Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-01-24
THE HERALD,
OWL SERVICE IN 0aINA.


"a.
oVHe~ conp ssi.,ss Il .lssmlnss On. Have see g
sxrr Carried on there Three TIL susand Years,
AaS~ : 80 G0As-- A60H 3YAN
6aEWe make the following extract
yfromDr Fisld's- new book, !" From
Egypt to Japan:"4 EAAAI III
- One thing which offers avery curl.
3 Gus study we found ID the Examina-
tiop Hall, illustrating, as it does, the
Chinese manner of elevating men to
office. We hear much in the coun.
try of (" civilservice REFORM" which
some innocentIy suppose to be new
discovery in political ecohomy-an
American invention. But the Chin.
ese have had il for 1000 years. Here
appointments to Office are made as
the result of competitive examina-
ton, and although there may be Sc
cret favoritisIa and bribery, yet the
theory is one Of perfect equality. In
this respect China is the most abso.
Lutte democracy in the world. There
is no hereditary rank or order of mo-
biIity, the lowest mental, if he has
native. talent, may raise himself by
study and perseverance, to be Prime
Minister of the empire.
s33 In the eastern quarter of Canton
10 an Enclosure OF many acres, laid,
OF In a manner which betokens some
unusual purpose. The ground is dis
vided BY q succession of low build.
-ings. not much better than horse
sheds around New England meet
ing house of the olden time. They
run in parallel lines, like barracks
for camp, aud are divided into
compartments. Once in three years
the vast camping ground presents
an extraordinary spectacle, tor there
are gathered in these courts, from
all parts Of the province, some ten
thousand candidates. All of whom
have previously passed a first EXAM
nation, and received degree, and
now appear TO compete for a second.
Some are young and some are old,
for there is no limit put upon age
Az the candidates present them.
selves, each man is searched TO ses
that he has no books or helps of any
sort concealed upon bis person, and
then put into Q stall about three feet
wide, just large enough to turn
around in, and as large as prison.
.er's cell. There 10 a niche ia the wall
in which board can be placed for
him to sit upon, and another niche
to support board that has to serve
asa breakfast table and writing Ia
BILE. This is the furniture OF his
room. Here be is shut in from all
communication from the world, his
food being passed to him through
an opening in the door, as to a pris-
ener. Certain themes are then sub.
mitted to him in writing, on which
he sis to furnish written essays in
tended generally, perhaps always to
determine his knowledge of the
Chinese classics. 1t is sometimes
said that these are frivolous ques.
tions, the answers to which afford
no proof whatever of ones capacity
for office, but itshould be rememb er-
cd that these classics are the writ
ings of Confucius, which are the DO.
litical ethics of the country, the
very foundation of the government
without which one is not qualified
to take part in the administration.
The candidate goes into his cell in
the afternoon, and spends the night
there, which gives him time for re-
Election. aud the. next day and the
next night, when he comes out, and
after few days is put in again for
another trial of she same character
and this is repeated third time at
the end of which he is released from
solitary confinement, and his essays
are submitted for examination. Of
the 10000 only rs can obtain a de.
gree-not one in 1901 The 5000 and
925 must go back disappointed, their
only consolation being, that after
three years they can try again. Even
the successful enes do not hereby get
an office, but only the right to enter
for third competition, taking place
at Pekin, by which, of course, their
ranks are thinned still more. The
fewsgetting through this three.fold
ordeal take high place in the liter
airy or learned class, from which all
appointments to the public service
are made. Here is the examination
complete. No trial can be imagined
so severe, and it ought to give the
Chinese the best civil service on