CHINA'S NEXT STEP*
~Apr. l, 1912~
*In the following article the founder and temporary President ofthe new Republic of China indicates that in laying down that office he doesnot consider his task done, but plans for a new social and industrial rev-olution for China which shall put that ancient nation in the very van ofthe nations of the world and achieve results which could not be achievedwithout bloodshed in countries with a fixt social system. This remark-able utterance appeared first in the form of an address at the farewell ban-quent given in his honor at Shanghai by the Revolutionary Association,April 18, 1912.-Editor of The People
The republic is established in China, and though I am layingdown the office of Provisional President, this does not mean thatI am going to cease to work for the cause. After laying down myoffice, still greater affairs demand my attention. China has been un-der the domination of the Manchus for 270 years. During that timemany attempts have been made to regain independence. Fifty yearsago the Taiping Rebellion was such an attempt, but this was merelya revolution of the race (Chinese against Manchus). Had the rev-olution been successful, the country would still have been underan autocratic government. This would not count success. Some years ago a few of us met in Japan and founded the Rev-olutionary Society. We decided on three great principles: (1) The(Chinese) people to be supreme as a race (i.e., not to be under thedomination of an alien race). (2) The people supreme in govern-ment. (3) The people supreme in wealth production. Now the Man-chus have abdicated, we have succeeded in establishing the firsttwo of these principles, and it now remains for us to accomplishthe revolution of society. This subject is being much discussed inthe world today, but many people in China are ignorant of whatis involved in such a question. They suppose that the aim of theregeneration of China is only that this may become a great andpowerful country, on an equality with the great Powers of the West;
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but such is not the end of our effort. Today there are no wealthiercountries than Britain and America; there is no more enlightenedthan France. Britain is a constitutional monarchy; France and Amer-ica are perfect republics; but the gap betwixt the poor and the weal-thy in these countries is too great. And so it comes to pass thatthoughts of revolution still rankle in the minds of many. For, if thisrevolution of society be not effected, the many cannot enjoy com-plete joy and happiness. Such felicity is not for the few capitalists.The mass of laborers continues to suffer bitterness and cannot beat rest. Now, the revolution of the race and the revolution of gov-ernment are easy, but the revolution of society is difficult. This isbecause it is only a people of high attainments that can work outa revolution of society. Some will say, "We have succeeded so farin our revolution, why not be content and wait? Why seek to ac-complish what Britain and America, with all their wealth and know-ledge, have not yet undertaken?" This would be a mistaken policy.For in Britain and America civilization is advanced and industryflourishes, it is therefore difficult to accomplish a revolution of so-ciety. In China we have not yet reached this stage, so such a rev-olution is easy for us. In Britain and America capitalists with theirvested interests are intrenched and it is therefore difficult to dis-lodge them. In China, capitalists and vested interests have not yetappeared; hence the revolution of society is easy. I may be asked,"To accomplish such a revolution as you foreshadow, will militaryforce be necessary?" I reply, "In Britain and America it will be nec-essary to use military force, but not in China." The coal strike inBritain is a proof of what I say. Yet the coal strike cannot be calleda revolution. It is merely that the people desire to get possessionof the sources of wealth and can only do so by violent means. Al-though the revolution of society is difficult to accomplish today,the time is surely coming when it will be an accomplished fact, butby what desperate means it shall be accomplished and through whatdangers the state shall pass, it is difficult to prognosticate. If we donot, in the beginning of our republic, take thought for the future,by-and-by, when capitalism is developed, its oppression may be
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worsed than the despotism which we have just thrown off, and wemay again have to pass through a period of bloodshed. Will not thatbe deplorable?
There is one point to which we ought to give the greatest at-tention. When the new government is established it will be nec-essary that all land deeds shall be changed. This is a necessarycorollary of the revolution. If we desire to forward the revolutionof society, then when the change is made a slight alteration shouldbe introduced into the form of the deed in order that the greatestresults may be achieved. Formerly, people owning land paid taxesaccording to the area, making a distinction only between the best,medium and common land. In the future, taxes ought to be leviedaccording to the value, not the area of the land. For land varies muchmore than in the ratio of these three degrees. I don't know by howmuch the land in Nanking differs in value from land on the Bundin Shanghai, but if you rate it according to this old method of threedegrees you cannot assess it justly. It would be better to tax it ac-cording to its value, the poor land paying a low tax and valuableland a high tax. The valuable land is mostly in the busy marts andis in the possession of wealthy men; to tax them heavily would beno oppression. The poor land is mostly the possession of poor peo-ple in far back districts; nothing but the lightest taxes should belevied on them. For instance, a piece of land on the Bund pays taxesat the rate of a few dollars to the acre and a piece of land of equalarea in the country pays an equal tax. This is far from being just.If the tax were levied on the value of the land then this injusticewould be done away with. If you compare the value of land in Shan-ghai today with what it was one hundred years ago, it has increasedten thousandfold. Now, industry in China is about to be developed.Commerce will be advanced, and in fifty years' time we shall seemany Shanghais in China. Let us take time by the forelock andmake sure that the unearned increment of wealth shall belong tothe people and not to private capitalists who happen to be ownersof the soil.

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