Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-16

account OF literary merit. The truth Is
that the best places are given out through
influence, and every Chinese state Is sur
rounded by intrigues and intriguers. There
Is no court In the world about which there
IS so much plotting as about that of Pc
king, and there is none which has so many
mobiles and officials of different rank. The
emperor is. Of course, at the top. He is
the son OF heaven, and Is supposed to hold
communion with the gods: All of his rela-
tives are mobiles, and the imperial clan has
court of its own, which holds secret
meetings and regulates matters concerning
the family. There is genealogical record
Kept i'll Picking and at Mukden, and this
contains a record of all the branches of
the emperor's family. Each of it's men,
bers has an allowance from the govern
ment. but they have not great deal of
power. The emperor is supposed to be SUI
preme, and he can appoint his own sue
ceSsors, choosing which of his children
shall succeed him. He is supposed to make
this selection In secret and the announce
ment OF his choice is not to be made until
his death. The present emperor has a
number of relatives who are known as
princes. and among these is Prince Ching,
who is now at the head of the bureau OF
foreign affairs. and who is said to be some
what progressive in his tendencies. These
princes have their own rank, and there
are twelve different orders of nobility
among the members of the imperial house
hold. The highest princes get about thir
teen thousand dollars a year, and they
each have a retinue of three hundred and
so that it costs the government about sew
enty-five thousand dollars year apiece for
them. These highest princes are the broth
ers or sons of the emperor. Next to them
are his majestys cousins, who get about
forty-five thousand dollars year. and the
other relatives get less. until the lowest Of
the imperial nobility are paid about four
dollars a month and rations. In addition
to these there are dukes, counts, barons
and marquises, which ranks are conferred
by the emperor and not a few of which
are sold. The Manchus or Tartars have
nobility, and the different ranks are confer
red upon the Chinese. as well as the Tar
tars. The empress must be pure Tar
tar and all the ladies' of the imperial
harem are of Manchu blood. It is not ne
cessary that they be of royal blood, and
pretty Tartar girl, even though her IA
ther be plowman has chance of getting
into the palace. The mother of the EN-
peror Hien-fung was a keeper of fruit
store. She was very beautiful, and one day
the prime minister saw her and took her
into the palace. She was taken up by the
emperor and made his favorite concubine
and in due time became mother of the
succeeding emperor.
Some Queer Princes.
Some of the members of the enperors
family are very poor 1 was told of num-
Der of princes who live in Picking and who
are chemically hard up. I heard of others
who delight in going about through the
city in disguise, and who do all sorts of
curious things. The emperor's father Is
now dead. He was great noble and when
he was alive he was man of considerable
influence. The empress dowager has more
power than any other person in the coun-
try. She educated the emperor and she
winds him about her finger. He has not
yet been able to cut loose from her apron
strings, and she governs him also through
his wives. She picked out the women who
compose his imperial harer, and she has
the whole court under her long-nailed
thumb. She is strong friend of Ii Hung
Changes. and it is through her influence
that Lii is sent to Japan. She also governs
the eunuchs of the palace, of whom there
are supposed to be three thousand and she
is. in fact. the power behind the throne of
the Chinese government.
Every one has heard of the Chinese but
tons and how they indicate rank. A great
many people. however. have no idea what
the official button is. All Cinnamon have
buttons about as big as hickory nut on
the tops of their skull caps, and in the case
of the common people these buttons are