond TO
them III the new government. China has
twenty-five provinces. and each will have
its own legislature. which VIII be large
or small according to the NUMBER OF
it's literary graduates and the amount OF
its grain tax. At present Chihli, the prov
ince in which Picking and Tientsin are,
DAYS the most grain taxes and has the
most graduates. its assembly will have
$40 members. Chinese TurkeStan ana
Heilung-kiang are the smallest. and each
of them will have ~. kiangsu will
have 116 and Chekiang ia. Shantung
has 100 Honang 90. and Shansi s6. AL
together there will be 1,611 Chinese men,
bers in these state legislatures. and in
addition some twenty or twenty-five Man
chus. 1t is probable that from these as
semblies the future parliament Will come.
In order to be membc- OF the pro
vincial assemblies a man Will need far
higher qualifications than those demanded
for election 10 our state legislatures. The
must have been connected With
educational enterprises for az least five
years or have graduated from the mid
die schools of either China or abroad
or he must be master OF arts or re-
tired official who has never been de-
nounced by the censors or cashiered by
the government. IL he has a capital of
$1,000, and is otherwise respectable, he
may also be a candidate; but If he is ali
opium smoker or has ever been in prison
he need not apply. Furthermore, If he Is
elected he will not be allowed to decline
unless incapacitated by illness from serv-
ing.
The new constitution is bound to be of
great advantage to the United States. and
i'm a lesser degree to all foreign powers.
IL will bring about the reorganization OF
business and trade, and will lead to