The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 9, 1900, Page 17

F¥e Was a fellow-JStudent of Smperor Kwang Hsu of China Kai , erstwhile fellow stu- dent of Emperor Kwang Hsu of China. Even E!.‘T}:R in our midst one Leung see the Emperor is a rare lege, denied the great majority almond-eyed. The fortunate vho rubs elbows with b singularly honored by his But he who breaks inner circle and munication with h the sacred lives in daily co the Emperor of China is almost a di- v e 1 a thousand million te subjects. is Leung Kai Tin. hat there is a great wn over the pre remarkable guest. g to gazing at the is seeing an inti- i of his Majesty. Leung Kai Tin is the only man, e or yellow, who has come to us the halo of contact with Chinese stinguishing him. 1 ung Emperor Kwang Hsu has b henghaijed and murdered so often the Empress Dowager— eccording to report—that he has be- shadowy and unreal to most has been killed and res- arly for many moons, until uninitiated have doubted whether such a person as Kwang Hsu ever existed. Leung Xai Tin’s presence, in a measure, is a guarantee to the incred- ulous of the reality of Emperor Kwang Heu. The Chinese residents needed no such evidence. While Kwang Hsu was in power his sweep- ing reforms made his subjects fully ence of tk The next best o come 1ds. 1 MVST MASTER THE ANE TO FURTHEWR ENTLIOH LAN- QUR. TAVSE realize that a new hand was wi lding ever since the usurpation of 1 s Dowager in constant dread would be hurried he royal bonnet. The young Emperor finally lent a 1i £ to the teachings of Xang Yu Wei. He became a pupil of that great teacher. This naturally made the Emperor eager to meet the m brilliant scholars of Kang Yu Wei. Among the young men brought into the royal presence were Leung Chi Tso and Leung Kei Tin. Leung Xai Tin was the younger brother, but equally clever for his years, and an ardent reformer. When jealousy made it imperative that the young Emperor have less frequent counsels with Kang Yu Wei it was decided to confine their inter- course to letters and to have these missives carried to and fro by some trusted friend of reform. Leung Kai Tin was one of those who bravely of- Leung Rai Tin, the Great Reformer, Who EsCaped the Empress Dowager’s Wrath by Qoming £0 San Fran- YV OHVH YIN WS VAVE ONE MILL\ON services for this delicate rous task. the Emperor saw that his and da When rs had endangered his own hat of his advisers and re nearing a crisis he his ref. safet + 1at matters w sent a secret message to Kwang ¥u Wei, informing him of the peril that was threatening all reformers. He le them fiy at once. of the most promising advo- of reform were butchered at the igation of the Empress Dowager re they could make their escape, but Xang Yu Wei, Leung Kai Tin, Leung Chi Tso and several others managed to escape. Leung Kai Tin came to the Pacific Coast to carry the doctrine of reform to every city and village where his brother Chinese congregate. In San Francisco there are an especially large number of progressive Chinese, who believe that the light of modern civilization should penetrate the gloom of China. Their battle-cry is, Give back the throne to the young mperor Kwang Hsu. They would h the Empress Dowager divested of every vestige of power. Leung Kai Tin, though still in his twenties, is a man of marvelous abil- ity. He is a scholar, not only learned in the musty philosophy of the Ori- ent, but well versed in the history of other nations and what has made their success. He is an eloquent speaker, and his lectures hers to his countrymen have stirred them be- Cisco, Bas Some Important Statements to Make. yond the belief of those who think indifference the chicf ingredient in Chinese make-up. The story of Kwang Hsu, Emperor of China, is indeed a rare one. He dared break the ironclad traditions cf the royal family. He stands a soli- tary and unique figure in a dynasty that for four thousand years has wieided a conservative scepter. Kwang Hsu, despits birth and train ing, in an incredibly short time came an ardent reformer, chancing even his throne for the cause. The story of his conversion to re- form has bzen written specially for The Sunday Call by his friend and fellow-student, Leung Kai Tin. Tong Chong, editor of the Chinese reform paper, rendered ths Chiness of Leung Kai Tin literally into English. It is a peculiarly interesting pen picture of the most remarkable Em- peror in the worli—Kwang Hsu— written by one of his most remark- able subjects. Certainly Leung Kai Tin is THE mcst remarkable China- man who has ever visited San Fran- cisco. AM probably the only person who has ever visited country who has had the d tion of having had personal communic 1 with E peror Kwang Hsu. The same was accorded me because I was a pupil of Kang Yu Wel, and ono of the echolars whom the Emperor ga ered about him during his six months of busy reform The Emperor is & man of marked in- \elligence, but physically anything but ro- bust. In appearance he is very slender, with regular features and facial expres- slon almost effe ate in {ts refinement and a smile of remarkable sweetness. It hes been during his short perlod of power, for the first time in 4000 years, that China has experlenced the privilege of an honest, patriotic ruler; & man without a desire for his personal self, caring only for the w I was exiled others of the I could be Info y that worthy iruler, who sudde realized that t crash was coming. Six of our compani are of his subjects. my with brother and all upporters who were beheaded as soon as the Dowager seized the reins of Government and hun- imprisoned for life. ago when Kang Yu Wel at Canton, he spent most plaining to his pupils how eat nations had reached their state of perfection through gradual reform, in- ing that Japan was made by the same rcess taught them that the only way to succeed was to induce their Government to reform. As soon as his theories be- came known to the Government at Reking, Kang Yu