The author deals at great length with the background to this idea, playing on popular fears to reinforce his casuistry.  For although constitutional government is insisted upon as the sole solution, he speedily shows that this constitutionalism will depend more on the benevolence of the dictator than on the action of the people.  And should his advice be not heeded, when Fortune wills that Yuan Shih-kai’s rule shall end, chaos will ensue owing to the “uncertainty” regarding the succession.

Here the discussion reaches its climax—­for the demand that salvation be sought by enthroning Yuan Shih-kai now becomes clear and unmistakable.  Let the author speak for himself.

Mr. Ko:  But it is provided in the Constitutional Compact that a president must be selected from among the three candidates whose names are now kept in a golden box locked in a stone room.  Do you think this provision is not sufficient to avert the terrible times which you have just described?

Mr. Hu:  The provision you have mentioned is useless.  Can you find any person who is able to be at the head of the state besides His Excellency Yuan Shih-kai?  The man who can succeed President Yuan must enjoy the implicit confidence of the people and must have extended his influence all over the country and be known both at home and abroad.  He must be able to maintain order, and then no matter what the constitution provides, he will be unanimously elected President.  He must also be able to assure himself that the two other candidates for the presidency have no hope for success in the presidential campaign.  The provision in the constitution, as well as the golden casket in which the names of the three candidates are kept which you have mentioned, are nothing but nominal measures.  Moreover there is no man in China who answers the description of a suitable, successor which I have just given.  Here arises a difficult problem; and what has been specified in the Constitutional Compact is a vain attempt to solve it.  It is pertinent to ask why the law-makers should not have made the law in such a way that the people could exercise their free choice in the matter of the presidential successor?  The answer is that there is reason to fear that a bad man may be elected president by manipulations carried out with a masterly hand, thereby jeopardizing the national welfare.  This fear has influenced the constitution-makers to settle upon three candidates from among whom the president must be elected.  Then it may be asked why not fix upon one man instead of upon three since you have already deprived the people of part of their freedom?  The answer is that:  there is not a single man whose qualifications are high enough to be the successor.  As it is, three candidates of equal qualifications are put forward for the people to their selection.  No matter how one may argue this important question from the legal point of view, there is the fact that the law makers fixed upon three candidates