Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-31
AN INVISIBLE EMPEROR.
Streets Must BE Vacated Where the Chinese
Emperor Walks.

Streets Must BE Vacated Where the Chinese
Emperor Walks.
From the North China Herald.
The traveller who is strolling about the prin-
cipal thoroughfares of Pekn is liable, at
crossing Of two main streets, to find a huge
screen of patchwork cloth suspended from
poles in such a way as to obstruct the view from
all sides. only narrow opening being left for
carts and pedestrians. Pursuing his way he
notices that the entrance to all the many alleys
is barred with rush mats and that the same kind
Of screen is placed in front of ruined temples
and vacant lots which have been used as the
places of deposit of filth rubbish. Whenever
the emperor is about to make his exit from the
city or is about to return. criers announce that
fact to the people. who then disappear, not to
emerge until the invisible monarch has passed
when things 60 on as usual until the next occa-
sion of a like nature
There are two main benefits supposed to be
attached to this Enthusiastically oriental pro-
ceeding-it helps to preserve the fiction of the
sacredness of the person of the emperor. and
of his being something more than an ordinary
mortal. and it is a valuable check upon reckless
assassins Of the Guiteau type, whom China
would easily furnish In unlimited numbers.
third result is incidental. As the people see
nothing of the emperor, 30 he sees nothing of
the people. He is probably the only man in
China Who Is unable TO form any idea of what
the Chinese are like or what they are about.
" hat is seen in the imperial court is no type
either of China or the Chinese, but it must be a
literal impossibiity for the emperor to got any
thing else upon which to base notion OF his
empire.
What does the emperor think. how much
does he know, what does he think that he
knows, does he think at all, what ia the
specific gravity of the darkness in which he
perpetually apides and how many bent rays
Of light reach him through the opaque oyster
shells known as "Boards2'' This mat and bed
quilt theory Of government is not confined to
the emperor, but runs all the way through
the ranks of oficialdom. The district magis-
trate is supposed to be the man that knows
his district and the project the man that
knows his prefecture; but these are mere
figures of speech used in q purely ideal way.
No one in a district Knows less Of what is
going on within the boundaries than the chief
officials: no one would have more trouble
in finding out what is going on, supposiEg he
really desired to know.
As a rule. there is no one who really cares
less to know or who considers it less his bust
ness to know. provided the taxes are paid and
the people are '.tranquilized.' 1t is very diff
cult for most Chinese officials to come to any
useful conclusion rs to their duties, for the
reason that they generally have too little in
terest in the matter, and arc in reality almost
as much pinioned in shackles as the pris-
oners at the doors of their vamens wearing
wooden platforms about their necks. but with
this difference. that the sentence on the pris-
oner is for definite term and end, while that
Of the official is too often limited only by his
life. Chinese ofiicialdom is largely shut up in
a shell, just as it Was a generation ago aud II
we hear the hammering within it is much more
likely TO be q defense against those outside to
prevent their breaking in than an effort on the
part Of the imprisoned to get out.