Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-03-28
AN EMPEROR'S WIVES.
The Boy Ruler OF China Now Has
Three, but He May Have Six
Hundred.
Being Only 10 Years OF Age His
Consorts Are at Present Picked
Out for Him.
But When He Gets to Be 80 He Can Select
His Spouses to Please Himself.

ago informed us, says the New York Sun,
that the emperor Of China had been provid-
ed with what seems to Americans TO be un-
bounded domesticity, to-wit: One consort,
Yeh-ho- na-la, daughter of Deputy Lieut.
Gen. Knei Hslang; one secondary consort OF
the first rank, Ta-ta-la, daughter of Chang
Hsii some time vice president of an imperial
board; and one concubine of the second
rank, also named rata la, and also daughter
of Chang Hsii
1t is nearly fifteen years since the present
emperor of China, Tsatcen, succeeded to the
throne. He was then only baby. He will
come into possession of his royal domestic
household on his 18th birthday. He is not
the son of the last emperor, but is one of the
numerous princes of the realm from whom
any one might have been selected as the
heaa of the Chinese religious systeT and
nominally of the empire. The lat emperor
was a cousin of the present incumbent He
died of smallpox and the empress soon fol-
lowed him. The father Of the present en-
peror was Ch'un, seventh son of the Emper
or Taoliwung, who died in 1859. Chinese
diplomacy, full of intrigue and civil service
reform ideas, is responsible for the choice Of
Tsateen, for on account OF his extreme
lieved that they could retain control of the
government longer in that way than by cleo
ting an older prince. China, in spite of many
ideas to the contrary, is somewhat democrat
ic as regards the succession of emperors TO
the throne. 1t would take thousands Of
words TO explain the intricate workings Of
the Chinese system. There are a good many
members of the imperial household in China
and there is no parliamentary body TO APP
propriatc funds for their support. The re-
suit is rather mixed, and it is well nigh
hopeless to attempt TO unravel the thread Of
their relations TO themselves and TO the com
monwealth The interesting fact remains,
which may be explained, chat Tsateen, hay
ing arrived at his majority, so TO speak, has
entered upon a responsible career, and may
find himself in the course of thirty years
the father of a family that will strain his
imperial purse 70 supply with rice and birds
nests.
Three wives may be very well for a lad of
Is, but they are not a marker 10 what "a
grown man must have, especially an en-
peror; but the rulers life is so enshrouded
with mysticism and intrigue that none but
the highest officials of the state have any
corTec. idea of what il is like Theoretically
he IS invisible. Certainly he is the son -
God and the head of the church from the
CllncSo point OF Wow. AS SuCn nc Is nclu
in the highest esteem by the populace, but
his temporal power is remarkably slight
Ono OF the most patient students Of Chi
nese affairs is II. b. Mcdowell now of this
city. He said recently:
"As the essential element of all Chinese
life Is religion, II is probable that the EN-
peror's career is governed by much the same
rules that apply TO other men in China of
high rank The history OF previous en-
perors justifies this view; At the age Of Is
Chinaman energies from boyhood or infancy,
as in our customs man attalns his majority
at 81, though the parallel is not exact. For
the Chinese system is closely analogous TO
the ancient Roman progression Of the indi-
viduaL At Is young Roman became
'adolesccns' At 20 the Chlnaman advances
another step and becomes 'juventus accord
ing to the Roman standard. From that
time on his standing in the community I'M
proves with every decade. Al - GC 5 mar
riageable, or, more plainly, he ought 90 be
married, and after that time he selects his
wives 10 pie $50 himself. When he is 40 he
is capable Of holding public Office and at 30
he can advance a step in his official position.
So again at W the dignity Of his relation
increases.
"A Lad Of IS is provided with domestic
help mates by his father. From now until
the emperor is 80 his wives and concubines
will be selected for him. After that he may
choose and bargain for himself. The three
domestic sympathHers with whom he has
already been provided represent the nucleus
Of his future harcm, and the COnsummation
may be any number which he chooses to
support. The imperial harcm of China is
the largest in the world. The sultans will
not compare with 1t. Many Chinese en-
perors have had as many as 600 wives. Out
OF all these however, there is but one genu-
inc wife in our understanding of the term.
She is the first, or in this instance Heh-ho.
na-la. Normally her frst-born son will
succeed TO the throne, though events may so
happen that according TO Chinese policy
some other of the empcrOr's offspring will
be selected. The one real wife is at the
head of the household Besides her there
may be any number OF secondary wives,
equally legitimate, but Of lower rank. The
concubines correspond nearly TO the mis-
tresses of Europeans, but their offspring are
not socially so degraded as they would be
according TO our civilization"
"What are the relations OF the emperor
children TO the community or to the statel'
ITO understand that you must remember
that the father, until his death, is the abso-
lutte head and ruler Of the family. The
Chinese father is responsible for the support
of all his children No exception of this
rule is made in favor OF the emperor. OF
course he secures funds for his household
by taxation, but the Chinese taxation is a
system of squeezing. The mandarin
squeezes the people of his providence and
the emperor SqueeZes the mandarins II the
Book OF Rites according TO which all
CnlnCSc conduct Is regulated, ulu not COIL
mand such exactions the emperor with his
numerous family might find himself sadly
pushed to meet his expenses, for he is no
absolute monarch as most people suppose
In fact he has less political power and in
finence than Queen Victoria. His sacred
position as he chief of the Chinese religious
system enables him TO eXtort money for the
maintenance of his large household His
children are in some senses unfortunate
There is no recognized place for them in
the state. and though they are highly re-
spectcd because of their blood they can
command no income and in themselves have
no influence. Every one of thcm however,
10 the son of the last concubine, is most
eligible parti, matrimouially considered,
and great many of them are disposed Of
conveniently by marrying a heavily dow
cred daughter Of an ambitious or unluclcy
family. If a man has a large number Of
daughters it is unauspiclous, and an alliance
with person Of royal blood will break the
! luck Other sons OF the emperor are highly
educated and put through the famous eX-
aminations until they become literau OF the
! highest rank That makes them eligible
for state positions, and thereafter they have
| no great difficulties with life. The literary
| examinations are supposed TO be strictly
| impartial, and in general they probably are,
| but IL is nevertheless odd that sons OF en-
- - a