The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1870-11-16
"TaAT nEATuEN CalsEE."
CHINESE POLITICS.

|
that his officials may lose their dignity or
make local connections which would bc dan
ger2p7,t2 theuIfa1o o0nnHnl 80 a !, /,
dnfihg their Official term. fias st 7.
The "eldcrs are superintendents Of police
and municipal judges combined, 'local faith
ers," whose duty IL Is to chnstisc the evil
docrs and settle such quarrcls as are not Of
sufficient magnitude to affect the affairs Of
State. These "local fathers are elected By
the people of the village to which they bc.
long, and are supposed to represent the popu-
lar choice. Their term may be long or short
for year or for life--according to the vote
Of the people at their election. At iirst
thought, one would suppose that this right Of
electing their own municipal officers was q
| redeening feature in the government, and one
which would be- 1likely to prevent crime and \
official extortion. IBut In those provinces
whose inhabitants have many representatives
in the United States this right Of election is
nothing but the ''present of a halter with
which to hang themselves Having this
voice in the municipal affairs, the imperial
officers expect good order and firm loyalty
from all the people and where they do not
find it they hold tho people Of the locality
responsible aud punish them all alike. Ii one I
man steals the whole village is often fined. If
one murders and escapes the wholc village
must suffer fine. The principle is, that the
people have power to prevent crime and II
they do not the Emperor will call Them to ac-
count. In China, as in every other country,
| there are always two or more parties at each |
election, but, unlike the parties existing in
democratic governments, they usually bear |
each other q deadly grudge. The lad execu- |
tion Of the laws leads the people to oiganze
In their own defence, and when member of a
family is accused Of InisiemeanOr all the rela-
tives try to save the honor of the house by a
I uuita1 .fYnrt t,, Uaf him ucuuitted OF
the friends Of the injured party are equally
anxious that be should be condemned. This
leads to hostilitics between the friends of the
accused and the accuser, in which the other
citizens of the village usually take part
Soon the whole community joins inthc melee,
and the two clans often temporarily settle
their difficulties by mob street fights, grave
robbing aud other acts of lawlessncss. Nearly
} every village has its two principal clans, be-
; tween which there is perpetual war; and these
, include numerous clannish subdivisions,
which circumstances make of impor-
tance or otherwise. The war between
the principal clans is carried into the muni-
cipal elections, aud the clan having the lar
u gest number of atlherents is sure OF carrying
the election, and of placing men in office AS
i "eldeIs" who will clear the innocent and the
;. guilty alike Of the dominant party aud con-
Q denim every person whom they accuse. When
h this il accomplished it behOoves the defeated
par.i-s, -1oi.euxv ti'v ovior of tfcir 1ssii-
. | tics and Join the successful party, or they run
the great risk of their property and of being
IL sold into slavery or to coolic traders, through
B. the connivance and villany of the opposite
q party. On the determination of one party
e another rises within the fold of the successful
% one, cutting it into contending factions, whose
Ma difficulties will not be healed until another
!, election or n .bloody street fight shall place
y one greatly in the ascendant. Thus an elder,
" nsted of being an upright judge and careful
y superintendent Of the police, is simply the
~ leader of faction.
II THE sHYLocK5 OF CHINA.
;! Just here, Colonel Conwell remarks, tha
u through the intcrposition of the elder "a man
ed DARN is found who will not only grant the de
er sired permission but also advance the fund
~ necessary for the passage. For this amour
er he charges the moderate rate Of seyenty-hv'
II per cent and the coole executes bon'
In pcdging the bodies of his wife and chiidrei
II TO secure the payment thereof. Ii he shoui'
~, ~, fail to pay the amount in nine months iron
" date, either at the Chinese banking hous
;" named in San Francisco, or at the Office 9
Ar. of the mort caeee then the family $ may be sol
ak forthwith, together if they will bring none
nd enough to cancel the debt, and singiy II IL
,m one person can be found to buy them all at
!e. reasonable price.
nd TIE CHINESE CRIsPIys.
sr' The Chinese as people have speci
co. liking for mysterious rites and strange Ger
So munals, and this feeling has given rise to
Of great many secret societies, clans ana Dfothe
ave hoods, in which candi,lates for initiation n
too passed through severe tests and symboiic IN
me npuyrcs. Like the Freenasons and Odd tt
;II lows of the United States, these societies ha
''u no connection whatever with goyernmeI
oe The clans that capture so many OF the priso
Seu ,rs who are sold to the Portuguese GOO
at traders are usually kind of secret fam
viii organizations, the purpose OF which Is to
ible terminate the family of some enemy. 4
for other kind of u secret society is that cnteI
alse into by laborers 10 ihuuce an 1uVanoe III vi
i, - wages, This is i'll every way counterpart
70, the organized STRIKES OF the Crispins nne
"o' printers. &C., Of America: but they seld
accomplish anything permanent. ferhap
Two continued secret annoyance, or "a thrcatei
, IN calamity from a body of men, the numb
thor and character OF Wn'cn Is ."hno"h 70 II
may induce the capitalists to raise their |
,.., for a few weeks, III order that he may get
Cas- ,vber. I,nt I.vond that nothing has been d,
nee For two thousand years the laborers ha
sd- been ''strikin," burning, numbering .
otherwise msbehaviny themselves, yet IL
, the are AS much oppressed rs ever, anu the
,a az of wages new is not over five or SIX cent
no day. The capitalists have become too mi
~ afraid OF "strikes" to invest in manutactur
l,m n", enterprises, and high and low, rich and p
o"' suffef in consequence. Marketmen or II
WIS chants dealing in the same articles often c.
f. to bine, and in secret conclave resolve the pl
Ne up or down, at the same time setting all
Idge such rumors, or adopting such deceitfnl be
vior, as will create q demand Tor their II
"a of ch..ndise. Thus it will be seen that the !
,,;o, nese were "Crispin," "Sons OF Labor" Q
and formed trade combinations ana mono
."'' ."'' lies q Thousand years or more before Aine
non. was discover Insurance assertions.
aged the terms Of which assistance Is rendered
any member in case of accident either to
property, family or himself are often fou
and even among the poorest population s
'o"s associations are 1ourshing and beneft
,.., seeu They insure each others crops animals
n,on n clothing and unite in the expenses whe
io relative af any member dies. 1t is sad I
ou!h insure poor young men n happy marriage
a take rit ks on the sex OF an unborn child,
,'"et s"o member paying Lis share OF loss Oh
,nch "mutuaW plan.
Brit CHINESE SLAVERY
,"ne " When we consider the condition, of
vi vi Fhigher classes, whose sons have the adva
WI VII res Of schools and social training. and to W
!, Is all the best Offices in the empire are. o
q and afterwards glance down at the degr
n ton which marks the features and beha
llian oi we t,ot s ;n.tnah ~ hein,, Z.
'"''' state of slavery it is the very worst.
...- slave in China is whipped, branded, pu
myr- stocks and pillores, and otherwise maltre
ayous They have hard tasks to perform; little o
M luxnres of life, and arc nearly as often !
...rH fr-4. .#uH ... #.Ht nH.' NV d.. .trH "'