River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-02
C0REA.
Wrong Ideas Prevalent Concerning
Its People.
Practical Power of the KinE-A Liberal
and Progressive Ruier-Moman'sF To-
sition-Robbed to support
the Government.


sitIon-Robbed to support
the Government
Evcrv uewIy-opencd country IS
doomed 10 be misrepresented more or
less at first because OF the lack Of def
mite Information and the consequent en-
largiur of the few facts that are known.
fot maay statements that have been
published at home about this country
can - charitabIy explained only on
the hypothesis that truth is elastic.
desire 10 give through your columns a
feg facts in regard TO some of the more
important points about which misun-
derstaRding exists. In the first place,
Corea is a limited monarcy. There is
a written constitution, which is not.
perhaps, absolutely binding on the
King, but which is seldom deviatRI
from.
This is fact which is not generally
known. even by many Of the foreigners
resident in this city. but | have it on
the best Of evidence COrean mon
a-chy can not be said 10 be limited in
the sense that the people are represent
cd in any Council or Parliament. but
there are rules laid down which even
His Majesty will not Overstep. except
ing under most unusual circumst lnces.
And word right here in regard 70 the
practical power Of the King. Some
have said that he has no power at all,
but Is Imprisoned in his palace and
obeys his councillors. Others say that
he Is perfectly ,ntrammeled in the
execution Of any design whatsoever.
Both Of these statements strike wide of
Of the truth, although on opposite sides
II il. To BE- sure. the King OF COres,.
according 10 the sacred and unwritten
law 81 this aud all the kindred nations,
Is considered in one sense a sacred per-
sOnagc. and can not be exposed
to the gaze of the pOpulace
except on certain state occasions.
but this seClusiOn is vol
untary- Almost every night the noble
men congregate ut the palace, and the
King holds his court practically the
same as any Western sovereign. He
has to depend largely upon the repre-
sensations of these nOblemen i'm making
his plans and in delivering his orders.
but il must be quite evident that when
the noblemen present comprise the
leading members of two strong polite
ell parties misrepresentation to His
Majesty from one side would doubtless
be corrected from the other. aud 50 it
Is the opinion " those who ought to
know that the King is not so ILL
informed a some have pictured him.
His Majesty, in spite of the disad-
vantages under which he labOrs, is the
most liberal and progressive man in
the empire, and it is due solely to mis-
wisdom and perseverance that the
legation was sent 10 the United States,
for it Is an acknowledged fact that a
majority Of the leading men here are
strongly anti-foreign and conservative
in their policy. so far. then. from
being either a prisoner or a despOt,
the King of COrea is neither one nor
the other. In regard to the independ-
ence Of Corea nothing need be said.
Her relations with the United States,
Russia, Germany, Great Britain.
France and Japan have put that above
suspicion. and hereafter China will
doubtless accept the situation. But il
is in regard to social questions that the
greatest misunderstanding exists.
COrcans are not barbarians or savages;
they are not nOmadS. but they belong
TO the great family of civilized nations
as distinguished from enlightened ma
tions
If system Of government reaching
even To the minutest details, COM
plicated social system, a knowledge of
arts and industries, a religious and
educational system, literature, and the
cOncomitants Of these imply civiliza-
ton. then surely COrea is civilized.
Her civilization dates back TO a time
when Japan was covered with say age
tribes
II i amusing to US out here in COrea
To- watch the papers and read what is
said about this little country. Some
one said that suicide was extremely
common. when. in fact. it Is almost
unknown. Even the physician in charge
of tho Royal Hospital during three
years has only heard Of one case.
Then we will read something about
the second-story windows being all
closed when the King goes by. when.
in fact. there are not half a dozen two
story houses in COrea; or about the
King dispensing justice as he travels
through the country, while. in fact, he
never yet has gone ten miles outside
the gates Of Seoul.
There are plenty Of unpleasant feat
ures about the social condition Of these
people without filling the minds OF
outsiders with imaginary ones. Much |
has been said about the natives being
great eaters Of dogs flesh After
personal observation of the habits Of
the people for two years | can truly
say that it l. only the lower classes !
that indulge in that luxury. BY the
middle and upper classes it Is cOnsid-
cred a. detestable a by Americans.
However. when one goes through some
Of the poorer parts Of the city and sees
people absolutely starving to death it
does not cause any surprise that such
food Is made use of. Dog flesh is alb
solutely unknown in COrean feastS. A
foreigner could sit down to the COrean \
table and eat of almost every dish
that i brought him without fear of
dOg-meat-
Their staple article Of food i Of
course rice. Rice is legal tender in
Corea. Almost all salaries and pay
ments are estimated in bags Of rice.
Besides this there l. beef. and fish. and |
poultry. There Is a peculiar kind Of |
pickle resembling sauer-kraut which !
goes BY the name Of ''kimehi." and |
while il is rather offensive TO ordinary
olfactories it is not moro 50 than the
famous German dish The COreans
cat their food highly seasoned with red
pepper. and the brightest spots in a
Corcan landscape are the roofs OF
houses covered with red pepper which
are put there TO dry in the sun.
In regard TO the position and social |
status Of women the most various ideas |
prevail Il Is true that the women Of
Core. arc secluded. but not more 80