90
CHINA'S PROVINCIAL REBELS.
THE HONGKON) WEEKLY PRESS AND
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is little doubt that this was likewise iut a- tional in order to embarrass th Poking administration as much as possible, quite as 'much, or more, as from any local anti-
Japanese dislike. We have pointed out in | our previous notice, that this powerful organisation of the Kiangsu Salt Smugglers, unless brought under control was likely in the near future to prove a public danger Practically, as being a source of private income to the local administrators, the existence of the a-sociation was winked at, if uut covertly supported as a means of eeking out the revenues of the Provincials, and ther et red into this with all the more readiness that they conceived that in ac- cepting hush money from the Smuggler's Association, they were really deflecting int their own pockets money which would otherwise have gone to Peking. It is unfortunately the case that in this miser- able business the hands of Peking are scarcely, if at all, cleaner than those of the Provincials. Peking was, in fict, as wide
awake to the increase in the inc me of the local officials as they were themselves; bat instead of taking measures to repress the evil, it bas by increasing its vails on the appointees to local office really contribute-l to making them inre permanent. Long ago the ancient Chinese ballad sang:
Who learn no right, know no rem r«e, Are woman and her unsered crew.
And the aphori-n is a true in the present day, as in those olden times when it wis the cominon bruit of the empire.
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[February 8, 1908.
of Shanghai he would make it more.'' Doubtless the Ta tai fully compr. heads the meaning of the bint.
Of course, and herein lies the especial dinger of the position, when the worst spirits of lawless men are once excite !, they be om» regardless of all control; and the present is an instance in point. The nt noks of the gang ure no longer confined to government property, but are indifferently applied to paralysing the entire tra le of the | inland waters of Kiangsu.
TRAMPS.
(Daily Press, February 5th.) At the annual meeting of the Manche-t-r Creinitorium Ltd., last month, son ex- traordinary views were exp.essel by one of the directors, a Mr. FREDERICK SMALLMAN. His collegues at orc isuel a letter dis- claiming any sympathy with his opinions and few readers will wonder at this when they have digested the following summary
(Daily Press, February 4th.) We have had occasion inore than once lately to allude to the Salt Smugglers of Kiangsu and their extraordinary relations with the local officials, which has long been | a disgrace to the entire administration, nut only of the province but of the Empire at large. Originally sprung into existence through the connivance of the provincial officials, who made use of them to draw into their own hands the imperial revenue due from, the Salt Gabelle, of late years the completely organised society of the Salt Smugglers has assumed a conjoiut authority in the froutier districts of Chehkiang and Kiangsu with the Emperor's own officials, and practically rules whole districts from Shanghai to the regions surrounding the Tai Hu. In the districts adjoining Shanghai it carries on its proceedings practically openly, and has its own officials and its own police who bring notice of any infraction | of its regulations, and whose energies are more especially devoted to the rooting out of informants who may give any clue to the machinations of the cafraternity, Since the mischievous tautai YUAN in 1906 formed an unholy alliance with the chiefs of the Smugglers to dest oy the Foreign Settlements at Shanghai, the fraternity has felt itself powerful enough under threats of exposure to set at defiance the regular provincial officials; and the whole of the lower county may be said to exist under a rule of terrorism. This extends to the It is things like this that occurring immediate precincts of the Foreign Settle from day to day go far to cast suspicion meats, where almost nightly outrages, for on the genuineness of the Chia sẻ the most part outside the limits of the for reform. At all events, as we have foreign police, but occasionally within the often remarke, reform in China, to boundaries are reported; and it is only be posible, must begin at the fountain through the energetic and constaut coutri head; it is utterly impossible to attempt to of the armed and well disciplined foreign cleanse the hands of the provincial admini- police of the Settlements that these disor-strations so long as the system of vils, now ders are prevented day by day from break- more than ever in full play, prevails in ing out into open violence. More recently, provincial appointments. No officer who encouraged by the impunity accorde 1 by the has left in a corner of his mind a spark of incapacity of the local government to control financial honesty, could remain in a post 80 powerful an organisation, these outrages where lying and concealment is the first have been increasing in audacity, and now requirement for success. The streain of the persons and property of the officials promotion is poisoned at the source, and the themselves, which up to this had been promote must drink of it or perish from studiously and even ostentatiously respected, thirst. There is indeed a good deal of are openly threatened; and it is daily be reasou to connect the last outbreak of coming more evident that certain disloyal savagery with the exaction of the 50,000 officials are really at the bottom of the aels indemnity for the damage done in the disorder. As we showed the other day, the Foreign Stlements at Shanghai by Tastai agitation, nominally against the Bri.ish and YUAN and his confederates of the Sit) Chinese Syndicate and the proposed Railway Smugglers. After shuffling without avail loan, are really at bottom directed against to get out of responsibility for the affair, it the Central Government, and its efforts to was annou, cel that Yras himself, to s.. bring under Imperial control the hitherto further embarrassment to the Wei-wu-pu, . semi-independent Provincial administra- would pay it out of his own pocket; such tions. Of this we have evidence on many, a solution seemed to meet admirably the sides, not the least instructive of which is justice of the case. But there was some- the part being played by SHENG KUNG-PAO, thing behind this pretended magnanimity. who almost openly is fanning the fires of The officials implicated in their turn tried disorder.
