Regarding the question What is. a, Vice-President?" we may rightly say that he is nothing but an, ornament. In Article "49 of the Provisional Constitution, it is stipulated that whenever or another and cannot discharge his duties, the Provisional] Vice- j President is empowered to take over charge of government affairs in substitution. Apart from what is embodied in these few words, no further function has been distinctly defined for the Provisional Vice-President. We find the same thing in the case of the Vice-President of the United States of America, who, though holding the position of Chairman of the Senate, has practically nothing to do, because the President holds the supreme power. As regards a country with a cabinet, both the President and the Vice-President are again nothing more than mere ornaments. But Marshal Tang Chi-yao, so far as we know, is a person age gifted with the highest ability and enjoying an excellent reputation. It would be absurd to place him in a position with no work to do. We feel certain that our fellow-citizens will not suffer such a capable man to be nothing but an ornament and that he himself will refuse to play such a part.
Respecting the second question "Through what kind of Parliament is the present Presidential Election conducted?" we say, without fear of contradiction, that the present Parliament in Peking has lost its title to represent the people's will,' since the M.P's have all been bribed by the Chihli clique. Furthermore, we doubt whether they can conduct the Presidential Election in accordance with the regulations governing the lure. They must in the first place get at least two-thirds of M.P's, i.e., 580 to form a quorum. But latest reports state that the number of M.P's gathered in Peking is scarcely above 510 ard that this number is gradually decreasing, as the days go by, because one M.P. after another is leaving Peking. An election conducted by such an illegal Parliament will be an illegal election and our fellow-citizens will naturally look upon a President thus elected as an illegal President. To be the President under such circumstances is not worth speaking of, how much more so then to be the Vice-
President? Chang Tsolin, Tuan Chi-jui, and Sun Yat-sen have all refused to accent. the Vice-Presidentship. Who could be persuaded to believe that Tang Chi-yao, the protector of the country. and the constitution, would demean himself to accept such a position the Provisional' President—is The second point to consider is: relieved from office for one reason ' Whether or not Tang Chi-yao and sao Kun have joined hauus. In pot of military strengun, the Chbibli clique is for te present the master of Noruh China, having overthrown the Anhui party, held in check the Fengtien war lerd, and even beasted of effecting the union of North and South by force, of arms. Un the other hand, the Yunnan troops, holding the natural strategic points, can march through South and West China without the least hindrance, protect their own territory and maintain peace within. To all appearances, there exists a balance of power between the South and North. If these two forces would join hands, there could be no difficulty in the complete suppression of the forces of Fengtien, Anhui, and Sun Yat-sen's party, and the union of the country may be looked forward to with some ray of hope. But we fear a union effected under such conditions will give rise to still more serious revolutionary reaction and that in a year's time or so the union will be split up again in an even worse way than at present. Tf such a calamity once more befalls the country, the suffering people will be in a more wretched plight. Of course, this would delight the hearts of the war loving Chihli clique, but this is just what the Yunnan troops would wish to avoid, for the Yunnan troops do only what is righteous, as may be seen from past events. Tang Chi-yao being eager for peace, was the first to advocate and enforce the disbandment of soldiers and the abolition of the Tuchunship, how could he ever ce-operate with such traitors!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.