The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-07-30
CHINESE REFORM IS
ENCOURAGED BY
SHOOTING
Citizens who Refuse to Fall in
with New Governments
Ideas of Civic and State
Duty Executed or Exiled.

Pegins, July S0.-Yuan shi-kai's
government. ienieat for a while. has
become so severe that the summary
executions Of sentences to death or
exile for political onenses are again
numerous. II Is not only those who
violate the law but also those who but
passiyely support II and who viii not
work for reforms. on whom the hand
OF the law Is set.
. Yuan Shi-kai has found that drastic
regulations are necessary for improv-
ing the provincial administration and
purging the country az robels, who
are still striving 70 turn the army
against the president. \ recent prcsi-
dental mandate pfescribes execution
for officials who receive brides for
pervertine the law. Life imprison-
ment IL prescribed for those who aC-
cept brides for neglecting To put the
NV In force. II appears from the
mandate thar punishment by deh IN
may taxi the form Of shooting in
stead OF the OLD time decapitation.
and penal ~seryltude may take the
form of Punishment To remote and
unhealthy provinces"
Besides rebels and corrupt officials.
persistent gamblers and secret SER
vice men of vicious practices are also
10 be put To death. II the presidential
orders can be enforced. such lists
as the following are appearing daily.
indicating those whose life may be
the forfeit OF their crime.
"Tong-chong, actink magistrate OF
Hsiao Kan Hsien. failed Ia perform
his duty n practiced 'squeezes,' Civ
ing great trouble TO the people.
'Tu Chong-Yu. acting magistrate
~ Ching shan Hsien. allowed his rel
atives and servants TO receive brides
and to frequent evil houses.
"Tung Lai-yu. magistrate Of CHA
Yu Hsien, mIsappropriated govern
ment funds and has the habit OF
smoking opium and gnm0llng.
"Feng Jui-sung. active magistrate
OF Chung Yang Hsicn. refused 90 hand
over his office when instructed to at
tend the examination OF magistrates
one regreitablc phase of the dras.
tic program which the government
has undertaken is the fact hat man
innocent persons have To go To tn,
execution grounds. II a long beer
the practice of trade rivals or n per
son who holds n grievance another {,
bring the authorities down upon tha
person and perhaps bring about hi
execution. One 90 the most familiar
methods has been for one to sen,
through the mail letters which woul'
seem to connect his business enem'
with rebel operations. The govern
ment authorities. carefully watchlnI
the mails. detect these letters and be
%lieving them genuine. run down IN
person to whom they are addressed
and take summary action. Porhap
hundreds OF guiltlcss persons hav
already been executed ~ a result o
such fraud. n would seem that tn.
administration could easily dctec
such fraudulent letters but the Chi
nese authorities are still naive an
: life Is held very cheap because n
so wretched and miserable.
a serious evil continues "a exist q
the secret service branch Of the gov
eminent. The detectives have Ion
? made Il a practice Go extort ''squeezes
by threats OF denuueiation and 10 oh
tain rewards BY accusing innocen
men OF completely with sun Yat-se
and his party.
: An accoun comes from Chengtu.
I szechwan province OF an opiur
smoker being executed publicly as
warning to othors Who persist In Dc
Tying the prohibition against use q
3 this drug. II Is not clear from IN
= report. hut II seems 10 be the cas-
. that the execution was performed d
= one OF the burnings OF confsoate
y opium. which take place from time I
time and are made occasions OF pu'
q llc rejoicing.