26 THE REFORM MOVEMENT IN CHINA THE“HUNDRED DAYS'”OF REFORM 27 sovereign who then occupied the Dragon Throne,His Imperial Majesty ment of public libraries,newspapers,and magazines;the sending of Kuang Hsu,was far indeed from resembling in active qualities the Russian Chinese abroad to study foreign countries;and,in the political field,the whom Kang put before him as an example. extension of the right to memorialize the Throne directly (only officials of There was one phase of history which had a more immediate signifi- high rank could then address the Throne without previous censorship of cance for China than all the vicissitudes of European development-the their proposals)and the formation of an advisory council to the Throne story of the opening and modernization of Japan.Here was ready to to be composed of delegates elected by the people,one for every 500,000. Kang's hand a pattern so near in space and time that it was already It is especially noteworthy that this memorial,representing the views of familiar to his readers.On Japan he wrote two works.The first dealt candidates for the highest degree under the old system,asked that the with the recent literature of Japan,to which Kang was so greatly indebted same subjects be taught in China as in the West,that technical education for his knowledge of the West.The second treatise,which dealt with be stressed,and that the examinations be revised to fit the new curriculum. reform in Japan,was greatly to augment Kang's fame and influence in later years.In it he qualified as a political prophet of no mean ability by The memorial endorsed one native institution,namely,Confucianism, making the shrewd statement that if China remained inert it would not be looked upon as a source of national strength and a counterpoise to many years before the possession of Liaotung and Formosa passed to her Christianity.China's state was desperate,Kang declared in conclusion, and required such desperate remedies as the memorial embodied. more alert neighbor.The fulfillment of this prediction in 1895 led to Such was Kang's cure for a powerless China.When he had his day Kang's connection with Weng Tung-ho,tutor to the Emperor,who in of power in 1898 these were the measures which he induced Kuang Hsu 1898 recommended Kang to his imperial pupil and thus gave the"Modern to promulgate.The memorial of 1895 indicates the content of the reforms Sage"his great opportunity. of three years later,but also betrays their weaknesses.Kang's knowledge Kang was especially eager that the government should take notice of his teachings.His first chance came at the end of the Sino-Japanese War, of the West which he was so anxious to imitate was inadequate.His when the loss of the Liaotung Peninsula and Formosa had come to pass faith in the efficacy of imperial fulminations was excessive;experience and the air was full of proposais for the revitalizing of China.The agi- was to demonstrate that to issue a reform edict was one thing and to render it effective another.Above all,Kang failed to consider the im- tation was especially acute among the crowd of holders of the chn jen or Master of Arts degree who were then in Peking to take the metropolitan portant factor of time.So conscious was he of the imperative need of examination.After a number of memorials submitted by members of this a new order in China that he was prone to disregard the ancient maxim, group had failed to receive official notice,they chose Kang Yu-wei,as festina lente,which has special applicability when one proposes to alter one of the most conspicuous figures in the academic world,to draft a the whole structure of a most ancient empire.This over-eagerness,natural grand memorial protesting against the hated treaty of Shimonoseki and enough under the circumstances,was one of the chief reasons for the failure of 1898. proposing reform measures.1 The resulting document,submitted early in December 1895,advocated The grand memorial was void of results,for the more conservative of nothing less than the thoroughgoing Westernization of the empire,to be the imperial advisers deemed it too radical in tone.Weng Tung-ho asked effected at once by imperial decree.The changes to be introduced in- Kang's co-operation in the drafting of edicts on railways and mining cluded:a house-cleaning and reform of the official system;the stimula- development and the extension of the study of foreign languages,but they tion of patriotic spirit;the promotion of young and energetic officers to never saw the light of the imperial gazette.1 Perhaps Kang's connection improve the morale of the forces;the removal of the capital inland to with all these attempts militated against their success,for his radical Sian;the encouragement of banks,railways,postoffices,machinery,mines, interpretations of Confucian literature had already been singled out by better coinage,and improved methods of agriculture;the establishment the government as heretical.1 of reformatories,a system of poor relief,and patent laws;the develop- However,Kang was not without high-placed friends in Peking.A number of the chief officials were kindly disposed toward reform if pur- 10 Kang Yeu Wei,"The Reform of China and the Revolution of 1898"in Con- sued with proper decorum.The younger men in Peking were stirred by femporary Review,August 1899. 11 An account of this memorial will be found in NCH,December 6,1895. 1 Wen Ching,op.cit.,p.52. 1a Richard,of.cit.,p.253;NCH,November 22,1895. 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