The Hunanese aimed at making their province a new Hunan, but what they have built up still shows the influence of soldiers; and the Szechuanese, designing to produce a modern Szechuan, have only succeeded in perpetuating the policy of militarists, remarks the "Shunpao." Thus, it does not require much imagination to _perceive that, should all the provinces be reconstructed, China will remain the China of yore and the labour of reconstruction will be spent in vain. The reason for this want of result is because old material is used in the reconstruction work. To use soldiers of the old time to build democratic rule is like building a new house with old material, only the outward appearance being really new.
The paper expresses the hope that all rotten and broken old materials will be discarded and suitable new materials used in the reconstruction of this country, s0 that the work done may stand all wear and tear.
Peopte's Wisks anp Tecuun's.
Regarding such questions as the abolition of the tuchunate and the disbanding of troops, however strong and convincing their arguments may be, the telegrams sent by our people every day are simply ignored by our Government. - Yet, apy telegram containing the slightest expression of displeasure or indignation from a tuchun is sufficient to electrify our Government into instant alarm. If our people should hold conferences every day, and make such noises as would turn Heaven and Earth upside ' down, our Government would not heed them. Yet, a hint, dropped smile ingly and unconcernedly at a conference of the tuchuns, would at once command the implicit obedience of our Government.
The Government is obliged to take whatever is uttered by a tuchun seriously while it cares not at all about the wishes of the people, because the former has soldiers to obey him, while the latter are powerless. A tuchun could easily frighten the Government to submission by a mutiny among his soldiers. Let us retrain from despatching telegrams and holding conferences in the name of our people; but let us hasten to make preparations so that we may back up our demands with force in the future, concludes the "Shunpao.""
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.