Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-14
CH|NA'S TROUBLE
By Charles DENLY,
Ex-U. S. Minister to China.

The reader may be assisted in forming
an opinion touching the important
events which are happening now in
China by some account of the life of the
remarkable woman who is now the head
of the empire.
The empress regent, Til An, has had a
career full Of startling changes, coup
d'etats and romance.
In her youth she was aservant girl at
a public inn. She became the secondary
wife of the emperor Heinfung. It is to
be noted that secondary wives are not
~concubines, who constitute a lower rank
The concubines are divided into classes,
there being first, second and third
classes.
The impress is now 6 years old. She
has never received any foreigner except
Prince Henry of Prussia, in 1898, and the
ladies of the legation in 1899. Her own
subjects never see her face. She receives
behind a screen. From 1861 to 1899 she
never gave audience to any foreign min
lister, and l believe she has not done 50
since. In 1899 the Emperor Quangsu as
sumed the reigns of government. The
empress came prominently into public
life after the allies had taken Picking
in 1860. This event occurred October 13,
1860. October "a, 1850, the British treaty
was made n the day after the French
treaty.
Last year the empress dowager be-
came alarmed lest the whole of China
would be coded 70 the foreign powers
and seized the reins of government with
her old but strong hands.
AS the writer left China in Adjust,
1898, he is nuable to render an accurate
account of the facts which TRANSFERRED
connected with this event.
When the empress attained the age of
60, in 1894, all the nations which were
presented at Picking Wed with each other
in showing her respect. Autograph let
tiers We're written to her by all the chiefs
of state, in~luding her own, and many
handsome presents were for warded. 1t
would seem that this respect ana esteem
nave changed to infinite hate and loath-
ing. 1t is understood that the foreign
srs in China regard her as the "anti-
Christ" the opponent of progress, the
prospective murderer of the emperor
Other people say, and I am inclined to
Civ some credence to their statement,
that the empress is making a desperate
effort to save China from partition. 1t
is claimed by well-informed people that
this is her supreme end and urpos
If this be true the people of the United
States should wish her success. The
main purpose of American supremacy
Ito day should be to prevent the partition
OF China. If the empire is divided up
there will be an end to our missionary
work, except, perhaps, in the English
possessions. AS for our which
is SO greatly developing, it will be con-
strained, cabined an. confined. There is
no reason in the world why Great Brit
ain, Russia, France Or Germany should
have any greater right to seize portions
of China than we have. Will any man
formulate a reason why we have not
equal rights in Asia with the European
powers Viii any man put on paper a
decent argument why they should have
the exclusive right or any right to take
possession of the provinces of China?
We have done as much, Or more, to in
troduce modern civilization into Asia as
they have. Our trade surpasses theirs.
except E~ngland's. Our people are next
to the English in numbers.
That the powers should protect their
people from death or injury goes with
cut saying, but must they necessarily
wipe out of existence a field of enter
prise which is the most promising in the
world for our people? And must we
stand idly by while the process goes on j?
The empress ruled china from 1861 to
1899. She had built up the difficult edi-
fee of foreign intercourse. She left her
country at peace with the whole world.
She was ~reverenced by her W people
and respected by foreigners. It is hard
no believe that all this honorable regard
has been forfeited.
The reign of the empress-regent was
noticeable for a marked and general
progress in a number of different direc-
tiCns, especially commercial. Railroads
did not until recently win their way, but
the foundation was laid for them. The
use of the electric telegraph became
e neral.
The secret societies in China have
been heretofore chiefly Influenced by an
~taeonism to the Manchus. They have
favored the restoration of the Ching dy-
nasty-which was Chinese. In order to
enbarass the government they have at
tackled foreigners and native Christians,
who, under the treaties, are entitled to
protection.
There were occasional anti-foreign
riots. Riots and disturbances are not
unusual in our country. China paid COM
p~ensatory damages in every case of in
Jury to person or property.
It would seem from some of the re-
ports from China that the secret So
cfeties have taken uD the cause of the
emperor. This is almost a self-evident
contradiction. The quarrel with the EN-
press on the part of the foreigner is that
she Is anti-foreign and that she is Sc
ciuding the emperor, who is in favor Of