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of the Empire, we give the substance of it below:-
I.-There are eight reasons why railways should not be made.
II. There are eight disadvantages in having railways.
III.-There are uine dangers in having railways.
Ist. The eight reasons for not having rail- ways in China are:--
1.-The Chinese are not honest enough to bo entrusted with the enormous sums of money which is necessary for such a great work. Foreigners handle 70 or 80 millions sterling China without any dishonesty, while the Merchants' Co., with one three hundredth part of such capital, pays no proper dividend.
2.-Railways require enormous capital even for such a small country as England. It is far beyond the power of China to find capital for such a vast Empire as ours.
3.-Christians do not know that the seats of many gods are in the mountains and valleys. By opening tunnels to disturb the rest of these gods who knows what droughts and floods and other calamities might befall us?
4.In the West the capitalists themselves superintend the railways, whereas in China they will be managed by mandarins and they will swindle all rovn1.
5.--In the West anybody can report anyoun who has neglected his duty on public service. But in China none but their superiors can, so there is no security for faithfulness.
6-In foreign countries no poor are allowed to go about stealing, but, when the Woosung railway was bought up by the Chinese, with in a month the very rails from the road were stolen.
7-In foreign countries the railway is done by time. In China there are so many Customs barriers that if the train is run according to time then the Customs dues cannot he collected.
8.-Fire Chinese require more room than ten foreigners, as they carry so much luggage
with them. Even the soldiers do so.
2nd-Eight disadvantages in having rail-
Ways:-
1. The advocate for railways says: --Al- though there are difficulties in swallowing we cannot get on without food; so with railways.
But really there is no good to be got from them. The good of England and Europe is from all other countries; whereas if railways are opened in all the provinces of China, oùe province will only be robbing the other. Wher » is the good?
2. The advocato also says:- By transport- ing more goods to the ports we shall drive more gain from other countries.
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remedy is to be found in the character of the mandarin, not in the railway convenience.
6-The advocate also says:That with rail- ways there will be less need of soldiers.
But this is forgetting that troubles often rise in China through disbanding soldiers, and the country may be lost in that way.
7. The advocate also says:--By having rail- ways mines can be easier opened, as there is easier method of transport.
This is forgetting that in former dynasties they were able to work mines without the use of railways. They do not know that England's coal is about to be used up. to their steamers they will stay on here without fear. Let the people open the mines as they please. Why should the Government provide expensive railways for thom?
8.--The advocate likewise says:-By opening a railway to Chinkiangpoo from Peking, then, in case of war, grain can be transported that
way.
[December 11, 1895.
+
Hunan men got some tens of names to do the same with theirs and they went to the. Censors' yamên asking them to memorialise the Emperor for them. Then the chujen of" Fukien, of Szechuen, of Kiangsi, and of Kuei- chou followed suit. Then those of Kiangan. of Hupeh, of Shensi, of Kansu, and of Kwangsi did the same. These again were followed by those of Chihli, of Shantung, of Shansi, of Honan, and of Yunnan, so that on the 28th and 30th of the 3rd moon, the 2nd, the 4th, and the 6th of the 4th moon (the days when the Censorate received petitions) the street out-
was If China sells coal side the Censors' yamên
filled with and official caps. carts, horses,
Having waited for some days and seeing no report in the Peking Gazette they decided to combine the whole into one graud memorial from all the provinces and the so-called modern sage" of China, Kang Yen-wei, was asked to draw up the whole in one document. This he did in a memorial containing 18,000 characters and it was signed by over 1,000 chūjen. So says one of the prefaces to this remarkable document. But the number of names given in the document is 604. As the peace treaty with Japan was to be ratified at Chefoo on the 14th of the 4th moon (the 8th of May, 1895). it was decided to present this muited memorial from the chajen of the whole empire at the Censors' yamen on the 10th of the 4th moon. alas! the Government decided to ratify the- Treaty on the Sth and they found that they were too late. Finally the manager of the Photolithographic establishment in Shanghai secured a copy. It is published in order that all nations may know that there are men still in China who were ready not only to fight in the present caergency but also to make such re- forms as will secure their independence and honour in the future.
This is not knowing that grain can be trans ported overland in part of the journey and save a round of 000 H. This is the way to save time and economise! Can arriving in one day and one night counterbalance this?
3rd.--The dangers of having railways, 1.-When the poor sell their land for railways they will squander the money and will never recover it.
2.--At present 10 millon taels annually leave China; if railways are opened 100 million taels will go abroad annually and foreigners will be getting all the higher work. Moreover, if borrowed money is not paid back the nations will give no more rest to China than they gare to Turkey.
3-Customs will be injured by railways. The country people are better than the villagers aud villagers are better than the town folks. When railways are introduced all the evil customs of the towns are brought down to the villages and the country.
