The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-11-04
STORY OF CHINESE EMPEROR'S
REFORMS.
One Who was Behind the Scenes and
Saw the Play of Motives and Inter-
ests, Describes 1t.

known, when the relation to each 9TH
er of the events which led to the de- !
position of the emperor and the as
sumption of power by the dowager |
empress are made clear, the event viii |
stand out as one of the most import |
ant episodes in the history of the |
awakening of China, and one of the !
most romantic in the history of the |
world.
1t was the fortune of c. j. Hutchins |
of the Equitable Life Assurance So |
ciety, who is now in Honolulu, to be |
in a large measure behind the scenes |
when this tragic drama was being en-
acted, to have known nearly all the
principal actors in it, and to have seen
the play of motives and interests |
which brought it about. The two
principal reformers, LANG Ch'i-tsao |
and K'ang Yu-wei, whose narrow es-
cape from the power of the reaction
airy leaders is as thrilling as any
thing in Victor Hugo, he knew well.
With Jung Lu, the empress nephew,
who has been made commander in
chief of all the naval and military for-l
ces of the empire with power of life
and death, he had an interview at
Tien Tsin, shortly before the eruption.
And this interview took place in the
very room in which General Grant had
his interview with Ii Hung Chang ov-
er twenty years ago.
"K'ang Yu-wei," SAYS Mr.. Hutchins,
sis one of the most remarkable char
acters L ever met. He burns with the
zeal of the reformer. He has studied
the history of every great political
| 4 1.
''Some time ago he secured a per-
sonal interview with the emperor and
so impressed his views on him, that
the emperor asked him to formulate
his proposed reforms, promising to
put them in operation. This K'ang
Yu-wei did, urging principally the
substitution of modern education for
the old Confucian learning as the ba-
sis of examination fors promotions;
placing the command of the army and
navy under foreigners; the abolition
of all useless offices; the abolition OF
what is known in China as the
| 'squeeze;' the abolition of export du-
ties; urged the opening up the coun-
try to commerce; improvements in the
currency; lastly the abandonment of
the cue.
He tlhpSiOl dcludllI lSSutl lllt
edict for most of these reforms and
the edict in regard to the cue was al
ready prepared and would have been
issued in another twenty-four hours,
if the crash had not come.
"The crash came in a way that
seems wierdly strange to western
ideas. The reformers saw that there
were two personages who stood in
| ! 1,,,,, I, ~
pally to fear. These were the dowa--
ger empress and her nephew Jung Lu,
viceroy of the province of Chilli. 1t
was decided to lock up the empress
where she could do no harm, and to
behead Jung Lu. An order for his de-
capitation was sent to Yuen Shah
Kai, the commander of the forces at
; Tien Tsin. Whether through friend
ship for Jung Lu or enmity to the re-
formers, is not known, but at any rate
Yuen Shiah-Kai instead of executing
the order at once, informed Jung Lu
of it and delayed the execution until
the next day. This delay threw the
: reform fat in the fire. Jung Lu COM
municated with the empress at once
and the fate of the reformers was then
sealed.
ISdcHcu ShlHS db quarter VI
o'clock that afternoon, and at
o'clock the gates of the city were clos.
e ed. No one could get in or out. A tel
egram could not be sent for love OF
e money. Bands of soldiers were every
where on the streets looking for the
reformers. Foreigners felt them.
selves in danger, though I experience
ed nothing worse than angry looks
r1e
> 81 saw LANG Ch'i-tsao soon after
got into the city. How he escaped no
body knows. 1t is supposed he sought
protection at the japanese legation
: He is now in Japan.
J, "K'ang Yu-wei was not in the city
!, That very day he received a messag,
d from the emperor, written on stra,
5, scrap of paper with a piece of char
d coal. In this message, which was verl
;. guarded in its language, the empero
t. said, L am in sore distress, and com
: manded K'ang Yu-wei to go to .Shang
4 hal The reformer understood tht
] import of the language and made hi
escape. The report was spread tina
e he had left Tien Tsin on the Eldorado
/ when in fact he left on the Chun,
King. The Eldorado was searched b,
- a. ShlhNSt man VI wal hCul ma
IS So also was the Chung King, bu
K'ang Yu-wei had previously been ia
e ken from the latter by British gun
J. boat and sent to Hongkong on tn
g British steamer Ballarat, where he i
', now under British protection, with Dl
/ Sun Vat Sen, another reformer, VIII
& was educated in Honolulu.
e 'Liang Ch'i-tsao is on his way t.
It England to urge the British govern
e ment to demand the release of the en-
L peror.
A. "SiX of the leading reformers wer
caught and beheaded, among ther
K'ang Yu-wei's brother. He, whe
facing his eXecutioners, said, For eV
cry one you behead now, million de
S. manding reform will rise"