Study On Railway Police Functions In Beiyang Period

Railway is the tool of political unity for a country,the power of war victory,the indicator of a state's economic prosperity,also the powerful tool of spreading civilization and education,even the lifeline of the country.The railway police had an important responsibility to ensure railway safety and protect the lives and property of customers,it is the protector of the railway and the maintenance of the railway security,and has an close relation with the railway transportation.Chinese railway police started with the rising of the railway from the late Qing Dynasty,originally set up for protecting railway according to their own needs at that time,since for without unified planning,there had been a lot of problems during more than ten years after setting up it by late Qing Dynasty,including management confusion,non-uniform names or uniforms,salary inequality and so on.Rectification was of no use.At the beginning of Beiyang Period,as for the stable of the current political situation,railway police had a further development,Including the rising of railway police education,the completing of organization and regulations,besides,the species also get a clear distinction along with the improvement and refinement of railway police function.But with the frequently change of the regime and increasing military conflict,the power of central government declined and the forces of local warlords became more expansive,the latter stepped in the railway and controlled it,As a result,railway police became the tools of the reactionary rule and stopped developing.Then,by virtue of the case of train robbery in Lincheng,it had a short development,but also a flash in the pan.Railway police,was the subject of law enforcement which had public power in railway system,carried out the law enforcement work in railway area.At the station,the railway police had many responsibilities,including keeping order of the platform and the ticket office,assisting in checking the passenger ticket;removing the obstacles on the track,ensuring the safety of traffic and the locomotive factory,warehouse and other materials;area patrols to prevent and combat against traffic safety behavior;guarding the criminal and goods of railway system etc.The railway police had very important responsibilities in the car and along the railway.During Beiyang Period,,the governmentlost control of society fully for political corruption.Various warlords continuous differentiation and combination complicatedly which lead to war with no ending,most areas were suffering from war and constant natural disasters,poor people cannot bear and many of them became bandits just for living,the case of bandit became more serious,the Republic of China became worthy of the name "bandit country".Traditional robbery is no longer able to satisfy the bandits,the train become the new target of the bandits plunder,so the world-shaking case of train robbery in Lincheng occurred,which gave a vivid lesson to Chinese railway police.As a result,armed guarding and garrison along the line added to its function.Besides,the railway station began to against the bandits with the help of local military,The local army had the power of it instead of railway police which lost the position of law enforcement.Maintenance of railway traffic order and public safety in railway area,was original function of railway police,was service for the guest and goods,.With the development of railway and the popularization of railway police education,the railway police improved the consciences to service,which lead to the rewards from merchants and the authority,and showed its superiority.Anyway,as a department with income,revenue always along with corruption.which was a common falling in China,how can the railway survive? In the background of rampant corruption,the railway police had law enforcement powers,because of management confusion and lack of supervision,they took advantage of their position to abuse power,it really was the defect of function.Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,the railway workers gradually learned to use railway strike to struggle,and with the improvement of workers' ideological consciousness,railway works had a movement for freedom,democracy,the anti imperialist and anti warlord political consciousness,which began to shake the rule of reactionary warlord.Railway police had strong political attributes,as expression and defenders of government in railway age,also became the power and accomplice of reactionary warlord,it began to help a tyrant to victimize his subjects,help the police to inspect party,what was worse,it destroy the railway workers' strike movement by force,destruct revolution.The behavior of all cast a reactionary veil to railway police function.