Honolulu star-bulletin., 1916-01-15
Review of Activities Leading
Up to Restoration of Mon
archy at Meeting

At the weekly luncheon OF the
Home Rule in Taxation League held
in San Francisco on December 22. sun
Fe, whose father. Sun Yat Sen, has
fought Tor % years for the liberty OF
the Chinese people, and who became
the provisional president upon the
organization OF the Chinese Republic
in 1912, delivered an address on the
Monarchist Usurpation in China.
Sun Fe is a senior student in the UNI
versity of California and has lived in
America for four years, His speech
Showed thorough knowledge OF his
subject. He said in part:
Recent reports OF the Chinese sit
uation may cause persons unfamiliar
with events in that country TO con-
clude that the Chinese people are not
fitted for a republic. that is, after four
years trial monarchy is better for
them; and that the decision for a
change as given out by the Peking
government is unanimous on the Part
OF the people. Nothing is further from
the truth. The republic under the con-
troll of Yuan Shih-Kai never had a
fair trial. The monarchist usurpation
reflects the ambition and autocratic
will OF one man. The Chinese people
had nothing to do with it,
Forced Abdication.
During the revolution Of 1912 Yuan
Shih-Kai agreed with the Republicans
&c persuade the Manchu House to abb
dicate, and TO unity the Republic He
was made the second provisional pres
fdent and soon began to betray his
trust with unconstitutional acts. The
struggle between democracy and au-
tocracy began about a year later
when Sung Chiao Jen, ex-minister of
agriculture and forestry, and leader of
the majority party in parliament was
assassinated in Shanghai The crime
was traced TO Peking and laid at the
door of Chao Ping Chun, the premier
of Yuan Shih-Kai.
Shortly after Yuan defied parlia.
ment by signing the five-powers loan
of $125,000,000 without its sanction
From that time 1t was unable to re-
strain him. Thus supplied with am
pie funds, Yuan gained control of par.
lament by bribing some of the men,
bers. A new party was formed by
Yuan, known as the Chinputang or
Progressive party, which opposed the
Kuomintang or Nationalist majority
party. AS a result only one bin pass
ed parliament in four months.
This was just what Yuan had plan.
ned, so as to discredit parliament and
have an excuse to assume autocratic
powers
Members are Expelled. ~
After the revolution of 1913, Yuan |
accused parliament of trying to over
throw him, and issued an illegal order |
expelling 80 Kuomintang members.
On January IL, 1914, Yuan formally
abolished the parliament elected by
the people, but not until he had fore.
ed its members to elect him as the
regular president. On the same day
that he abolished parliament all the
provincial districts or state legisla.
lures were ordered to be abolished.
With a stroke of the usurper's pen all
OF the elective bodies of the Republic |
were destroyed. Since January, 1914,
the Chinese Republic has been forced |
TO submit to dictatorship, Yuan being
the dictator.
Yuan was elected president Octo-
Der 5, 1913. for term of five years, |
being eligible for second term. Aft |
er he abolished parliament he promul-
sated an illegal constitution on May
j, 1914. A council of state was then
appointed by him and empowered to
act as the legislature He had the
presidential election laws changed by
that council extending his term of
office to 10 years, with no limitation |
as to reelection.
fiade II a Life Job.
"Yuan's permanency of Office was
further secured by providing that in |
the year OF the presidential election |
If the council of state deemed it a |
political necessity, that body appointed |
by him can prolong the presidential |
term Of office to another 1G years with. |
out the electoral college acting, thus
enabling Yuan to be president for life |
and that the retiring president shall /
nominate candidates from whom the /
electoral college shall choose one as
his successor. Thus Yuan may nomi:
nate three of his sixteen sons, and /
one of them must succeed him.
Even If there were no move to-
create monarchy in 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-existent.
The agitation for a monarchy be-
gan last August. The apparent, cause