St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-09-08


say that it Is only the lower class<
that indulge in that luxury. By th
middle and upper classes it Is consi,
cred as detestable As by Am ericani
However, when one goes Though som
OF the poorer parts OF the city and see
people absolutely starving to death
does not cause any surprise that sue
food is made use of. Dog flesh is al
sOlutely unknown in COrean feasts.
foreigner could sit down TO the COrea
table and eat OF almost every disl
that Is brought him without fear o
dog-meat.
Their staple article OF food Il q
course rice. Rice is legal tender i
Corea Almost all salaries and pay
ments are estimated in bags Of rice
Besides this there is beef. and fish, an,
poultry. There is . peculiar kind o
pickle resembling sauer-kraut whicl
goes BY the name of ''kimehi." an,
while it is rather offensive to ordinar,
olfactOries It is not more 90 than tn,
famous German dish. The Corean
eat their food highly seasoned with rex
pepper. and the brightest spots In ,
Corean landscape are the roofs o
houses covered with red pepper which
are put there to dry in the sun.
In regard to the position and socia
status Of women the most various ideas
prevail. 1t is true that the women Of
COrea are secluded. but not more &c
than in some more favored empires.
Turkey. for instance. shows us q vastly
more pitiable state Of things in this re-
spect than Corea- Women are no,
slaves here. as they have been pictured.
Their seclusion Il In some sense a
blessing 10 them. Their lack of seclu-
sion in Japan has led to tho most
demOtalizing results in that country.
1t is impossible that women should
be regarded with the same chivalric
spirit here that they are in the en-
lightened countries, and their seclu-
sion is painful necessity rather than
an evidence Of tyranny. And yet as
have said, women are not nearly so
secluded here rs they are in Turkey.
1t is only women Of the highest classes
that are allowed to be seen by any man
her husband and father-in-
law. Thousands of women can b seen
on the streets Of Seoul in broad day at
any time. In walking on any street
here a good proportion of the people
you meet are women. Many belonging
10 the middle class have a sort of apron
thrown over the head and held in front
Of the mouth. leaving . space through
which they can see and be seen.
Women Of the lower class, the COM
mon working class. go entirely un-
vailed.
One can not bat be struck by the evil
aences Of happy family life on every
side. As the sun is setting and the
evening meal is being prepared the
Iather sits out in front OF his house
his pipe and holding his little
son or daughter on his lap while he |
ellis stories and quaint legends. The
evident affection and confidence be-
ween parent and child are beautiful to |
ee. and one feels that these ignorant |
'eOple would not exchange their hum
lie cottage and their quiet life for q /
mansion on Fifth avenue in New York.
The COreans are a siagularly mild and
noffensive people. Their language
ontains no stronger epithet of hatred
r anger than .Meechin-nom," which
,eans crazy fellow. One can 90 to
ny part of the city or country at any
ime without the least fear of molesta-
on, and you never hear of q knock
own fight or murder. The criminal
lass is extremely small. and vagrancy
nd mendicancy are almost unknown.
ow all these points have been brought
p against these people, and they do
Dt bear the light of investigation.
ut no one seems to have mentioned
le one great social evil Of Corea, and
ne which must surely be changed be-
re Corea can fairly begin any such
ogress as Japan has made.
This evil has to do with the recog-
zed rule of all enlightened nations
at the individual must be secure in
e lawful possession of his own prop
'ty. and he must be allowed to accu-
ulate property. In Ubrea the strong ,
'ey upon the weak. For instance, /,
hen man is made an Official. which {
the highest ambition of the Corean,
certain extent Of territory is
lotted to him. From that terri
y he is required to send . certain !
mber Of bags of rice to the granary .
the central government, and for him. :
1 he has al the rest that he can y
aeeze out Of the population. His ,
wer is unlimited in his own district q
he can seizo any ones property I
d appropriate it II he be unscrupu- 4
is he uses this power to an extent e
It Is monstrous in its injustice. D
lie hears Of . man who has saved 4 :,
re of bags Of rice over and above o
at his family needs for the season. l.
On his minions come down on the v
ms lawful savings and sweep the b,
ole away. leaving simply enough Il
the man to struggle through the v
U with. -
an any thing be moro deadsnine 70 =,
erprise and thrift than thisf Who -
blaze them for saying: I'VE win N
Sc just enough rice to live on and m
more; for Why should We accumu- NJ
property to be swept swaye" or
ZEN l was about to discharge one of 10
servants he came to me and said n
he had saved some fifty dollars by
lie In my service, and that when he hv