The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-09-24
By Which the DOVager Empress
Is Asked to Assume
Power,
Discussing the Matter, He Says
1t Is a Most Natural
Thing to Do.
Dowager Has Guided the Empire
During the ReignS Of
Three Emperors.

WASHINGTON, Sept. p. The Chinese
minister, Mr.. WI Ting Fang, has re-
ceived a cable dispatch from the Chi.
nese foreisn office at Peking giving the
text of the edict issued by the en-.
peror. in which, owing to the critical
condition Of Chinese affairs, he calls
back to power the empress dowager
and commits to her hands the direction
Of the vast affairs Of the empire. The
edict, freely translated from the cipher
cable, is as follows:
Now that China is disturbed, and
there is need that all business shall To
well done, we, the emperor. agitated
from morning to evening for the wei.
fare of all affairs and fearful lest er.
rors may occur, Observing from the
beginning o. the reign OF Tung Chi,
that the empress dowager had twice
given instructions to the emperor,
each time with signal ability and
success, so we now, considering the
important interests Of the empire, have
legged the empress dowager to give to
the emperor the benefit Of her ripe ex.
perience and her instruction. The
Gowager empress has been pleased to
accede to this request. Therefore; it is
to the good fortune Of the entire EN-.
pire that this ausp:ctous event is
brought about. From today the EN-.
press dowager conducts the business in
the imperial apartments, and on the
Sth day Of the present month (Chinese
calendar, meaning today, English ca.
endar) We will take all the princes and
ministers to perform the ceremony in
the Chin Chung palace. Let the va
men (foreign otfice) prepare, that the
ceremony may be performed with f..
ting honors."
A Natural Move.
Tne Chinese minister was seen at
the legation and he talked freely con.
corning the edict. He said there was
no secresy about 1t, nothing to indicate
that it was a triumph of oue foreign
element over another, and that its es.
sentiai purpose was to strengthen
China herself at a time when serious
foreign problems were presented. 1t
was quite natural, he said, that the
dowacer empress should be called to
the aid Of the emperor owing to dynas.
tic reasons. The present dowager has
survived three dynasties, beginning
with hat of Emperor Hsien Fung.
She vas the second wife of the EN-.
peror aud bCre him a son, Tung Chi,
who, on the death Of his father, be.
came emperor. The latter was an in.
FAINT ruler, and the mother, then and
now dowager empress, directed for
him the vast affairs of the en-.
plre. On his death occurring with.
out issue, the dowager elected her
nephew kwang Hsu, to become the
emperor, and his reign is now in prog.
ress. He was a child when he took the
throne "A years ago., and up to nine
years ago the dowager directed affairs
for him. acting much as the queen re.
gent Of Spain acts for the boy king.
1t is this dowager empress who is now
recalled to active assistance Of the EN-.
peror. This, the Chinese minister
1ints out, is a natural move toward
the strengthening of the hands of the
emperor, giving him that same aid
which the dowager empress gave while
the emperor and His predecessor were
infant rulers.
Not Favorable to Any Foreign Power.
Concerning the report that the EN-
press return to power was a coup
d'etat favorable to Russia, the minister
says he does not consider the move
favorable to any power as against any
other. Its effect, he says, would be
toward strict impartiallty in China:
treatment Of Russia, Great Britain,
Germany, France, the United States,
Japan and the world at large. During
had shown marked friendship for the
English, so that in the opinion of the
minister it was fair to presume she had
English prejudices. AS to thu effect
upon Ii Hung Chang, the minister
said the dowager empress had long adj
mired the rugged ability Of the oo
statesman. But he did not think thi:
would result in the return of Ii to the
foreign Office, from which post he was
recently rel eyed owing, it was under
stood, to foreign influences. 1t is prob
oUAc, IAo lAlulStcI OOAAOVOSS SA0e AAAASc
Ii will continue in his nominal post Of
imperial secretary.
VIII Resist Dismelnberment.
When asked if China had the strength
to resist d smemberment by foreign
powers, Mr.. WI Ting Fang said:
Il an confident that China will re-
man intact and am glad to note that
yoar late N mister to China, MI. Den.
by, has the same opinion. China has
the native resources, wealth and Lopu'
lation to make her strong within her
self. 1t should not be overlooked that
some of the foreign influences, such al
concessions for railways, ETC., will
benefit and develop China far more
than they can benefit any foreign
country. These concessions will tar
the rich interior Of China, give high