The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-01-05
cHINA's BIG JOB.

1
sibility. He has changed the calendar
from the ancient form of the Chinese
to the western system, and everything
has been started off in fine fresh
shape. That the Manchu rule of China
has reached its end is pretty clear,
but that a republic, in the real under
standing of the trem, can be set up
and put into working order in a mo-
ment on the ruins of the old absolute
monarchy is scarcely to be expected.
Men like DR.. Sun himself, and per-
haps DR.. WI Tingfang - though the
willy WI, who had such an unconscion-
able vogue in the United States dur
ing his two terms of residnce in this
country, is merely a sharp player of
politics, without any particularly well
defined convictions nor any serious
principles-are doubtless fully capable
of ruling themselves and administer
ing the affairs of their fellows with
moderation and intelligence and in
true conception of the responsibilities
Of citizenship, but the great mass OF
the Chinese, accustomed through all
their history to abide the will of the
Son of Heaven can not at once ac-
couarnoda4a than oo1voc IN tho gvctam
of representative government. 10
think that they can is too violent an
expectation. For a little while, the
new government, if it can find mate
rial resources for its support, may
get along well enough. But China is
bound to go through period of evo-
luton of many years before it can
really become a self governing, eff
iicient country Doubtless DR.. Sun
understands this fully. The difficulty
that is presented to the revolution
aries in the alternative of a monar
cig Ct any form is the choice of an
AGO. ie dynasty. If the Mancnu
emperor is to be rejected, who is to
be ste up in his place with authority?
The old Chinese imperial family is
doubtless completely lost sight Of and
could claim no recognition from the
masses of the people No immediate
ly chosen sovereign could be invested
with sufficient sanctity, according TO
the ancient code, to impress the peo
pie with its genhineness. The only
form left to the adoption of the revo-
lutionary party was a republic, after
the wsetern fashion, but Of the per-
manency of such an establishment the
very men who have set it up must
have their misgivings. DR.. Sun NM
self declares that he will, as soon as
the Manchu princes have formally alb
Dictated the throne, resign his office
of provisional president, and it. would
AASN bS SUI PAiSAh5 W hhu IAdb uS mas
in mind the Development, by that time,
of a rational solution of the problem
of monarchy with the appearance
of we'll constituted person for the
central authority.
Yuan Shi Kai, the old general who
has stood so loyalty by the tottering
dynasty and endeavored, in the most
tolerant way, to work out a solution
of the difficulties that confront the
chinese, declared rather pathetically
the other day that he would not con-
sent to the establishment of repub
lie, because he knew nothing of such
forms of government, but understood
only the imperial system. There are
probably many like him, even among
the most highly enlightened of the
Chinese statesmen, however muCl
they may feel that ultimately the Chi
nese people must govern themselves.
Even the Japanese, with all their
ingenuity and adaptability, have not
undertaken the tremendous expert
ment of setting up an elective form of
authority, contenting themselves, in
their revolution of a generation ago,
with rescuing their emperor from the
mystical seclusion in which he has
been kept by the Shoguns The states
men who have assumed the task of
setting up republic in China are
probably high-minded philosophers,
without very much practical under
standing of the difficulties which they
must face, and they have laid out a
course which must have many wind
ings and turns before it brings the
ancient nation into an efficient and
acceptable self-government. Never
theleSS, they will have tho svrnnaphy