The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-25
THE CHINESE EMPRESS.

If the reports are correct, the EN-
press OF China has ordered reforms
all along the line, and has instructed
the viceroys to begin at once and re-
port progress. The Chinese, as a rule,
reverse the practices of civilized races.
Their North pole is our South pole.
They place a guest on the left, we
place him on the right We shake
hands with each other. The Chi
nese shake their own hands. They
also, are fond of making noble and
ghttering declarations of principles,
i'm religious and political affairs, with
the reservation of the right of not in
dulging in any unhealthy or disturb
ing practice of these principles. Will
the Empress and her people persist in
doing the contrary to that which We
do. and will they live up to these
ideas OF reformation?
The world has of late been much
interested in the reports regarding the
downfall of the Emperor of China.
While it is we'll known, in China, that
he is brother of the Sun and Moon,
these luminaries have neglected him
in his distress, and disgraced the fra
ternal relation. Indeed, they have be-
haved like Sneaks in allowing the En-
press to reduce him to the ranks. Still,
the Sun and Moon may have another
side to the story, and Judgment should
be suspended at present.
Now comes Rev. Mr.. Walker a mis-
siOnary at Foo Chow, who says that
these stories about the dethronement
are utterly unrelia BILE. He makes this
statement, based on his knowledge of
the Chinese customs and laws:
1.-The present Emperor was cousin Of
the late Emperor The late Emperor
was son OF the present Empress Dow
ager. According to Chinese laws, the
Emperor, following the principles of
ancestor worship, must worship his
immediate predecessor, who was raised
to the rank Of a god upon his death
This worship the Emperor renders
dutifully. But the mother of the de-
ceased being mother of one who is
worshiped as a god, by the very prin-
ciples OF ancestor worship, is elevated
by the fact of her sons death to a
higher plane than the Emperor, and
she has the right to take charge of the
affairs of the Empire whenever she
chooses. There is no need of force or
intrigue for her to accomplish her OBJ
ject. All she has to do Is to tell the
Emperor TO stand aside and let her
take hold. BY the traditions of the
Empire and by the popular ideas of
what ought TO be done, she is perfectly
right, and there is no friction what
ever. The Emperor has no alternative
but to stand aside and let the Empress
manage public business as she sees fit
Her chief supporter and adviser is Lii
Hung Chang. They represent the con-
seryative party, While the Emperor is
disposed to go faster than is we'll for
the Empire. At any rate, the Empress
became alarmed at the many sweeping
reforms proposed, and told the Emper-
or to let her rule. She has done this
before. AT the close of the war with
Japan, when the Emperor's course did
not meet her approval, she set him
aside until she had done what suited
her ideas. Then she retired, leaving
him the head, until his recent course
brought her from her retirement once
more to save the Empire, as she be-
lieved. No political or military COM
motion attends these acts, and there
has been no basis whatever for the
stories about the Empress putting an
end to the life of the Emperor"
The Chinese 'fmasheen' is evidently
a complicated affair Naturally it
Would be, as it has been remodelled,
repaired and tinkered up for some
thousands of years. When Chinese
party platform gets afoul of Chinese
ancestral worship, it makes a compH-
cation worse than that caused by the
mixture of religion and politics in our
own land of freedom.
If the Empress does succeed in re-
constructing the Chinese, she will add
another name to the list of illustrious
women who have been mean enough
TO accept political trusts and show to
the brute man that he is not absolutely
necessary to the work of regenerating
mankind