Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-08-24
The Chinese.

of the State of California. Sta
tistics claim, now, on the Pacific
coast about 10000 Chinese, of
whom $4,000 to $4,000 reside in
San Francisco-that as a people
they are immoral, menda.
cious, dishonest, thieving, with a
predisposition to perjury and sub:
ornation of perjury; In short, II
the Chinaman has any good traits,
the "testimony" tailed TO produce
it. As curiosity, and as giving
us an inkling Of home life in, the
Flowery Kingdom, We Gull par,
agraph or so from the evidence Of
Governor +. f. Low, who was
for about three years and a half
Minister Plenipotentiary from the
United States to the Empire of
China. He says
Agricultural laborers are re-
garded with great consideration
in the social ethics of China; In.
deed, agriculture has been emo
bled by the action OF the govern
ment. In the graduation OF Chi
nese society the officials hold the
highest rank; next come the ag-
rlcultural laborers; then the man.
uiacturers who increase values by
working raw materials into arti-
cles of use; then the trader, let
him trade in anything-peanuts,
or dry goods at wholesale. They
are dealers all the same; they ex-
change commodities, producing
nothing. His caste is lower than
the laborer. Then we have the
professional mamie is lower
still. A lawyer in China is pref
ty nearly as bad as actors and
BARRIERS. who are without the pale
of social life. The customary wa.
ges of laborers in China are from
ten to twenty cents day. Per
lhaps ten cents will be nearer the
average for common laborers.
They support themselves out OF
that. They live on land. with
the exception of around about the
City of Canton, where a great
many people live in boats, know
ing no law. They make their
homes in boats, but that is a We
; ry small portion OF the population.
China is an immese empire, and
: we are only dealing with the 1T
tie fringe around the edges. We
know comparatively little of the
interior. The men who own {
little piece of land and cultivate
lit will not come here, because
they are independent. Those on
ly who are obliged to work fo'
wages will come. Ispeak now OF
the mass. Of course merchant
come here, because they will g
anywhere where there is profit t.
no made in trade and traffic. The
+ have neighborhood schools tina
$ are supported by voluntary con
= tributions of the neighborhood
: sometimes by assessments levied
but that is all voluntary. Their
is nothing compulsory in it. l
+ is incumbent upon every man Il
marry. This is the custom of tn
, country. The public opinion
: of the people makes it absolutel..
: compulsory, and every body doe
marry. Even at a young age
e marriage contracts are made b.
A the parents of either side, an
a they are betrOthed from infancy
!. frequently. As soon as they ar
: old enough to marry, they marry
is The bulk of the people ar
chaste. 1t is only around larg
cities where we have immorallt
f and vice. On this point I hav
: the testimony Of those who hav
travelled great dealin the interio
where immortality on the part Of
Is married women is punished wit
le terrible severity-where they al
5: tabooed from society. A China
man who has wealth can take
many wives as he chooses
many as he can support. 1t is
mere matter Of bargain and sa
with the parents. II a family h
surplus of girls that cannot
betrothed in the regular way, the
dispose of them as second ar
t. third wives. But the second, thir
G. fourth ard fifth wives are all su
10 ordinate to the first; she is mlstre
of the household. All of the ch
Oh dren are legitimate. A woman
We allowed only one husband. lie
al rosy is not uncommon in CHR
is although it is not prevalent in t
IF north of China. Goitre, swe
ing of the glands Of the throat,
frequent, and is supposed to col
PIC from the water. The whole V;
e ley on the northern part of Var