to levy it off the Salt Smugglers, already discontented at recent additions to their hush money; and these latter taking ad vantage of the discontent stirred up by the Proviŭcials in Chebkiang by men like SHENG KUNG-PAO and others, seizel the opportunity to make themselves even with their former pals," but now, as they regard them, their oppressors; and deter mined to give them a lesson not likely to be forgotten.
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of theta. Mr. SMALLMAN said that a wonderful impetus would be given to the move neut if cremation were made com- pulsory in certain cases. What ho called the movement
the of course, wat, unpleasant business from which, presum-
ably, he derives divi le »ds, and his attitude so far is merely that of the gleeful under- taker in a time of pestilence, who rubs his hands at the prospect of risker trade.
He thinks that the sentiment against the cremtory method of disposing of corpses would become less strong if the publie were habitunted to the idea by its com- crypulsory adoption in the case of murderers. so far, Mr. SMALLMAN had not gaid any. thing to be ashamed of; there are many people who be ieve that the living would SMALLMAN, however, seems to have plunge i benefit by the cremation of the dead. Mr.
straightway into R confluence of two differout streams of thought.
His pro fessional hopes and his perso al antipathies enticed him into the sensationalism with which his colleagues dreaded to he as-
Certain of the higher officials of the province have apparently been making feeble efforts to ease, or put an end to, the general state of terrorism, and there is little doubt that the late attack on the train of passenger boats proceeding under tow from Hangchow to Shanghai, and in a well traversed waterway, was carefully planned beforehand, and was intended as a distinct threat to Peking of armed resist ance in case of further attempts to inter- the louing of the tow-boat Pengli, clearly fere in provincial affairs. The steamer and leud support to this contention, and is, in train selected for the first attack bel nged fict, otherwise inexplicable. A lea ier him- to the China Merchants Compuy, which is self of the roblers, struck with sympathy essentially a me: rop litau institution, and when he saw a wounded father bending over as such is not viewed by the provincials the dead body of his son, a young student, with over loving eyes; the second was the gave the old man a douceur of fi.ty dollars, property of a Japanese Company, and there l adding that "If he applied to the Taotal
An incident overheard at
sociated. He went on to advocate eu- thanasia, for all who either deserved or
desire it. In the latter case, there is no need to make provision : th⋅ means are not difficult to procure, and to offer them publicly would simply be to multiply hasty decisions and fital muistake. Ia the former CALS, the difficulty is at one apparent. Why should apportion the de- (serts om • ? Certaiuly not intemperately antipathetic persons like the director with the appropriate kurdame. Mr.
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SMALUMAY went GAL:
'I sold suggest that a lethal chamber should be erected, not only for criminals, but also for all who are useless aut worthless tried of life, and ho do not wish to live any longer and I f--¡ sure that the introduction of a lethal chamber would be a great boon to such."
Mr. SMALLMAN next proceeded to talk about the professional tramp. He would not extend the slightest mercy to the pro- fessional tramp, whs should be put out of his existence as speedily and painlessly as possible It is almost surprising that
he should have remembered to recommenda painless method, seeing how he regards them
-the trup.
We woude what Mr.
SMALLMAN knows ab ut tramps. Had
ay acquaintance with them?
he
We
doubt it, for he regards the professional variety
objectionabl
whereas
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the most
canual it happens to be the W.LE is the nuisance. During A journalistic investigation in Englsad over a dozen reiri ag», we su lied the tramp at close quarters, in the only way possible to It was interesting, if not exactly
do so.