The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-25
WHAT THE FIGHT is ABOUT.

IeOE6c .. NeulndNn Oh NGV
Britain. Connecticut. and printed b,
tho Hartford Times. contains tn,
account we have seen OF tn,
pleas that have brought about tn,
in China. The Rev. Mr.
is Il member Of the Meth
odist missionary station at Chengtu
n the province Of Sze-Chuan. Fl,
wrote under date of September 1
after returning from his vacatio,
up in the hill country. He says tina
returning to Chengtu he ha,
heard that the stores were closed |,
that city, and that the people wer,
refusing to pay their taxes to the Pc
king government. and on his arriva
ne looked the matter up. He fount
'har the people in Sze.Chuan had or
sanised what they called a "Societ,
the Preservation Of the Railroad
md that this purely unofficial organ
cation WINS receiving all the take
hat under ordinary conditions woult
SO SOLE, 20 Fekine. Tho reason
led TO the organization Of thi
and tn its popularity are OBJ
stated III Its demands upo,
he r'eking government. and these de
hands are given IVY Mr.. Nevnann q,
One is that the railroad loan"
agreement With the four foreign
powers. England. France, Ger
many and tho Cnitcd States. he
placed before the national 49,
sen1blS. according to u section Of
the constitution recently givon to
China. To the effect that such
matters would first he considered
by IT before final action by the
officials and the government.
y second demand is that the
provincial assembly be allowed
to discuss the disposition Of the
unused balance of the money
contributed for the railroad by
the people Of Sze-ChMan. This
amounts to 100000 taels Of
silver. which would mean some
;hing like s4,000,000 in United
States money.
The third demand IS that the
ma now in charge of the build
ing of the railroad from Ichang
be dismissed. He had been en-
gagged by the railroad authorities
to build the road. was later dis
charged by them. and then.
much to the d%ispleasure Of the
people here. was re-engaged by
the national government to build
the road.
The fourth demand is that the
people in Sze-Chuan province be
allowed to build the road in
stead of its being built by the
national government. which is
financing 1t by means Of the for
eign loan.
1t is a rather striking illustration
t the natural commercial capacity
f the Chinese people that they could
'e reused to i%nsurrection by com.
about foreign loans and rail.
way construction. Complaint Of thi.
r not exactly popular in any
ountry. hut evidently they appealed
trongly to the Chinese understand
ng and habit of mind. We should
that the heavy and in some
undue indemnities exacted from
lima after the Boxer disturbances
t 1900 had left a permanent impress
ion upon the Chinese mind. It will
e remembered that this country re-
lrned to China some millions Of its
hare. after we found out that the
exceeded the actual injuries
nd costs incurred by US in that at
air. but SO far as We remember nc
foreign government adopted
'ur honest our These indemnities
to some s325.O0O 900, were
by the Manchu government
ut they we're paid or are being paid
the Chinese people. 1t was quite
latural. we should say. for this trans.
to stick in the public mind OF
and, conceding that this per.
nanent impression was produced. 1t 1,
" no means strange that new loan,
o foreign powers. and new contract,
Chinese railways to be
'uilt by foreigners, should have a
influence. At the same
ime. the main demands Of the insur.
went no further than a requesI
the new representative assem-.
lies, in which the Chinese people
ave their voice. should be permit.
ed to express their opinion abou,
hese loans and contracts before the
1anchu government took final action
1r. Neumann says that the principle
involved lis similar to that at stake
n our own revolution-only. instead
+ no taxation without representa-.
they say. no taxation for the
government until our de.
hands are met, that representative
be allowed to do its
In other words. inasmuch
s the Manchu government have pre-.
ended to give to the Chinese people
representative share in the manage.
nent Of the country. and inasmucr
8 the Chinese people have to NEE,
main part of the cost Of all fnan.
ial arrangements concluded by the
,1anchu government, the Insurgents
lemand for these new Chinese rep.
bodies the right to partic.
pate with the Manchu or central
in the decision as to what
'nancial arrangements shall be made
Of curse the rebellion has gone
great deal further since Mr.. Seu.
wrote his instructive letter
he nature and intention of the gov.
however. cannot nave great.
Y changed and we arc indebted to
lin FOR a clear and rational state
mont OF both. Tho venerable North
'hina Daily News Of Shanghai ex-
the opinion aditoriaily that
imperial or Manchu government,
will ultimately gain the victory. bu,
his. this events of the past weeks
lead TO a genuine redress OF
'r!evs rces." II this prediction is JUS