Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-06-05
CoREA.
Something About the Law and Peo-
pie OF an Interesting Country

SVhEA.
Something About the Law and Peo-
pie of an Interesting Country,
San Francisco Alta
There is system of police in Corea
that is to say, a force to detect crime
and administer punishment. A pre-
ference is shown TO punishment of n
humilating and cruel nature, such as
whipping or beheadins. There IS =
leaning to "Jedburgh justicen-exe,
cution FIRST au9 tried afterward. Theft
is as often punished by death as a
capital crime. A system of state
prisons is not favored and does not
exist. The punishment of those of
higher class consists of their dis
missal from Office and being debarled
from appointment. The most com~
pleie security exists in the interior.
When foreign representatives wish To
travel, the king issues his tablets or
pa sports, and these. presented to the
governors of the provinces, insure
their beiRg treated with the greatest
respect; but in any case there is no
danger of their being molested. There
may be said to be no rosds in the
country. Footmen carry letters from
one end of the peninsula to the other.
No doubt good roads would, by ex
tending facility of communication,
increase the prosperity OF the coun~
try, and even railroads might he
iRancial benefit. The population is
nominally 1900, but in reality is
considerably over that number. They
have regular troops, and the excellence
of their drill is wonderful. The
government not long since bought
several stands of arms from the
United States to replace the old flint
locks. of which, however, there are
large quantities still in use. There
are no restrictions put by the Corean
government on foreign trade in the
way of export duties, and it is pro
bable that in exchange f.r our manu-
trade with Corea in hides, skins,
minerals, and other products.
The revenue of the country is col
lected through the governors of the
provinces in small coin and in pro>
auce, who pay it into the royal
treasury, the king regulating the ex-
penses according to pleasure. The
Coreans in appearance compare more
with western nations than the Chinese
or even Japanese, though of course
having the marked Mongolian char
acteristics. Through all grades of So
ciety the people seem very sbclable,
the arIstoeracy especially SO. They,
are continually paying visits and
seem to have mania for giving pres
ents TO each other. The childish
curiosity of the common people is very
amusing. They ..,e quite delighted if
they can handle foreign clothes and
implements. Their principal amuse>
ment seems to be gambling, which is
universal. They have variety of
games with dominoes, which they call
''bone cards. They also go in for
pitching coppers-" pitch and toss,
1t may be called--to a certain extent.
The Coreans are not vicious. Drunk
snness'is rare, though a good deal of
sake is drunk IN a social way at the
salte>houses. which serve the purpose
of clubs. Opium sn oking is tabooed,
and only INDUCED in secret dens as it
might be in any western city. The
very early marriages made-boys a:
IA years and girls at 10 10 lis con-
ductive to great morality. Dinners
with the upper classes are very pleas
ant and entertaining, rs no expense is
spared to have the surroundings as
luxurious as possible, and there is no
dra wback by having TO sit IN con-
strained and dunaccompanied positions
for as regards furniture and Dime
service everything is western. An
oriental charm is introduced by hay-
ing dancing girls, which are always
attached 10 the suite Of the high Of
ficials and men of rank, waiting on
the guests and afterward dancing to
music, which later, however, is too
much of the tom tom style to please.
OF course, the women Of the family
are rigidly excluded from any meeting
with males not of their own family,
but it is probable that the ladies do
manage to have pretty good view OF
the male guests, from sundry pceplng-
holes which might so easily be made
in the paper windows which surround
the interior room. The dress OF the
woman, which can only be judged
from THESE dancing girls, mas very
pretty effect. Clouds of various-tinted
silks cover the figure, and when the
movements of the dance disarrange
the outside gowns the closer-htting
undergarments blend in color in a
very picturesque manner. Ladies in
the streets are carried about IN wicker
sedan chsirs, from which they can see
the outside world, but are themselves
most fully concealed. Corea is un-
doubtedIy very interesting country.
It has so much TO show quite different
from any other form of Oriental life
that it would amply repay trareler's
visit. And the very amicable rela-
tions which exist between it and our
government should be fostsred aud
opportunities taken advantage OF to
raise the civilization of the country,
which the king and inhabitants are so
disposed to meet halfway, by CONNER
eial enterprise, which has always led
the val in the stimulation of Asiatlc
torpor.