is quite clear
that constitutional government is a useful instrument for building
up a country. It is a government with a set of fixed laws which
guard the actions of both the people and the president none of whom
can overstep the boundary as specified in the laws. No ruler,
whether be he a good man or a bad man, can change one iota of the
laws. The people reap the benefit of this in consequence. It is easy
to make a country strong and rich but it is difficult to establish a
constitutional government. When a constitutional government has been
established, everything will take care of itself, prosperity
following naturally enough. The adoption of a constitutional
government at the present moment can be compared to the problem of a
derailed train. It is hard to put the train back on the track, but
once on the track it is very easy to move the train. What we should
worry about is not how to make the country rich and prosperous, but
how to form a genuine constitutional government. Therefore I say
that if China desires to be strong and prosperous, she should first
of all adopt the constitutional form of government.

Mr. Ko: I do not understand why it is that a monarchy should be
established before the constitutional form of government can be
formed?

Mr. Hu: Because if the present system continues there will be
intermittent trouble. At every change of the president there will be
riot and civil war. In order to avert the possibility of such awful
times place the president in a position which is permanent. It
follows that the best thing is to make him Emperor. When that bone
of contention is removed, the people will settle down to business
and feel peace in their hearts, and devote their whole energy and
time to the pursuit of their vocations. It is logical to assume that
after the adoption of the monarchy they will concentrate their
attention on securing a constitutional government which they know is
the only salvation for their country. As for the Emperor, knowing
that he derives his position from the change from a republic, and
filled with the desire of pacifying the people, he cannot help
sanctioning the formation of the constitutional form of government
which in addition, will insure to his offspring the continuation of
the Throne. Should he adopt any other course, he will be exp