New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-19
Nation Needs Drastic Advice, and
United States. Whose Republican
Ideals Are Threatened by Japan's
Aspirations, Is the Only Power
That Can Give IL.

souls. The political issue is Chinese family
life, long torn by schisns OF violent nature
A sort of feeling Of parental disobedence,"
associated with the republic because of the
ruin which has overwhelmed the original
founders and the bitterness of the political
opposition, makes dsillusionment the order OF
the day.
This is a distinction from the declaration
that the republic is failure because China is
ignorant; it is, indeed, only another way of say
ing that the republican party has lacked mill
tary strength and that just the Northern
army beat the real republicans in the field so
does the Northern army now beat them in poll
tics.
This statement of affairs is highly interest
ing; il is in reality new and remarkable illus
tration OF persistent phenomenon in Chinese
national life, namely, the tyranny of the minor
ity. China has always been tyrannized by a
minority, and China probably always will be
dominated in the same way. The Southern
revolutionists were in the minority and they
tyrannized so long as their money and their
prestige in European newspapers lasted. The
Manchus were in the minority, and they tyran-
nized successfully for at least two centuries.
So it was with the Mongols, who were
mere handful of men and were swept out Of
their control by an insignificant palace mas
sacre. Up and down the centuries one can
search and always find the same rule applying
in China. At the present moment, owing to
the relentless process of elimination which has
been going on during four crowded years,
promoted first by one party then by another,
the number Of responsible Chinese left in prac-
teal politics is nfnitesmal and cannot amount
TO more than few score.
All the rest in Office are mere underlings.
mainly newcomers filled with determination
not to make themselves in any way conspicu-
GUS or to do anything which differentates them
in the slightest degree from their neighbors.
Given these conditions and with Senate in
Pekirg, sitting as a Legislative Chamber"
composed of fifty working members, the
change from republic to monarchy becomes
simplicity itself.
POWERS ATTITUDE FEARED.
The attitude of the powers is the one feature
which the monarchists admit they do not un-
derstand or like. Not that there has been
a single indication of opposition, a single
harsh comment, a single Earring note. No.
1t is not that which has been discomfort
ing; it is the silence in which the epoch
making" play of making Yuan Shih-kai En-
peror has been received Carlyle in splen-
did passage has saluted the silence Of great
men who have worked on never disclosing
their thoughts or revealing their policies, as
the most splendid Of virtues.
But this virtue, even in the estimation OF
panegyrist, is an executive excellence, neces-
sery for the maturing of large plans which
premature disclosures would ruin. 1t is an
attribute belonging to leaders When it comes
from onlookers its meaning is very different.
1t was 4 French bishop in his funeral Grafton
over Louis XIV who said in sentence which
has come down to us as one OF the most
brilliant things of those revolutionary times
that though a people have doubtless not the
right to murmur they have the right to hold