Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-01-13
HOW. Yuan Was
ELECTED EMPEROR
BY Pac. and Int'l News Service.

Peking. Jan. ls-tMail to N.Y. In
a great building in the West City of
Peking. building which was at one
time a Parliament house, the voters
had just gone through the last act OF
the farce of voting the republic out
and the empire In. II was a dull, not
TO say dismal, spectacle.
So that the voter might not lose
their way and foreign observers
might be duly impressed, every lamp
post on the streets leading to the hall
bore placards giving ,-.rections with
more maps of the city. At the hail
officials in uniform examined the ere
dentials of voters or visitors and con-
Quoted them TO the place where they
belonged-visitors to the gallery, vot-
ers to the former Senate House.
The voter was supplied with piece
of white paper on which he made the
Chinese character which signified
whether he was for or against the cleo
tton of Yuan as Emperor. Having
cast his vote and placed 1t on the
ballot box he retired.
The voters comprised Manchus.
Mongolians, Metitorious Persons, and
Profound Scholars, and their duty was
to select 81 men who should act in the
10 speak the voice of China.
Everything was very well stage
managed and the voters We're in all
appearance as free as air TO express
their opinions. There was no enthus-
iasm such as Occidertals are accus-
toned to even in their minor electoral
contests, but everything was orderly
and quiet and the externals left no.
thing to be desired.
When 1 ad that the result was a
National Assembly which gave 1893
vothes for monarchy you will be able
to form an opinion as the freedom OF
voting. The truth Is that considered
as a specimen OF government by the
will of the people, the whole business
was an elaborate sham. The monar-
chy movement was engineered from
Peking, and the present government,
which is Yuan, ran IL.
President Yuan Is just as reluctant
TO become emperor of China as Theo-
dore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft,
and Woodrow Wilson were respective
~ reluctant to become President of
the United States at the last PreSi-
dental contest. It Is a Yuan move,
and since the secret motives Of mems
minds are not open for judgment l
will not say that 1t is not the result
of a deep and patriotic conviction
that only the establishment of an en-
pire with himself in the throne can
save China. But the preteXt of pop
ular agitation and an irresistible de-
mand are just-well, let us say etiqu-
cite, in the same way as Yuan'c first
refusal was Oriental politeness.
It does not follow that the change
may not be the best thing for China.
DIR. Frank Goodnow. Of Johns Hopkins
University Is not an admirer of En-
pires in themselves, but he came to
the conclusion that a monarchy was
the only government foT China. Many
other foreigners hold the same view.
The average Chinesman does not care
a straw. He understands an Emperor
but has no knowledge of presidents.
The President of a republic and the
president of q sugar company are a
like represented by the same Chinese
characters and ] am told that 1t has
been impossible to convey to the mas
ses any notion of any kind oil rule
other than autocratic.
The only real question which arises
Is whether the new government Will
work more efficiency than the old.
II should not be imagined thet any
sacrifice of political idealism Is involy-
ed. The government which has exist
e. ed in China for the last two years
was not a republic but military die
tatorship. On the whole II is better
that things should be called by their
right names. and true republicans
will rather rejoice that China has cal
led In her counterfeit political coin.
Will II work? The Japanese do not
believe that It will, and they are In
a position to press the button which
will either give II chance or sur
round it's infant years with deadly
troubles. The attitude OF the Japanese
government was disclosed few weeks
ago when a formal warning was ten
dered to Yuan against making the
change.
The attitude of the Japanese press
is that China by continuing with
change which was too far advanced TO
be stopped when Japan gave the word.
ia fIouting the advice of "the Lord OF
the Orient" and should be brought to
book.
The government at Toxic is pre-
pairing another warning to China
Europe is engressed in its own
troubles and the Entente Allies are
the willing or unwilling partners OF
japan. America stands aloof. Japan
has intimated that she will not per
NIT China to jeopardize "the perma,
nent peace of the Orient" by internal
disorders. Yuan has the army Will,
him and believes he can put down
any outbreaks which may occur, japan
Judging from recent official phrase
wants to guarantee that there shall
be no outbreaks. No government car
give such guarantee, least OF al
China with dozen treaty ports with
drawn from her jurisdiction.
China complains that Sun Vat Ser
and other revolutionary leaders FIND
an asylum In japan, and claim to have
proof that Sun was the instigator oi
the abortive rebellion in the Shang
hia last week The arms which the
revolutionariets used were OF Japanese
make, and repeated charges are made
OF explosives being smuggled from
Japan to China
A large quantity Of dynamite was
found In the luggage OF Japanese
who landed In China the other daS
end n bomb exploded with fatal re
suits IN the shop OF Japanese mer
chant of Shanghai. II is fact thai
such seizures as have been made bI
the Chinese authorities have not i'm
plicated any foreigners other thar
Japanese.
So you get down 10 this. that while
the Japanese government Is openl,
declaring its intention not to permi
,f,1,eo vaia In China. IaDaneaa nation