The times., 1898-10-03

influence has brought about the over
throw of the pro-British and reforming
young emperor such conduct is consist
ent with the Cars peace manifesto and
Russia's officially expressed wish TO work
amicably with England in China on the
basis of spheres of influence.
The man who will now ascend the
throne of China is Yin, grandson OF
Prince Kung. He is a good-looking, intel
igent young man of decidedly pro-foreign
leanings.
EngIishmen who have met Tin deelare
he viii not be a puppet like his pre1e-
cessor. he has a stronger will, ald
moreover, is not related TO the dowaSer
empress.
New View of the Empress.
A prominent resident of Pekin, Dr.
Dudgeon. who is the only foreigner who
ever dined with Yin, asserts that the dow
ager empress is not opposed 20 progress.
He adds that she was responsible for The
installation of the electric lights in the
palaces and introduced railroad and an
electric launch into the palace grounds.
She is also held TO have favo-el cher
Western ideas.
Ii is now said that the dismis sal OF ii
Hung Chang who was the ally Of tie
dowager empress, and the strong pressure
OF Russia, which country was alarmed al
the probable results of the mission al the
Marquis Ito to China. were the irue
causes Of the emperor's deposition.
Young Chiun Party Active.
The time, however, has gone by for
continuance of the old regime The Young
China party Will not rest satisfied with
the existing state of things. Kang Yu
Wei the fugitive Cantonese reformer
who is now safe AT Hong Kong under
British protection, is known as the mod
ern sage of China. He is the leader of
the reform party and the originator of the
society formed in opposition to the Gus
tom of binding the feet of Chinese girls.
This society was organized in Canton
with a membership of ten thousand.
Hangs daughter has never bound her
feet and she has published a treatise
against foot binding.
II was nearly forty years ago that the
woman Tsi An, now the most powerful
person in China, began the intrigues
which have at length given her autocratic
power. The Emperor Hfen Fung died in
August, 1861, and by his will left the
kingdom TO his six-year-old son, Tung
Che.
In the following November the boy was
brought TO Pekin. Seated with him in the
carriage were Tsi Tshi, the empress dow
ager, and Tsi An, who had been only one
of the late emperor's secondary wives.
Plots quickly followed the introduction
of the infantile emperor into the palace
The two women, through Prince hung. a
brother of Hien Fung, deposed the re-
gents. Prince Kung was given high
honors IN the state He was ambitious
In short time Tsi An had obtained CO.
ordinate power with Isl Tshi. the dow
ager empress She stripped Kung OF his
powers for the purpose Of ending his am
bitions. Properly humbled, he was REIN
stated.
In 1872 the young emperor had reached
his sixteenth birthday. The empress per
mitted him to marry Ahluta. a Manchu
lady. -Four months later Tungche an
nounced in an edict that the two en-
presses had commanded him 10 assume
the reigns OF power. He soon showed
that he was desirous of being emperor in
fact Therefore he degraded Prince
kung.
4 Convenient Death.
The very next day their imperial majes-
ties issued a decree restoring the fallen
prince TO all his former dlgnities. 1t was
given out that the youthful emperor was
still fractions. Rumors spread at the
same time that his health was poor On
December IS, 1873, an edict appeared re-
questing the empress dOwageT TO take
personal charge OF public business.
A few months afterward the emperor
died II has always been believed that he
WAS murdered His death was speedily
followed by that of his widow, Ahluta.
These deaths were entirely favorable 10
the personal interests of the two EN-
presses.
The empress selected as the successor
Tunghe Tsai Tien, son of Prince
Chung, who was proclaimed emperor m
der the name of Kwangsu. Kwangsu was
born in lS7L He was a mere infant wher
declared emperor which was fact con-
yenient to the two feminine intriguers
Deaths Came Suddenly.
After the province of Ilo was restored 10
China by the treaty of St. Petersburg in
1881 Empress Tsi Tshi died She was The
nominal superior of Tsi An. Her Illness
was remarkably short in duration. Death
was attributed to heart disease, which, in
China. as elsewhere, is a name covering a
multitude of mysteries. In 1884 the former
secondary wife of Hen Fufg was in abso-
lutte power. She deprived Prince Kuns OF
power and sent him into nbscutiry from
which he did not emerge for eleven Years
Thenceforth Prince Chung. father of the
young emperor, and Ii Hung Chang were
wax in her fingers.
Prince Chung died in January, 1891. His
ally, Marquis Tseng, died a few months
before. The manner of their deaths has
been a similar secret IL China.
Kwangsu married Yehhonala, the
daughter Of a Manchu general in 1889
She still lives. Upon the celebration of
the marriage Tsi An announced her le-
tirement from active participation in pub
lie affairs. She never released one icta
of her power however, and ruled the
young emperor as before
Ii Hung Chang has always been his
favorite and on more than one OCCASION
he has saved his head. II was his removal
from a seat on the Tsung-n-Yamen that
is said TO have precipitated the palace
revolution. which ended in the death of
kwangsu. The pretext, however, was the
evident intention of the emperor to in
troduce European methods of study into
Chinese education-a thing abhorrent 10
all the mandarins and literati.
Firm Hand Needed.
The great difficulty which England is
struggling against in China, in Africa
and elsewhere, at the present moment is
the fact that she has no one man at the
head of her foreign affairs whose one
business it is TO map out and lead British
policy along firm and definite lines Eng
land. In a word. wants, above all else
just now, a man. That is the problem
of gravest moment with which ministers
individually are now wrestling Lord
Salisbury has come back from his holi-
day NTH something of his old Yigor, but
advancing years and HIS duties as premier
and leader of the Unionist party make
IL more evident than ever to his col