The Fight for the Republic in ChinaPutnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
History
The Fight for the Republic in China
Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox)
China -- History -- Republic, 1912-1949; China -- Politics and government
As leading members of political and military bodies, we should wait
till the opportune moment arrives when we will give collateral
support to the movement. Details of the plan will be made known to
you from time to time.
This method of circular telegrams, which had been inherited from the
last days of the Manchus, and vastly extended during the
_post_-revolutionary period, was now to be used to the very utmost in
indoctrinating the provinces with the idea that not only was the
Republic doomed but that prompt steps must be taken to erect the
Constitutional Monarchy by use of fictitious legal machinery so that it
should not be said that the whole enterprise was a mere plot.
Accordingly, on the 10th September, as a sequel to the telegram we have
just quoted, an enormous circular message of several thousand words was
sent in code from Peking to all the Military and Civil Governors in the
provinces instructing them precisely how to act in order to throw a
cloak over the nefarious deed. After explaining the so-called "Law on
the General Convention of the Citizens' Representatives" (_i.e._
national referendum) the following illuminating sentences occur which
require no comment showing as they do what apt pupils reactionary
Chinese are in the matter of ballot-fraud.
... (1) The fact that no fewer than one hundred petitions for a
change in the form of State have been received from people residing
in all parts of the country shows that the people are of one mind
concerning this matter. Hence the words in the "General Convention
Law": "to be decided by the General Convention of the Citizens'
Representatives," refer to nothing more than the formal approval of
the Convention and are by no means intended to give room for
discussion of any kind. Indeed, it was never intended that the
citizens should have any choice between a republic and a monarchy.
For this reason at the time of voting all the representatives must
be made unanimously to advocate a change of the Republic into a
Monarchy.
It behooves you, therefore, prior to the election and voting,
privately to search for such persons as are willing to express the
people's will in the sense above indicated. You will also make the
necessary arrangements beforehand, and devise every means to have
such persons elected, so that there may be no divergence of opinion
when the time arrives for putting the form of the State to the vote.
(2) Article 2 provides: "The citizens' representatives shall be
elected by separate ballot signed by the person voting. The person
who obtains the greatest number of votes cast shall be declared
elected."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account