The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-27


 is a government in which the execu- i tive is not hereditary-gen leads l to the worst possible form of govern | ment. namely. that of the military die | tator. The best that can be hoped | for under such a system is periods of peace alternating with periods of disorder during which the rival claim ants for political power are striving among themselves for the control of the government.
 At the present time, it may fur ther be remarked, it is very doubtful whether the great powers of the Euro pean world will permit the govern ment of the military dictator perma- nent1y to exist, if it continues to be accompanied by the disorder which has been it's accodent in the past The economic interests of the European world have grown to be compre- hensive, European capital and Euro bean commercial and industrial terprises have become so widespread in their ramifications that the govern ments of the foreign countries inter- ested, although caring little what may be the form of government adopted by the nations with which they deal, are more and more inclined to insist, where they have the power, that con- ditions of peace shall be maintained l in order that they may receive what they consider to be- the proper re- | turns on their investments. This in sistence they are more and more 1i- able to carry to the point of actual destruction of the political indepen- Idence of offending nations and of di- rect administration of their govern ment if this is necessary to the attain nent of the ends desired.
 | 'It is therefore becoming less and 1 less likely that countries will be per nitted in the future to work out their l own salvation through disorder and revolution, as may have been the case during the past century with some of the South American countries. Un- der modern conditions countries must devise some method of government under which peace will be maintained or they will have to submit to foreign control.
 ..The question naturally presents it. se1f-How do these considerations af- feet the present political situation in China?
 stchfna is a country which has for centuries been accustomed to auto
 cratic rule. The intelligence of the great mass of it's people is not high owing to the lack of schools. The Chinese have never been accorded much particip cipationjin the work of gov 1 ernment. The result is that the po- l litica1 capacity of the Chinese peo- | pie is not large. The change from autocratic to republican government
 made four years ago was too violent l to permit the entertainment of any very strong hopes of it's immediate I success. Had the Tsing dynasty not been an alien rule which it had long lbeen the wish of the Chinese people to
 overthrow, there can be little doubt that it would have been better to re- tain the dynasty in power and grad I ua11y to introduce constitutional gov
 ernment in accordance withsthe plans 4 outlined by the commission appointed 1 for this purpose. But the hatred of alien rule made this impossible and the establishment of a republic seem | ed at the time of the overthrow of the l Manchus to be the only alternative available.
 '1t cannot, therefore. be doubted that China has during the last few constitutional government under less favorable auspices than would have < been the case had there been a royal family present which the people re. f fgarded with respect and to which they
 were loyal. The great problem of the ! Presidential succession would seem still to be unso1ved. The present arrangement cannot be regarded as satisfactory. When the present pres lident lays down the cares of office I there is great danger that the difficult I ties which are usually incident to the succession in countries conditioned as I is China will present themselves. The | attempt to solve these difficulties may lead to disorders which if long contin- ued may seriously impern the inde- Ipendence of the. country
 What under these conditions should be the attitude of those who have the welfare of China at heart :? of the Republic or should they pro-
 pose the establishment of a monar- ichy?
 I These are difficult questions to answer. It is Of course not suscepti- ble of doubt that monarchy is bet
 ter suited than a republic to China.
 China's history and traditions, her tsocial and economical conditions, her irelations with foreign powers all
 make it probable that the country would develop that constitutional gov Fernment which it must develop if it is
 to preserve it's independence as a
 state. more easily as monarchy than las a republic
 1 But it is to be remembered that
 the change from republic to mon
 archy can be successfully made only
 on the following conditions
 First, That the change does not meet wit such opposition either on the part of the Chinese people or of foreign powers as will lead to the re- currence of the disorders which the
 present republican government, has
 successfully put down. The present
 peaceful conditions of the country
 should on no account be inperiIed.
 Second, The change from repub- lie to monarchy would be of little avail if the law of succession is not so
 fixed that there will be mo doubt as to the successor. The succession 1 should not be left to the Crowm to determine for the reasons which have already been set forth at length
 It is probably of course true that the authority of an emperor would be more respected than the authority of
 a. president. The people have been
 accustomed to an emperor. They l hardly know what a President is At