The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-12-08
An IMPERIAL UNIVERSITY
ONE or KWANG HSUS REFORMS
FOR CHINA.
1t Survives the Reactionary Coup of
the Dowager Empress-Bcgins Il
New Educational System.

e
The City of Picking brought among |
her through passengers quite Il num-
Der OF people OF prominence. Among !
them was W. T.. cambridge, the sec |
ond secretary of the American lega-
ton at Picking. He is on the way to |
the states. but expects to pass
through here on his return next Feb
ruary accompanied by his wife,
Mr.. cambridge was in Picking at
the time of the late coup d'etat by
which the emperor was checked in
his career of Occidental reform and
the dowager empress assumed power.
lie was the only representative of the
legation i'm the city at the time. Min
lister Conger and the first secretary
having gone to the mountains for the
summer. He says things looked very
threatening for time, but no demon
stration was made against the lega-
| ton.
There was a good deal of informa
| ton about the present conditions in
| China among the passengers of the
! peking. because SO many of them
were people who had been in posi-
| ton to know just what was going on.
give governments now have sol
diers guarding their respective lega-
| tons in Peking." said one gentleman.
"The German. English. Russian. ltal-
ian and Japanese ministers waited for
some time. but while at Shanghai. !
! learned that about thirty marnes I'M
der command of lieutenant from the
| Petrol had been sent up.
| The empress coup was not an anti
| foreign movement as many have
! thought and as the masses of the Chi
Mise in Picking thought. 1t was simp-
| ly a reaction from the extreme radi-
| calism of the emperor. The emperor
came under the influence of the young
reform element in China, and issued II
series of reform edicts. which from
the Chinese standpoint of conserva-
tism endangered the very foundation
of the empire.
In china official position is secured
by passing examinations in learning,
but the learning is that of the ancient
classics. and Chinese sages. On what
may he called the practical side if
such term may be applied to it. prof.
cheney in archery is required. One of
the emperor'S edicts was one reQuir-
ing that these examinations should be
i'm modern and Occidental learning"
something that would bear some rela-
tion to the present age. rs part of
this edict an Imperial university was
established as the head of "A system Of
primary and secondary schools
throughout the provinces. This uni
versity has two presidents, an Ameri-
can. DR.. Martin. and Chinese, who
was formerly Chinese minister to st.
Petersburg. The last straw which
broke this course OF reform was the
! broke this course of reform was the
. rdict prepared but never promulgated
abolishing he wearing OF the queue
and authorizing the use of European
clothing by officials. This frightened
Chinese conservatism. and drove to
the support OF the empress all the
conservative elements of the empire,
E irrespective of what feelings might
have been entertained for her by indi.
.. Viduals on other questions. Urged OF
by these elements the empress simply
assumed power. The emperor was de
priyed of real power though he still
holds joint audiences with the EN-
= press. TO make her position sure, ant
to let the reformers know that the
step she took was decisive. six of tn,
reformers were beheaded without tri
al.
Z Hers was a reactonary movement
but it did not go so far as to who'll,
destroy hope for reform. Most of th
emperOr's edicts We're annulled. Blu
that one establishing the Imperia
university, being on a subject tina
touches Chinese pride. was only mod
flied. The university remains, al
though it will doubtless not be per
mitted to carry out the plans the EN-
peror intended for it. The part of thi
edict which aroused most protest wa
the one directing the use of Buddhs
temples as school houses. This par
has been annulled.
The proposed edict abolishing tn
queue aroused more fanaticism anon
the ignorant masses than any othel
and yet in the light of history on
would think such an edct would b
hailed with joy. Wearing the queu
by the Chinese only dates from tn
subiugation of the country bv til
Manchus. about 1910. 1t is a badge {
subiugatiOn. That a Manchu empe1
or should have proposed to abolish
speaks volumes for the liberaIitv {
his mind. That the proposal Shout
4 have aroused fanatic opposition anon
the subjected race speaks volumes fc
the intense sway custom has owe
> them.