The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-06
CALLS YUAN SHI KAT EMPEROR OF CHINA 'MONARCHISTIC USURPER"
Sun Fo Son of Sun Vat Sen First President of China
 Says New Ruler Obtained Throne by Fraud

nominate three candidates, out of which the electoral college shall choose one as his successor. Thus Yuan may nominate three of his six teen sons, and one of them must sue ceed him.
 ''Even if there weres no movement to create a monarchy int China, the Re- public would not be a real Republic under Yuan. Ever since his coup d'etat of 1914, the Republic has been non-existant.
 ''The agitation for a monarchy be- gan last August. The apparent cause was paper submitted to Yuan by Dr. Goodnow, then his advisor, and now President of Johns Hopkins Uni -Vers1ty, advocating a return to the monarchy. Yuan's proteges formed a
 society to discuss the form of govern ment. His officials gave it encour- agement- Soon after, a second mon archist, society was formed by Iiang Shi-Yi, Yuan's most trusted lieuten-l ant to organize all monarchist sym
 Pathlzers, and to send a combined pe- ] tition to the Council of State asking for a monarchy, and also to Yuan, re- questing> him to ascend the throne. | E9The Council of State sent these petitions to Yuan, and asked him for
 instructions In a message to the Council. he declared that the opinion l of the country should be. obtained. On October 6, Yuan issued a mandate  Convention to be made up of 1884 ] members, and to be charged with the l duty of deciding the question at issue. l "A Peking press corresp ondent re- ported that out of population of L1!25O,0o0 in that city, only a, few more than 1. .60O votes were cast at this cleo. ton. This shows that only a few of Yuan's 1000 officials in Peking vot- ed for him. Assuming the propor- ton of, votes cast throughout China "a al fn be the same, then out of population of 400,QOO,00O Chinese, only 518,O0O persons voted. In the first national election that chose the Parliament in 1913, over 4O,000,0O0 votes were counted. Yuan arbitrarily reduced the number of voters to 518,O00, or about one-tenth of one per cent of the population.
 se.@This minority election was held only in the provincial and district capital cities. Only persons desig- mated by the local military and civil authorities as qualified were permit ted to vote. Each province chose electors, who assembled in the ,provin- ciaI or state capitol, and elected del- egates, who constituted the National Convention.
 .sTson Hwa Sin Pao, a Chinese pa per at Shanghai, reports that. the cleo tion in Ranking was called on onet days notice, and that only twenty-six |
 
 were present. The meeting was held ] at the military governors residence l and surrounded by armed soldiers and | police. The delegates came forward | one at a time, and the election off1- | cers ordered them to write on their | ballots, -"I favor a monarchy" and l q publicly elect Yuan Shi Kaai as the ! Great Emperor of the Chung Hwa | Enpire.''. Tn every province the lelec- ton of the delegates and the voting | were held in the same manner.
 etThe United States Government will | soon be asked to officially recognize | this usurper Yuan and his Empire. The United StatesSwas the first among | the great powers to recognize the Chinese Republic. Will it approve 1 of the acts of this usurper and. trail 1 tor after: 1t has refused recognition | to Huerta of Mexico2 This is a ques- ton for the American people to de- cide.''
 At the conclusion of MT. Sun Eos | address, a resolution was offered by | one of the members of the League for Home Rule in Taxation. and adopt \ ed as follows:
 sResolved: That we urge fPresi- dent Wilson not to recognize the gov ernment of the ,usurping monarch who is attempting to destroy the Chinese | Republic and. the liberties of it's peo- p1e.''