The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1909-02-27

I countries, where it had been known
for hundred years prior to the Chris
tian era. And at first it was used only
for medicinal purposes. Then, as now,
many Chinese were afflicted with
fevers, and opium helped them.
Meantime the Turks had introduced
opium into India, where the natives
soon engaged in it's cultivation on
large scale. The Chinese, after form.
ing the opium habit, then bought their
supplies in India. At that time there
was considerable export trade from
China to India, and the junks that car
ried other merchandise from the Celes-
tial empire brought back the raw ma.
terial from which opium is made.
In 1868 the habit had become so
widespread that the emperor, noting
it's ill effects, issued an imperial de-
cree against the use of and the traffic
in opium. In the original decree he
prescribed only moderate penalties for
it's violation, but as his subjects did
not obey him, he increased the sever
ity of the penalties until death or trans
portation became the lot of every
one who persisted in the use of the
baneful pipe. And, as the Chinese
had then been smoking opium less
than so years, they broke off the habit
just as an American youth who has
smoked tobacco only a year or two
can give up the use of tobacco.
But, like the American boy who
"swears off, and then in two months
goes back to his tobacco, the Chinese
in a few years resumed the use of
opium and again stern emperor
stopped it. Nor was opium again
smoked in China until the latter part
of the eighteenth century.
British rule having been imposed
upon India, the government in 1857
granted to the East India Company a
, monopoly of the trade in opium. The
East India Company at once cast its
eyes Chinaward. There it saw an en-
peror who had forbidden the importa-
, ton or use of opium; there it also saw
laws fixing the opium smokers penalty
at death. But there it also saw Chi
nese gold, and plans were at once laid
to provide the Chinese with opium
whether their emperor would have it
, or not.
{ The scheme devised was for Brit
, ish ships to lie off Chinese ports and
D deliver opium to such Chinese mer-
: chants as might come out to buy. And
the plan worked so well that in 1870
3 100000 pounds of the forbidden pro-
duct were sold in China.
b OF course the Chinese government
did not sit idly by. 1t cut off few
e heads and sent many persons out OF
the country for the country's good;
but the smoking of opium went on
- What's the threat of death to a man
. who wants to do something Around
= the world in England at that very mo-
q ment men were stealing five-shilling
purses and being hanged for it. And
the Chinese continued to smoke theil
opium. In 1880 the East India Com
= pany sold to them and they smoked
. 100000 pounds. The East India
Company was becoming rich and the
!. British government took toll from its
:, trade.
r History records the fact that in the
o year 1887 the Chinese emperor screwed
a up his courage and talked fight The
sale of opium to his subjects mus
=, stop. The supply ships that were lying
A
a they didn't there would be trouble. 81
% he said in his proclamation.
e. The British East India Compan,
" treated him as If he were chatterins
ID child. Not a ship moved. Not ;
N Chinaman came after opium who dit
g. not get it. Everything went on as be
is fore.
5; But the emperor was no chatterini
~ child. He was raging, roaring oil
Id man. He felt precisely as the Boston
is ers did when the tea-laden British
Up ships came in after their tax. An
is he did precisely what the citizens Q
is Boston did-boarded the ships, b.
IL proxy of course, and dumped tn
opium into the ocean-3, 900, 90
or pounds of it!
he OF course this act was construed b
'e- the British to constitute cause 70
at war, and hostilities were opened a
IS, soon as the aggrieved persons coul
ar get their guns into action. This was
IS 1910. The Chinese, even in that da.
ar were as poor fighters as they are nov
sw In a little while a British fleet ha
III captured Chusan. The next year tn
lie. Bogue forts fell, and then Cantor
i'm Annoy, Shanghai, Chapoo, and lot
1t. other places gave up the ghost. B
lst 1912 the Chinese emperor was yer
he glad to buy peace by ceding Hon.
1t, kong, paying an indemnity of $21 900
ne 900, and throwing open four ports
ce, foreign trade. He even humiliate
ass himself by degrading Commission
use Lin who had carried ut the emperor
sh orders. Nor did he get even the thanl
of his own subjects for his efforts
It'll their behalf. The whole empire W;
ry. torn with rebellion. Rebel armi'
lot robbed, murdered and plundered {
is most as they pleased. If they had hs