The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-25

empire quite as we'll as many of his
official advisers, while he trusted her
infinitely more, believing her honest
and single in purpose.
Naturally the said advisers disliked
the new favorite or else they began to
think the old --nperor wiser than they
mad imagined, but what they were not
prepared for was the obliging death
OF the Empress, and after the term
OF courtesy mourning was over the
marriage of the Emperor with Tuen-
Tson-HSi! Here was a thunderbolt.
The old Empress had been of the good
Chinese type, worshipful, and of af-
fairs of state all unknowing. She had
left son and heir, and died with a
sense of having done her duty accord
ing to Nue. er Ching and THE Girls
-Four Books
Tuen was different. The Emperor
was just old enough to be completely
swayed by his brilliant wife, clear
headed ana practical as she was. Vir-
tually she became the ruler of the i'm
mense empire, and when an indignant
statesman ventured to oppose her de-
crees, as occasionally one of them
would be brave enough to do, Tuen
promptly ordered the offenders head
cut off, not --guratively, but literally,
with a short sharp chop" and this
drastic measure soon squelched any
active desire to criticize her policy or
her methodist wasn't safe.
Bitter, indeed, was it to the average
Chinaman to feel that the real power
behind the rulers throne was one of
the despised sex. Yet was Tuen mag
netic withal, and won people by her
force and charm, even when they had
rather not She was always tactful,
dearly as she loved power, and minis
terS of state grew to respect her ability
even when they disliked the woman.
Then the old Emperor died in the full
ness of years and Tuen became dow
ager Empress, with weak boy for
ostensibly reigning monarch.
Now did Tuen-Tson-Hsi get her real
innings. Already she had achieved
power through the Emperor, and now
it was hers in very truth, for what
could child King be but the most
transparent of figureheads? Neither
did the shrewd woman exert herself to
prepare the young Emperor for his du-
ties in reigning over the greatest
numerically speaking-nation in the
world! She did not beat or abuse him;
she worked more subtle injury, and
one for which there could be no swift
uprising against her He was a weak
boy and she simply let him have his
own way. She surrounded him with
luxury, with beauties of the harem,
with idleness and dissipation. After
tWenty-six years of this enervating life
her stepson is the merest of spiritless
puppets in her capable hands. He has
never ruled, though he has had the
name of ruler and now the news comes
that the powerful old lady has done
what no one ever dreamed even she
would dare to do-she has openly re-
lieved the Emperor of all power and
all ministers are compelled to take their
instructions directly from her, Ii Hung
Chang practically superseding the
Tsung -Yamen.
This is what the humble slave girl
has risen to by means of her beauty,
cleverness and diplomacy, to be abso-
lutte ruler over 600000,000 of subjects.
and to have it said of her that she is
the Bismarck Of China; that in state
craft there is not her equal in any
court in Europe!
People used to wonder why cunning
old Ii Hung Chang struck his colors
SO close to the Emperor's dowager in
stead of to the Emperor; now the world
knows. He has always been more or
less of a favorite of hers though being
fiery-tempered and exacting old lady
she has more than once deprived him
of his honors and his decorations. his
yellow silk jacket and his peacock
. feathers, only to become pacified later
and to give these marks of favor back
to the sly diplomat, who has worked
so much commotion of late, and who is
reputed to haN sold his nation to Rus
STA. He stands in we'll with her and
to his advice only will she listen. It
is these two against the nation.
Ii Hung Chang as Chancellor is the
only person outside the eunuchs and
ladies-in-w waiting who is frequently
permitted to behold her sacred pres
ence, and she lives in strict S, cIusion
in that palace and palace gardens
which she entered forty-four years-a ago.
iC NJ hr1t
ambassadors who are admitted to her
presence are obliged to PROSTATE them
selves to her royal feet in an attitude
of alteration and to do the kotow.
which is to knock the forehead nine
times upon the ground in token OF
abasement and subsection. She rules
her, subjects with an iron hand; she it
is who must be obeyed, and what China
will do when Tuen leaves the palace
for another wo Id it is hard to guess.