The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-08

something old and outworn. something
great-and dead. You are on the ashes
of an empire amid "A living people.
What next and thereafter what"
The answer political must come to-
day from President Yuan Shih-k'ai.
who rules the Republic of China with
something of the singleness Of the most
self-sufcing of its abolished Emperor
Tn. effort Of Or. sun Vat Sen and his
fellow revolutiunists to erect in night
u democracy controlling itself through
a representative Parliament failed for
many reasons. one reason was that
men trained to the parliamentary
almost totally wanting among the rev
Olutlunar!rs. Hence administrative
ability was painfully Ia.
1t is not strange. thca. ... they fell
short Of formulating a workable
scheme of government. Their Consti-
tuition was an idealistic document fit
for wise, united, intelligent people,
nut it never got "a chance. II fell with
them into the net Of the fowler.
what has astonished the Western
world was tn, h.5iuwncss Of the i'm
prrial power. the ease with which, APP
parcntly impregnable. II had been
pushed from the high seat NJ one
;. ems To have measured in advance
the force of the Chimes" unanimity
that called for the deposition Of the
Mauchus. 1t asserted itself and tn"
great imperial fabric that nd suiiiCed
from one dynasty to another To hold
China together for 1000 years was in
in tweuty-four hours defunct without
a blow.
As easy as that.
And then the Manchus. as imperial
factors. seemed as dead as the Ming -
and to know how dead that is YOU
must tread the rnorm us halls of tn"
Forbidden city. wonderful IN carved
white marble without and gorgeous n
pillar,d and throncd magniicence
within. and silent amid their grass
grown courts as the grave. you must
wander among the Ming tombs. n will
derness Of lchcued monuments and
giant statues muuldt ring in lonely neg
lect on "A vast plain.
II the unthnkable had happened IA
the overthrow Of the empire the in
credible occurred when the eN-lmpcrial
Prime Minister Yuan Shih-kai, was
virtually handed the :. ms ~ the new
republic, or did he SIMPLY pick them
M when Dr. sun was not lookn"'
So the Parliament met and debated
and uuarreled and showed general in
capacity. and Yuan Sh'h-k'ai with some
quiet police work and few general
orders made an end Of IT,
Nothing could lee more like Through
the Looking Class"
Yuan had never really let go the
governmental machine He frightened
his grip on It. China was i'm process
Of maklrs n modern army of a kind;
he bccam" its master. Nou can see the
little mon in Khaki marching about ami
trumpcting with officers and bands and
fixed haNoucts, and they look as II
they mean something. lie had sWclI"d
the police until they made an army In
themselves. In Prkln there appears .
be u policeman every Two or ihr""
blocks. 1t all has been don" quietly,
with hcnignaut smile even.
There was some questioning Of this.
The in conditioned. the member, Of the
late Parliament, from their hiding
places joined other malr"nteuts aal
were quite critical. The Pres dent took
no notice apparently, but after a Will"
he had new somewhat cynical
thought Among their impassioncd re-
marks had been words to g." effect thl'
his EXccllcncy was taking l!S morning
walk on the Constitution.
Really? Perhaps SO; they ar" partly
right. Let us have a Constitution that
| cannot violate
So hc issued H. Its points have been
rraciuusly discussed 10y all the editors
Of the world, and it l. generally I'D
pnitt.1 ia ha uuiunp