Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-28
EXECUTIONS ARE
RESUMED IN CHINA
Lenient Attitude Of New Gov
eminent Fails to Bring
Results Expected.

psxing. July 2S-Yuau Shi-kafs gov
eminent. lenient for a while, has be-
come so severe that the summary ex-
ecutions of sentences to death or exile
for political offenses are again numer-
Gus. 1t is not only those who violate
the law. but also those who but pas
sively support It and who Will not
work for reforms on whom the hand
of the law is set.
Yuan Shi-kai has found that drastic
regulations are necessary for fmprov-
ing the provincial administrations and
purging the country of rebels, who are
still striving to turn the army against
the president. A recent presidential
mandate prescribes execution for OFF,
Gals who receive brides for pervert-
ing the law. Life Imprisonment IS
prescribed for those who accept brides
for neglecting to put the law in force.
1t appears from the mandate that
punishment by death may take the
form of shooting" instead OF the old
time decapitation, and penal servi-
tude may take the form of Punishment
to remote and unhealthy provinces"
Besides rebels and corrupt officials,
persistent gamblers and secret service
men of vicious practices are also to be
put to death, if the presidential orders
can be enforced. Such lists as the fol-
lowing are appearing daily. indicating
those whose life may be the forfeit Of
their crime:
"Tong-chong, acting magistrate of
Hsiao Kan lHsien, failed to perform
his duty and practiced 'squeezes,' CIV
ing great trouble to the people.
"Tu Chong-Yu, acting magistrate of
Ching Shan Hsien, allowed his rela-
tives and servants to receive brides
and to frequent evil house.
"Tung Lai-yu, magistrate of CHA Yu
Hsien, Incorporated government
funds and has the habit of smoking
opium and gambling.
"Feng Jui-sung, acting magistrate of
Chung Yang Hsien, refused to hand
over his office when instructed to at
tend the examination of magistrates"
One regrettable phase of the drastic
program which the government has
undertaken is the fact that many inno-
cent persons have to go to the execu-
ton grounds. 1t has long been the
practice OF trade rivals or any person
to bring the authorities down upon
that person and perhaps bring about
his execution. One of the most IA
miliar methods has been for one to
send through the mail letters which
would seem to connect his business
enemy with rebel operations. The gov
eminent authorities, carefully watch
ing the mails, detect these letters and
believing them genuine, run down the
person to whom they are addressed,
and take summary action. Perhaps
hundreds of guiltless persons have al
ready been executed as a result of
such fraud. 1t would seem that the
administration could easily detect such
fraudulent letters, but the Chinese au-
thorities are still naive and life is held
very cheap because it is so wretched
and miserable.
A serious evil continues to exist in
the secret service branch of the gov
eminent. The detectives have long
made it practice to extort "squeezes"
by threats of denunciation and to OBJ
tain rewards by accusing innoce7t men
of completely with Sun Yat-Se- and |
his party.
An account comes from Chengtu, in |
Seechwan province, of an opium smok-
er being executed publicly as a warn |
ing to others who persist in defying |
the prohibition against use of this |
drug. 1t is not clear from the report. |
but it seems to be the case, that the |
execution was performed at one of the |
burnings of confiscated opium, which |
take place from time to time and are
made occasions OF public rejoicing.