Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-10-14

! ludl S6ull6uldn must lllL II Wnen ne
goes upstairs or crosses a muddy
street. The women, like all other
women in China, wore trousers. The
men all wore light-colored garments;
the women were all in black except
one who wore dark blue At least
two had little deformed feet. The
speaker and secretary wore long
white silk gowns and famed them
selves leisurely.
An Orator in Bracelets.
The members did not address the
chair to gain the floor, but simply
arose and began to talk. Just what
would happen if the spirit should
move two or more to pour forth their
wisdom at the same time, as with us,
| did not learn, as each speaker was
politely listened to until he finished.
A few, as is usual elsewhere, seemed
to do the talking, and one orator who
made many gestures wore bracelets.
All was quiet, orderly and very earn
est. The vote was taken by rising.
We observed that the lady members
did not always vote the same way.
Armed Guards in Corridors.
The corridors were guarded rather
conspicuously by armed men, and af-
! terwards we learned that this was by
request of the assembly, as the build
ing it occupies is outside the city
walls, and the assembly of a neigh
boring province was attacked by a
body of ruffians.
Supping With Women Legislators.
After feasting our eyes upon this
sight, more rare and wonderful than
ever fell to the lot of the renowned
Marco Polo, we were obliged to go
away very dissatisfied, for we could
find no one who understood English.
We went next to the Cantonese chair
man of the Tung Mong Hui, to whom
we had also been given letter. We
found him most cordial, and when he
learned that we wished to speak with
the women members of the assembly,
he promptly invited us to take supper
at his house and promised to get as
many of the women as he could.
He issued his invitations by tele-
phone, and we shortly repaired to his
house, where we met two women and
two men members of the assembly
and other members of the society.
The ladies spoke Chinese only, but
the young men had been educated in
foreign schools and spoke English.
While we ate our supper and put
forth our first effort with chopsticks,
the menu including the far-famed
Chinese delicacy, sharks fins, frogs
and other strange but tasty dishes
this is what we learned:
. How the Idea Started.
About fifteen years ago DR.. Sun
Vat Sen organized the Tung Mong
Hui (the United Sworn Society," a
secret society whose primary object
was to overthrow the Manchus. II
spread rapidly, and became especially
popular among the young men, the
students in foreign lands becoming
ardently enthusiastic in it's support
DR.. Sun is a real radical, and intro
duced the idea of equality of the
sexes into the society. Women be-
came members, but not in large num-
bers, and most of them were inactive.
Some, however, worked as persistent
ly and effectively as any of the men,
making converts and getting in new
members, collecting money and dis
tributing literature, and stood ready
to do all things for the good and
advancement of the society.
When the society had grown strong
enough to precipitate the revolution
and the military preparations were
in progress, some of these women
wanted to serve as soldiers. They
got small encouragement, as the men
thought there was no need for them
to undertake such duties. Some
young women, chiefly students, did
go north and did join other women
there and were trained, not for ag-
gression, but for defense. We must
learn the facts concerning this com
pany when we go north, for nothing
very definite could be learned in Can
ton.
J Ten Women Chosen in Canton.
: When the provisional government
: was formed upon the ruins of the
: Manchu regime, the Tung Mong Hu
/ of Canton arranged for the election
, of the assembly for that province, the
higher officials having been appoint
5 ed by the provisional government a
Pekin. Practically all men and won
!. en- who chose to do so were allowed
: to vote for that assembly, and it wa,
: ordered by those in authority tha
e ten women should be elected, th
a | whola nun har IN tba accaOhlv hain,