The Advancement of Chang Hsun—Soldiers Short of Pay—Cabinet Ministers Criticized—Imperial House Rebuked Tsung-ch'ang's troops to Hupeh, having apparently forgotten that Hupeh is likewise burdened with an overdose of its own troops and in addition cursed with several units of the so-called "alien soldiers," and that it could not agree fe be converted to a convenient dumpi round for these undesirable braves!
Ministers' ResponsIBILitigs.
The Cabinet Ministers are taken to task for their many shortcomings and for their evident desire to evade their responsibilities. The term "reward and punishment" has lost its true meaning, since neither is now being meted out to the right person or party in this country. While officials of some departments which have control of finances, taxes or other incomes have grown rich and corpulent, their less fortunate colleagues who have been assigned lean billets, such as those at the Chiangchunfu, the Board of General Staff, the Ministry of Education, etc., have eked out a precarious living, indeed, having not received their salaries for periods ranging from 10 months to two years! The Minister of Interior is reported to have issued an order for the restriction of the activities, if not actual suppression, of the Citizens' Election Supervision Organization in every province, which order has, of course, aroused a chorus of protestations.
Chou Tsu-chi, Minister of Finance, has struck upon a novel way by which he hopes to back out of his financial difficulties. He is said to have authorized those applying to him for funds to "raise the wind by themselves." This course, protests the Chinese Press, is open to very serious objection, as reports are already current of fat commissions and liberal discounts being arranged and large bribes tendered the Ministry of Finance to purchase its sanction to loans, which will result in an additional waste of a lakh or two for every million dollars' loan so obtained that would not be incurred if obtained by the financial authorities in the usual way.
Geyrosity For THE Tsing Hovse.
The Republic's treatment of the deposed Imperial Household may be said to be generous in the extreme; members were not banished even after their vain attempt to regain the Throne, says the "Shunpao." They should feel very grateful and ask to be treated as common citizens of the Republic in order to end their days in peace. If not, they should at least respect the constitution of the Republic and refrain from all acts that may be wrongly construed as detri mental to the Republic. It is with much regret that we have to denounce the boastful and harmful attitude of the Manchu Court in bestowing posthumous titles upon Republican servants, to the everlasting shame of the Republican Government. When we think that even the chief traitor Chang Hsin has found persons to back him up, we do not wonder that the House should have become so foolishly oblivious of their own position.
The Article governing the generous treatment of the Tsing House, having the same status as our laws. should not be lightly revised as long as the Tsing House observes the laws of the Republic. But their monarchical attempt, whether self-inspired or instigated by Chang Hsun, should have debarred them from enjoying the terms of these articles.
The '"Shunpao" suggests tha banishment of Chang Hsun and the abolition of these articles as essential for the safety of both the Republic and the Tsing House, It strongly advocates that all Manchus should be made to enjoy equal privileges as Chinese or Mohammedans, and treated neither better nor worse than either.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.