CHINESE REVOLT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 22, 9 January 1912, Page 3

CHINESE REVOLT.

UNDER WHICH KING ? “Which do you favour?” is a ques.ion frequently asked just now (renarked the Central China Post reenily). To speak for ourselves, we rankly do not know. Our sympa--iiies are with the revolutionists, and . et, if the Imperialists had the power o put down the present movement nomptly, and the grace to redress all p’ievances, afterwards, we would wish hem the victory. The way in which the surrounding jities are rapidly falling into a state if anarchy, as witnessed by Hwang•howfu and Wuchanghsien, and also iy correspondence from the west in -lie present issue, is proof of this, i'his unfortunate state of affairs may jpread to every city in the province, md throughout such other provinces ;s happen to be affected. For this eason we would prefer a speedy setlement under the old conditions, and ry to Bear those ills we have . -an ffv to others that we know not of. On the Other Hand. On the other hand, the. Manchu ailing family, like the ’ Stuarts of figland and the Bourbons of France, as become impracticable. It is like iii old tree whose vitality is exhausted. Although it may Still make a good show, being hollow-hearted it is iable to be upset' By' the 5 first vail out vtorm. For several reigns it has pfoiucpd no Emperor : capable' of filling ..he throne, and misrule, together with exorbitant'‘ta’xatioil, 1! ! is' driving the 1 people mad. The intentihHS of* lire 1 i'nrone are good. The reforms proposed are many of them excellent, mt they never seem to materialise m.o anything satisfactory. The Provincial Councils and the National Assembly, as institutions, were full of promise, but they have accomplished nothing .because,.,.the. .main effort ,of. -no Government has been directed towards preventing them from making :heir influence felt. The promised Constitution and Parliament are. admirable as they exist,*on paper, but, vhen established, they .will probably jo- found.'to be of no morb'use than fire Councils of the Assembly. Thus-, far for the civil side of things in uilitary and naval .matters it is no oetter. To what purpose ' moderntrained troops and a navy of sorts lave been called into existence may je estimated from the sound of the nusketry and guns which fills the air is we write. In this so-called reform /ear all the old abuses are allowed to flourish. Purchase of office and official squeeze are as rampant as ever. i'Jie ever-increasing taxation is becoming insupportable, while public works are neglected and the miseries if the perishing poor almost entirely lisregarded. Looked at in this light, it is evident that the time for a change has come, and even were the necessary birth pangs staved off for die moment they would only return in more violent form, arid a new regime be brought into being in spite of ill that could be done to hinder it. ffor this reason we wish success to the revolutionary, cause. Hope for the Future. There is hope for the future in the new men. They are better informed, more patriotic and self-sacrificing than their opponents, and, judging by this city, they are the unanimous choice of the people. No one who mines much in contact with the people can have failed to notice how enthusiastic, from the coolie to the compradore, they all are for the revolution. Its great fault is the tendency shown to make the movement a race war. The cry which is rallying multitudes is not the betterment of the country • and the people, but ■‘Down with the Manclius,” and the itroeities which are being perpetrated along this line are such that foreign friends of the cause must hide their heads with shame. Meanwhile die whole matter is on the knees of the gods.