Honolulu Advertiser Editorial: Democracy Emerging in China 1946

Democracy Emerging in China (Editorial)
Honolulu Advertiser: February 3, 1946

China is on the brink of its first taste of democracy in its 4,000 years of history. From centuries of monarchy which held the power of life and death to a series of “republican” governments which began in 1911 and succeeded mainly in perpetuating civil strife, China is emerging with a formula to administer to an unhappy land. The Political Consultive Council, sitting uneasily at Chungking for many months, at last has rammed through a democratic coalition government which will hold the reins until May when the country’s national assembly will adopt a constitution.

This marks the end of what has been close to absolute dictatorship by the Chiang-Soong “dynasty” which rode to power in the revolution of 1927. Since then, only one political party –the Kuomintang- has been responsible for government. The product of warlordship, it was ponderous, untractable, unmindful of the true meaning of democracy. It survived only because of the stubbornness of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and what enlightened reforms could be maneuvered by the American-educated Madame Chiang, one of the great Soong family.

In the last 18 years, there were some reforms but not enough. Now, the Kuomintang, the Chiangs and the Soongs have been stripped of power in reforms and in the making of the constitution. Communists, people of the Democratic League, a party of young men and women, numerous other partisan groups are to have their say in China’s destinies.

China at last appears to be finding its way. It has been a long uphill pull through the dark. There is no reason to believe that more civil dissension might not be ahead, but China, nonetheless, is on the right path. It has the cheers of the rest of the world.