Wel was pronounced insane by the officials there and a determined effort was made to suppress him until the Em- peror had reached the twenty-first year of his reig 1t was during the Chino-Japanese war that Kang Yu Wel sent a tition coverlng_iiundreds of pages to Emperor xplaining all his ideas and orm. lie begged his Ma- Jesty to lend an ear to his pleadings, in- ting that China's future safety depend- solely upon reform. When the Emperor read the petition he was pleased beyond measure and at once ordered his secretary to make coples of the instrument, one for the Dowager and oneseach for the Governors and V iceroys the provinces. which resulted lousy springing up against Kang Yu Wel. Agaln Kang Yu Wei ad- dressed the Emperor, which the officers refused to forward. But Yung Hung Wo. the old teacher of the Emperor, was so taker by the modera {deas advanced by Kang Yu Wel that he began searching for books of modern times to_see If they agreed with the opin- fons of Kang Yu Wel. He was surprised at the revelation and immediately ex- pressed his great respect for the wisdom of the reformer—especially his expres- sions on conditions cxisting in Japan and- Korea, which he found verified by other works. Next he invited Kang Yu Wel to come to Peking that he might better explain his theories and Kang Yu Wel explained to the Emperor’s instructor as soon as he reached his presence: “‘All the powers are threatening each other. Unless we reform, what s{anding can we claim as a nation?” = - <> TOLLARS TO REFORM TLUB This and other argumecnts rung Hong Wo and convinced Yung 3 In a short time the E sound reformer himself, for Kang Yu Wei's peror became a d as a reward wisdom ordered a royal decree that reform be proc s Dow This greatly displeased the aged to elire officials who favc e form, some of whom were the Emperor's trusted advisers. This had the effect of retarding the movement for a time, and Ka Yu Weil left Peking on a lecture tour through all the provinces. At the close of the twenty-third year of the reign of Kwang Hsu, when the Germans took posseseion of Kiaochau- wan, Kang Yu Wel immediately re- turned ex- to Peking from Canton and plained the seriousness of the situation, ut he was retused an audience, all offi- clals also refusing to forward his message to_the Emperor. 3ut he at last found one named Ko Sit, who was in thorough sympathy with Kang Yu Wel. who took it upon himselt to see the Emperor and ask him to issue an order giving Kang Yu Wei a personal interview. The Emperor was about to comply when Prince Kung went to his Majesty and begged him not to do so, saying: “Kang Yu Wel is a man of low rank and there- fore, according to court etiquette, has no right to appear before the Emperor.” The Emperor explained to Prince Kung that he wished to consult with Kang Yu Wel on a matter of great importance. The Prince said this could be accom- plished through some palace offictal, who might carry both message and answer, thereby saving the dignity of the court. The Emperor was compelled to accede to thig, for it was in strict accordance with an anclent and well-defined law. The Emperor was anxious to hear Kan Yu Wei's message from some one he cauls trust, so he requested the g{tesmem of the Foreign Office to meet Kang Yu Wei, which he did. Kang Yu Wei explained to that high official his ideas on the subject, telling him how necessary 1t¥was to re- , th ion could In no other h the Govern- way with ar Fore: © i i were to ba a. moment's ions from K warded to him wit s gave K Yu Wei the oppo vhich he had ked so long an ly for. He was now in direct tion with mperor, with a fair ck r Majesty the p nity mitted b ¢ matter to mperor's friend a it was a of the turn against i At last Yung Hung Wo managed to in- duce Kang Yu Wei to write a memorial to the Emperor, with the result that his Majesty conciuded to make somie of the reat changes as suggested by the re- ormer. urther the Emperor was so taken by writings of Kang Yu Wei that t etiquette. . the W nally, hich ‘Wwas most- vigorously opposed. by Prince Kung,. but fortunately the Prince died soon after. Then came the consultation with the Emperor, resulting in a_complete victory for Kang Yu Wel .and ;reform, for the Emperor agreed with every section.of the written requests of the reformer. Again and again the Emperor requested the presence of the reformer, wishing further advice. Finally, fn order to have him within easy call.” he appointed him to a position in the Foreign Office.. This caused more Jjealousy from seme of the Peking officials. Some time prévious to his meeting with the Emperor Kang Yu Wei had organ- ized a government protective society, which was bitterly opposed by Censor ‘Wong, but the Emperor refused to listen to the objections of this official, which very much exaggerated the bitterness against Kang Yu Wel. the 1AM THE ONLY VISITORTD THIS SHORE WHD HAS KNOWN OREVEN SEEN THE EMPEROR, KWANTG HSU OUR FIRST AIM 7 19 TO RETAIN THE THRONE FQ Another censor named Mon also sided < his power to in- the B r. because the that nducted time at me to books plained timely how Russia been etr old ideas: I been rejuvenated by able n order to show the result yns.wit ed four personai ter bearers; two were e reformer, and ali could f Ks Tso, and myself. Ir plying with this request he lis ng Yu Wei red over twenty ¢s of the empire revisal of th s, all to 1 of those us eight E to times of peace: esta themselves ed silk and tea sid form of Con- encouraged a free pre subject permission to regardless of X Owing to th t 1 plots of the Em- press Dowager, Kwang Hsu s now in in- vity. But we are doing our best to spread the doctrines of reform so that all Chinese shail s cessity of a changa from the oid way on as Kwang Hsu can he locat 1 there is no danger that he has been killed, he will be given his throme. Then his reforms will bring about Dex gave v ress the throne such changes tbat China will take rightful place among nations. e