The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-08
A CHINESE REFoRMER IN CHINA.
Slop the Present Siuges Bstwssn Progress.
sh3s and R,ac lon,les.

Kang Yeu Wei. Chinese reformer, has
plaintive article In the Contemporary
Review which gives the most interest
ing story that we have seen concern
ing the struggle between progresJ.yes
and reactionaries at Pekin. The writ sr
was himself in the. thick OF the conflict.
and would have lost his head as his
brother did after the restoration of the
Empress Dowager. If he had NOT left
the Flowery Kingdom with more haste
than dignity.
He is full OF admiration for the En-.
peror, and 50 adds to the confusion OF
opinron that exists concerning that
somewhat enigmatlcal. if exalted, per-
son. 1t has been said by European pub
licists not unfriendly to his Majesty
that. granting that his motives were
pure. his DEGREES were absurdly impoli-
tic. because they endeavored to over
turn the usages OF centuries i'm day.
But while such commentators have
given him credit for some intelligence
and strength of purpose says a writer
i'm the Chicago Times Herald Others
have pictured him as a brow beaten
puppet, who was hopelessly sensual and
stupid. Then we have the press dis
his time in the far from august occupa-
ton Of training goats and monkeys to
perform tricks. Now listen to Kang Yeu
Wei:
The Emperor was of studious dis
position. Since the loss of Formosa he
has been greatly distressed about the
decline of the empire. After this his
faithful tutor. Weng Tung Ho. who was
"A learned man, sought foreign books for
study, and presented them with at
lasses to the Emperor. These the Em-
peror daily studied, discovered the
cause of foreign prosperity, discovered
the reason OF China's weakness and
conservatism, and made up his mind to
reform"
According TO his eulogist. the devoted
sovereign risked life itself i'm order that
deliverance might be found These
words which are put into his mouth
present him to us I'm heroic mood: Let
the farce OF ruling go: let poison come:
let assassination come. With death
shall deliver up my imperial charge
with death | shall report to my ances-
tors. With death / shall be worthy Of
my 400 900, 900 subjects"
But we know that he Is not dead YET.
even n he did not take TO the goats aud
monkeys, and Kang Yeu Wei Is not al
ways consistent with his heroics In one
unintentionally amusing paragraph he
says:
"When the Emperor Issued an edc,.
by command Of the Empress Dowager.
to degrade Chang Lin, Prince Kung
was weeping on his knees. When asked
the reason OF II the Emperor waved
his hand and said: Don't ask him. The
Emperor and prince wept together. anil
the prince wept so bitterly that he had
no strength to rise up. The Emperor
commanded the eunuchs 90 help him up
and lead him away. When Ting Shlh
begged the Emperor to exercise his
rights. The Emperor waved his hands.
saying. Don't speak FOR the Emperor
knew long ago that when he took the
reins of government into his hands the
Empress hated him"
The ill-digested reading OF foreign
books was evidently poor preparation
FOR a contest with the bad old dowaRsr.
and we may well doubt II any OF the
reformers were her equals as politicians
But the arraignment OF the adminlstra-
ton by this refugee Is none the less
convincing. The army, the civil service.
the foreign office public education. are
all taken up In detail. and never was
there "a more remarkable showing OF
corruption and incOmpetency.