The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-12
GOOD EMPRESS DoWAoER
The "Pekia Gazette" and Her Remarks
Anert Robbers.


(Pekin Correspondent of London Tele-
graph)
Nowhere are the occupants of the throne
more iealously shielded from the contain
nation of the popular gaze than in China
To seclude the monarch has been part
of the great sham by which the manda-
rims have deluded the people. For the
last hundred years few indeed of the
lieges have seen their sovereign. race,
If he traverses Pekin the streets are
screened with mattinp to shade the aug
ust one from vulgar eyes. The late EN-
peror Tung Chi on a famous occasion
returning from the Temple OF Heaven,
had the screen removed, and so won i'm
mense popularity.
II belongs to the general scheme Of
humbug to. represent the "Carnation
City as all gorgeous within. Native
fancy pictures roofs of gold and silver,
supported by pillars of gold and silver,
gold and silver vases II when SWIM
arcane enclosures the superior rnortals of
the imperial hierarchy drink the nectar
of China-that delicious tea denied to or
planning China's veal. Poor John China
man, who pays the taxes and bears the
burdens, is supposed to believe all this;
but he does nothing of the KIND. me
Chinese stage and the novel have made
the public pretty familiar with the weary
monotony of the secluded absolutism and
clustered intrigue of the Forbidden city.
Happily, though Chinese royalty is rare
ly seen, it is much given to addressing the
people, and there is nothing in celestial
literature half SO amusing as these adj
dresses. No other country IS blessed
foreigners will persist in calling the King
Pao more correctly the Reporter of the
Capital" Besides being the oldest news
is court journal, blue book of the empire,
official confessional sheet and palace
mouthpiece-all in one. Here the en-
peror does penance for his sins and the
empress doWager parades her goodness
her Viceroys and officials of every rank
confess their shortcomings and ask for
punishment, and here in ceaseless flow
rolls the titled hypocrisy of the land, for
in China it Is the Pharisee that smites
upon his breast.
Hardly day passes without some i'm
empress has been laying bare the secrets
of her soul. AS | fear very few people in
England subscribe for this unique and en-
PERTAINING journal, and many have per-
haps never before seen a celestial edict as
1T issues from the dragon throne, j send
you strictly literal translation of one
that appeared a few days ago-at the risk
of exposing how much / may have ira
duced this good ladys character. 1t is,
as you will perceive a lay sermon to the
robbers and brigands to leave off their
naughty ways and become good children,
and thus 1t reads:
II, the Empress Dowager. Tze-hsi-tuan-
yu, etc. desire to issue this decree as an
exhortation to my people throughout. the
empire. Of late all the reports sent to
me by the viceroys and governors of
provinces concerning summary executions
have mostly referred to robbers and bri-
gands. The ferocity of such men is. in
deed, cause for indignation; but, again,
their stupidity moves my heart to pity.
Now the common excuse OF these robbers
when caught is that they had been push
ed to rob by hunger and cold. but they
never think that In doing so they have
made themselves amenable to the last
penalty and that they never can escape
with life. Moreover such men are active
and able-bodied They are never COM
posed of weak and incapable classes. Now,
how much better would II not have been
for these men to direct their activity and
energy to farming and agriculture to get
a livelihood; or. II not, they can easily
join the army as soldiers. where they can
always have q chance Of rising in the So
cial scale by bravery and diligence in
their duties What a difference this is to
being chained and confined to prison.
Such being the case let me ask which OF
the things mentioned above will give a
man most chance? Moreover, as robbers
as soon as they are captured they enculf
their parents ana brothers wives and
children in tho general catastrophe. Can
they bear the responsibility all this in
ncurs?
Now, although am living in the in
nermost recesses of the palace I am vet
night and day filled with thoughts for The
welfare Of my people, and so issue this
admonition to my children to consider
their evil ways. and deserve my anxiety
for them by becoming good citizens. Let
the viceroys ana governors Of provinces
make known this, my decree, 10 my peo-
pie in the empire"
Think Of Queen Victoria or Kaiser VIII
helm Inviting She aGsGcfadoes az their
realms TO become good boys and Join the
army; think also Of the sweet dowager,
who, without q touch Of compunction.
sent six Of the best men OF China to the
block and now, IN the nnermost re-
cesses of the palace, can't sleep o. nights.
SO anxious is she for robbers and bril-
gandsl