Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-04-10
MING AND MANCHU
Writer in ]. P.'s Weekly, London, Gives Some Interest
ing Facts Concerning Two Famous Dynasties in China.

He had been waiting at tine palace for
the nnal confirmation or modification
OF the sentence. As soon as Pc Sui
saw him. he said: IT'S all over. Left
&c himself. the emperor would never
have been so pitiless: Su Shun has been
my evil genius from first to last. 1t is
he who has hardened his majesty's
heart. After all. what does my death
matter? The day is close at ham when
Su Shun will share my fate. You must
look orwar to that day"
With that. he beckoned to the heads
man. who came forward and fell on one
knee. saying: IT Your excellency the
grand secretary will be pleased to kneel
down. ] will give YOU a reverent send
on to the next world" Pc Sui did 30,
and the executioner. with knee bent in
respect. deftly cut Off his head at the
first stroke.
TO us 1T seems almost impossible that
such a result could end a mere decep-
ton. A ase OF cribbing In a civil ser
vice examination would bring social
disgrace upon the guilty party. But
resulted in beheading on Tower hill.
And all this occurred as late as 1858.
The Old euddha.
The latter part Of the book contains
what obviously is inside information as
~ S"> AAS vi YIN u "I "a
Dominated by his ruthless old mother.
Tzu Hsi. the dowager empress. h
young man was not eve al
lowed to live peacefully with his wife.
According to he law Of China. the
emperor had various concubines. And
one OF these was actually carried by an
official into tho emperor's apartments
In order that she might rule the affec-
tons of her lord. 1t Is said that the
first wife was a feather headed person.
But that hardly merits 10 strange an
Interference with personal liberty. At
times the emperor woulc assert him.
self. as may be seen:
When the Shanghai TAOt'ai-ship fell
vacant. on Mich Ch'i-kuei's promotion
to judgeship. In January, 1894, the
grand councillors handed kuang Hsu a
list of the Taot'ais eligible for prefer
selection. The emperor said nothing.
but produced a slip of paper from his
sleeve, on which was written the name,
l. Po-yang." With a frown he hand
ed 1t to the council. n told them to
report as to the mans previous career
and Investigated their files. but found
no such names on any Of their lists.
They reported accordingly, whereupon
Kunag Msu ordered hat the presi-
dents of the boards OF civil office and
revenue be summoned. and instructed
" 1AIO YAK lao u
cillors saw that the emperor had re-
ceived a hint from Tzu Hsi to appoint
Lu Po-yang, whatever his record, so
they tactfully replied: III your maj
esty knows the man. 1t would be best
to appoint him without further inves-
neither on the board of revenues list
nor on that Of the civil office. and 1t
would not ook we'll to give him the
post after we had inquired and ascer-
tanned that he had nc claims" Kuang
Hsu sighed. and made the appointment.
the official plumber and general cor
ruption Of the Manchu d~ecadence.
The Rsformsrs.
nothing could be done in the way Of
reform. Indeed. her survival bottled
up insurgent tendencies. 80 that of ate
China has moved moro rapidly than in
the past 500 years. During the next
few decades the world will be able to
Judge whether the sudden moderniza-
ton has been entirely for the good of
China and her people. But It will be
better than the conditions symbolixed
by the following:
Kuang Hsu. the emperor. ana Lin
Hsu were discussing matters in tho
palace OF heavenly purity. when q
eSnHS much rushed 'nn, In and said: The Old
We AOA0 Ak . " AIA0UI0S. i
ordered your chair for you o 60 and
meet her" The emperor hur-
riedly bade Lin Hsu gather up
his papers and leave the palace.
while he himself proceeded to
meet b empress. Unfortunately. Lin
Hsu, In q great state of
and fear. was so anxious to get away
before h empress eunuchs should see
him, that in his haste he accidentally
dropped h o important Of all his
documents. one in which he had out
lined the plan for surrounding the
summer palace and seixing the person
OF Txu Hsi. This paper was picked up
by n of Ii Lien-ying's henchmen and
handed by the chief eunuch to her
majesty. It was the death warrant Of
the refOrners.
For tho next two years Kuang Hsu
was virtually q prisoner, and treated
by the old buddha and Ii Len-ying
with studied rudeness and neglect. He
became afflicted with a deep, chronic
melancholy. fully aware. during the
period OF his solitary confinement. that
his life hung upon q thread. at the
mercy OF the old buddha's cold FLOODED
policies and vengeful moods.
And so we go on with this fascinat-
fnb medley Of barbarism and culture.
OF mangnificence and depravtty exist
ing side by side.
able for b fastest and heaviest mill