The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-01
COREA'S EMPEROR.
The Most Hopelessly Incompetent
Ruler in the World

If the report be true that the Emperor
Of Corea is dead, then I am afraid 1t
must honestly be said that one of the
most hopelessly incompetent rules in the
world has departed. He was not bad
man, but he was so weak, so pliable, so
blown hither and thither by every
breath of those who had influence over
him for the moment that he was leo
into doing many things from which the
most INSCRIPTIONS and abandoned per
son would shrink. His cnle1 queen NAOl
IT is only quite recently that he began
to style himself emperor), who was, ike
many oriental princesses, raised from
the lowest rank to the throne-like the
empress dowager of China, for example
or the Rance of Jhansi-a woman OF
amazing force of character and (for
Corean) statesmanlixe grasp of AFFAIRS
guided him steadily and safely for years
through the troubled waters OIL lnternd-
tiOnal intercourse.
If ever there was a faithful wife and
counsellor she was one, and her nus
band relied on her in all things. A band
of Japanese, countenanced by their min
lister (who was afterward disgraced for
his share in the atrocity), rose one nlgne
in Seoul, broke into the palace, slaught-
cred all they met, including the queen
and afterward burned her body with
petroleum She had swayed her hus-
band too much to the Russian side 1t
was thought and the japanese took this
method of getting rid of her. A few
davs later and before her remains had
been discovered. her faithful and affec-
tionate husband issued an edlct de-
nouncing her conduct and counsels as II
she had been common criminal he
held up her name to public execration
and contempt and officially degrade
her in rank a traitress. A little time
passed: her bones were discovered. and
the king gave them obsequies of such
splendor that for time the country
was in financial straits
No doubt the wretched man was to be
pitied. What with Chinese, japanese
and Russians from outside pulling him
this way and that, and the great fam
to pieces impartially by the mob of
Seoul his lines had fallen in very un-
pleasant places. Then there was his
uncle, the notorious Tai-Won Kun, with
a heart of stona and bowels of iron. as
Lord Curzon described him, who was al
ways busy trying to poison all about
him after the most ingenious methods
so that the miserable king at one time
him to taste a sweetmeat. The Tai was
carried off into captivity in China by
the Chinese resident at Seoul after in
citing revolt in the ca pita1, whereup-
on the king gave the Chinese govern
ment no peace with pitiful petitions for
the release of his dear and honored REL
alive. When the noble captive was re
stored to his weeping relative he
promptly showed his gratitude by try
ing to poison the queen with box of
comfits which he said he brought from
China on purpose for her-as perhaps
he did
The king-emperor by that time
brought about the war between Japan
and China by calling on the latter, az
his suzerain, to help him to suppress a
rebellion by sending troops and then de-
claring to the Japanese that the Chinese
were invading his country. His political
vagaries were countless. and were prob
ably due to the perpetual changes il
forcefuI persons about him. Once he
ran away from his own palace in th=
night. where he was guarded by Japa-
nese he had himself called in. and found
refuge in the Russian legation, whenc-
he issued a wholly new set of edicts.
contradictin~ all those he had recently
issued and denouncing as wretches
those who advised him to issue them
London Cor. Manchester Guardian.