The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-31

New Years. when he vies with his
brethren to see how much money he can
burn. 1t is then also that he tests the
capacity and digestive powers of his
stomach, swallowing untold quantities of
strange and wonderful sweetmeats, can
died cocoanut, sugar ginger. odd nuts
peculiar pastry, with quotations from
Confucius painted thereon, topping it all
with fiery white rice gin from pretty little
cups.
1t is an era of genuine good feeling and
good fellowship. Old grudges are forgot
ten and bad debts forgiven. Clothing of
the rarest and most delicate tints of the
rainbow is donned, and as is the fashion
with the Caucasian, the celestial goes
about making New Years calls. With
commendable economy of effort he
shakes hands with himself upon meeting
a friend. and the friend does likewise,
each cycling the other amicably, and
exchanging the compliments of the sea-
son.
Though not an over orthodox or re-
liglously imaginative person, the Chinese
is not unmindful of his duties to the SUI
pernatural powers at this season, and
having purchased few prayers printed
on red paper, he HES himself to the joss
house of his tong, and the prayers are
offered upon the gaudily gilded altar,
greeting the fantastic god through the
nostrils by means of odoriferous smoke
from the joss sticks.
In China the festivities last from twelve
to fifteen days-a dizzy round of gayety.
In foreign 'fanqui'' countries like this,
three days is the usual limit, in which
JOY is unconfned. The third day is New
Years day proper. and its night sees the
elimination of the celebration. 1t Is then
that the devil is burned In effigy and the
Chinese really appear animated The last
of the "loast duck" and "loast pig is
eaten and the new year begins with a
shining page.
The so-called Reform party Is very
strong In the local Chinatown, all the
prominent Chinese being affiliated there
with. Last evening number of the local
leaders of the party were gathered at
the headquarters on Washington street.
They slipped a social glass and smoked
comfortably. They planned the early re-
juvenation of their beloved China under
the great Prince Kwang Hsu, whom
they feel assured must ultimately be re-
stored to the throne. "All we ask is JUS
tice," remarked one of them. 1--WE do
not fear death, If necessary, but We in
sist that our emperor, the noblest. most
progressive, most up-to-date man who
has had the throne of China for many
hundred years. shall be given his rights.
Already our demands have borne fruit.
Our protests have saved his life, and our
united efforts shall be devoted to his
restoration. 1t is only four months since
our organization was started and it now
numbers millions In strength. Recently
We sent a cablegram of protest to the
empress dowager from this city at a cost
of s6l.93, and similar cablegrams have
been sent her by the hundred from Chi
nese organizations all over the world.
1.-The organization Is very grateful to
the ministers of the United States Great
Britain and Japan for the stand they
have taken In the rightful emperors ia
vor. OF course, 1t would be of incalcula-
BILE benefit to the United States to have
Kwang Hsu restored, for his progressive
plans would modernize China. and Amer
lean engineers, capitalists and producers
would get all the advantages that could
be given
Among those present were Wo Gen,
Jan Shep. Lew King Chin Quong and
Chin Ged Hee. The last has not yet
become fully affiliated with the move
ment.