Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-11-19

peror wero clocks and watohcs' In tho
winter palace, Mt Pek,rig, and In the royal
summer residence. eomo miles distant,
were hundreds of clocks from oil parts
Of the world. nearly nll of different makes
and styles. Nothing "a snld to have pleas
cd the Emperor moro than TO tear n
CLOCK TO pieces and then assemble its parts
His collection Of these contrivancos Is
said to have been one OF the most com
plete In the Orient not only representing
modern work but the development of
time records through the centuries
In no other country than China Is there
such n host OF traditions and customs
governing the etiquette Of court life. The
greatest pains are taken to surround the
sovereign with special privileges and hon
ors, In resemblance at least. and to EN-
phasize the gulf which exists between
him and his people. Some Of these Gus
toms are very curious one Is the setting
part of the color yellow as an imperial
emblem. forbidding its use except by
members OF the imperial family. The
yellow girdle is worn only by those who
are descended from an Emperor. There
Is one exception, however, to this exclu-
sively imperial use Of the color-that Is.
the Order Of the Yellow Jacket, which
may be conferred by the Emperor for
distinguished services. This, with the
three-eyed peacock feather. Is the high
est decoration OF tho empire. Ii Hun
Chang's deprivation ot these insignia rs
mark OF disfavor brought them into
the notice OF tho world not long ago.
Tie "kowtow' is the form cf worship
hiCl 10 In IN lion
and an imperial edict IS always rcceiv-
ed with nine prostrat lions and the burn
ing of incense. All subjects who APP
proach the presence must do so grovel-
ling and knocking their foreheads
against the ground This humility be
fore the Son OF Heaven" as the En-
peror is called Is even carried so Gar
that one official must "kotow" to an
other who has recently quilted the i'm
perial presence
The Emperor IL forced to rise far earl
Ter than the most hard-worked laborer
ever does, for Chinese etiquette requires
that most of the state bushes shall
be transacted between the hours OF two
and six In tie morning. The daily duties
OF the monarch are complicated AMI
almost overwhelming amount. as may
be realized from the single fact that all
sentences even Of no most insignih-
cant criminals mus, he submitted 70
the approval of tie Emperor on his
dragon throne
The question of the succession to tho
throne, most important matter. as It
closely concerns the 9erpetuation Of the
present dynasty. has lgtated the imper-
inl family since the autumn OF 1907.
when it was perceived that the health
OF the Emperor was seriously undermine
td. In January OF 19r the Dowager En-
press adopted Pu Clun, son OF Prince
Tuan. tho Boxer chhftain, heir appar-
ent. but she disinheried him in Novem-
Der of 1891 at the b.hest of the allied
powers Since then tie matter of an heir
apparent las been il allegiance.
Both the Dowager Empress and the
Emperor are Mancius and under the
ban OF Chinese patriots and an increas-
Ing anti-Manchu parry which has sought
the suppression of the dynasty and tho
restoration of a native Chinese EN-
peror to tho throne 1t has been freely
predicted that the death of the En-
peror would be followed by an attempt
| ed coup d'etat to lis end. but the i'm
perial edicts mentioned in the dspa' eli
from Picking appear to have forestalled
and immediate action Of this kind.