4.-The railway will raise the prices of meat and cereals. This I saw in the museum in
Berlin, by comparing the prices before and after the building of railways.
5.-Railways clear away natural obstructions to the progress of the enemy.
When the railway is opened poor natives will hire themselves to serve foreign nations and lead them into the interior as they did thirty-five years ago.
7-When a railway is built with foreigu money it has to he mortgaged to them. Again, if our soldiers are equal to others, we have nothing to fear; but if others are superior to ours then we have inch to fear.
S--When railways are opened and there are many robbers about, as in China. if they cap. ture the train, how can they he captured
But this is not thinking that if more produce 9- Even when railways are opened through- is transported to the parts the price will 20 out the Empire they only rach a tithe of the down! Only Russia, Euland, France, and land: the nine-tenths are still without the con- Austria deal in tea and silk. As the populationvenience of transport. But if you do not be- of these countries does not increase, the demand lieve these things borrow 70 millions and build will not increase. Germany, althongh it has
a railway and then you will soon discover the harm. opened up railways like England, cannot catch up with England; besides. China leis no manu- factures to export abroad.
Many foreign speculators come to China to see if they cannot get soure great bargain made for
3.--The advocate also says:--Travelling will their own ends. be much more convenient than now.
The customs of the West ar sach that the women give no rest to their husbands at home. They compel them to travel with them from place to place. As the customs are different in China such conveniences are only a disadvantage.
4--The advocate also says:--Borrow foreign money to build railways. Foreigners land money at 2 or 3 per cent.; railways give 4 or 5 per cent.
If China borrows money the mandarin gets a share, the Chinese agent gets a share, the foreign agent gets a share, till the interest which China has to pay for foreigu money gets to be very high, owing to these lenders and swindlers. When a higher interest than 4.8 per cent. is charged it is all pocketed by the money lenders.
5. The advocate also says :--By having rail- ways the mandarins can examine matters them- selves by going to the spot.
Does not the advocate know that the yameus are often the source of the greatest disorders right before the eyes of the mandarin. The
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Let
Be not led astray by strange things and squander a large fortune over one meal. our youth continue the study of our ancient classics: that is best.
It is useless to point out the folly of the above arguments; they are Chinese and childlike. An ordinary schoolboy could upset the Secre- tary's foolish reasonings.-Mercury.
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But
The object of the memorial is stated to be to petition the Emperor to issue an edict.
I-To create a patriotic spirit.
II. To remove the capital to Hsianfu in Shensi.
III-To raise and drill armies. IV. To make reforins.
In order that peace may not be signed, that the outer barbarians be repelled, that our country be preserved, and that our dynasty be prolonged. I-To create a patriotic spirit five things
are necessary.
1. -Reform. Laws and regulations like utensils become old and useless and new ones must be provided according to the needs of the
times.
Call
2-Confess sius like the ancient Emperors! upon all to wipe out the nation's disgrace as if avenging a personal aneiny.
3-Punish unworthy officials. 4.-Employ better men.
5. Don't listen to Japan about not punishing those who were engaged in war.
ensy
II. Remove the capital. The present is too near the sea and therefore is too
of access to all foreign nations. The former treaties were all made from fear of losing the capital. Put it. at a safe distance and former humiliations will not be repeated.
III-Raise aud drill an army.
The indemnity asked for by Japan (Tls. 200,000,000) should be used to equip the army.
Young generals should be elected who are not bound by old and out-of-date methods and encouraged to raise armies and drill them night
and day.
The barbarous nations are constantly making new guns. (Here they give the names of the different guns and rifles used by the different While armies of Europe and America.) barbarous nations buy the now and discard the THIRTEEN HUNDRED REFORMERS old, we buy up the discarded rifles of Siam ; how
IN CHINA.
When the Japanese were gaining ground everywhere and the Chinese Government was arranging to make peace, there was a tremendous stir throughout all the literary circle in Peking, especially among the chujen who had come to the capital for their chinshih degree. They thought it was an unendurable disgrace for While in this mood a China to sue for peace. young Cantonese chujen, Liang Ki-ch'ao by name, conceived the idea of writing a memorial and getting it signed by several others. He got over a hundred names to his. Three
can we prosper ? they say.
IV. Reforms. So long as we have only a revenus of Tls. 70,000,000 how can China over repay an indemnity of Tls. 200,000,000 ? Various reforms are necessary.
A-To enrich the people six things are
necessary.
1.--Must establish Banks. By means of these the financing of the nation in regard to all matters will be easy.
2.
Their savings to
-Must have railways. the country will be very great.
3. Must encourage machinery. 4.-Open coal mines.
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