The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-23

Corruption OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Tor
Acknowledgements Prejudice.
The Chinese throne has been conspicuous
for its lack Of great, strong formative
minds and ii is so hedged in with form
ceremony and adherence to precodents that
unless the incumbent be a man Of supreme
ability he falls under tho guidance Of his en-
toursge, and although an absolute despot.
be makes little positive impression on the
government Of his people. Tho provinces
are governed by yiceroys Of governors, who.
30 long as they follow certain minute direc.
tions laid down for them. are at liberty o.
manage affairs as they please Aud under
them the mandarins do the same
In the matter Of taxation, If the tax gath
ercrs turn over 20 their superiors their ex
pected quotas, too careful examination is NOT
made into the amounts ovQy and above those
sums which they have exttted from the p.o
pie and put into their own pockets The
civil service is honeycombed with coruue
tion. Ii from no other evidence this is an-
parent from the fact that officers with utterly
inadequate salaries retire with ample FORT.
unes Mandarins, as a rule, seldom enter
Office with large possessions; and it is @ rea-
|
they smooth their declining years is M got
ten. Occasionally, the official who has been
more successful in fcathcring ms nest than
in concealing the fact, excites the jealousy of
bis superiors and suffers IN consequence
Hang Kc, who was superintendent of customs
at Canton prior 20 1872, resigned his seals
with q fortune Of 10000 taels ,s5Ol, eco. uot-
withstanding his salary was only % i0O .aclsa
year, and the necessary expense II Dis yauun
Official residence were 5000 q month be-
was ordered 70 Pcl,in, and before hc had been
many days in the capital onc-thiri of DTS
$4,000 had been transferred to the "lnside
pockets Of the members OF the government
Occasionally seyerer punishment is indicted.
but the crimc apparently consist, VI being
discovered, not OF fleeing the people
Without strong, eleyating force go the
throne to lit them up without representa-
tive government i'm which they can rartoi-
pate aud raise themselves lf they wanted fe.
without well developed and equitable ildi-
cial and legal system % insure justice. and
encourage right living. With nothing o. slime
ulatc invention % amehoato the condition
Of the race, without anything to develop
yriity and stamina, with almost everything
il j. little 20 he wondered an they they d. NOT
rise, expand and advance.
But they do not seem % desire anything
better They d. not aspire 90 "a higher o0n-
dition With an Unborn spirit OF subssryl-
encv. intensified by centuries Of heredity
which is reflected m a degree Of abiect sub
missiycness % parental and civil authority
which is unknown in this country they have
not the spirit. courage or energy 90 lf- up
their hand for anything higher than they
possess. Tie same lack Of animus which
leads full grown men meckly % submit 90
unmerlted aud cruel noggng, without even
raising a finger # protest, causes outraged
people 10 neglect one Of the most potent
means of protection against oppression
afforded in the imperial cens0rs. Only the
most aggravated cases arc reported TO them
and the rest are meekly tolerated
No doubt this condition ot things is duo in
large measure 20 the intense and alperti-
tious reverence Of tho Chinese for antiquity
We study the past 10 improve upon lt, they
10 initiate 10. Tradition and custom are
everything 20 them. They arc -nked % the
dead past bv the unbreskable bonds of pre-
cedent: they arc chained % historical
corpse. Their government, as has been seen,
Is crude; their language, without alphabet
infection or grammar, Is unwieldy and un-
suitable for progressive literature, iNer
blind prejudice against post-morem cNam-
ination stil leaves them M ignorance ot
human anatomy. the functions II The Aoui.
lungs. liver and other organs are scaled
books to them; they make mo- distinction hc-
tween veins and arteries, or nerves aud ten
dons By mere guessworS they have boo
upon the gall bladder as the seat II courage
aud assurance which, according % modern
slang, Is not so far amiss
| In medicine, ignorance and superstition
prevail. and the medical board ct Pcau. n
the exercise OF It's profound wisdom. Aas
sanctioned such remedies a dried rel spotted
/ lizards, silk worm moths, tortoise and oyster
shells. dragons teeth, Yeriigris, LIARS gall.
shavings of rhinoceros' horns, elephant
skin, etc In astronomy, their Claii,an
heritage. they have progressed no further
1 than popularity 20 believe that Tho earth s
SQUARE and fat, and that eelpse5 arc caused
| by some monster attacking the sun or moon.
Their agricultural methods arc CT the most
primitive sort. And 50 it goes through an
their so called arts and sciences. They have
not the inherent lifoanl power t0break Their
way out OF the cocoon OF carly superstition
Although rs a nation they arc forty ccntl-
ries old, they are yet in th3 first stage OF
evolution.
! One Of the most striking evidences 0t me
Monaghan prejudice against innovations is
the utter absence OF railroads IN tho country
. A few years ago some foreigners secured the
right to build dozen miles of railroad and
operated IL for a short time. The Chinese
viewed it askance, ani 40 length purchased
it-not 70 run IL themselves bat deliberately
20 tear il up. America and China are as
complete antipodes in this respect as theyaro
geographically We nave half tho railroad
mileage OF tho world, they mono, and When
one considers tue vat ciyiizng Influence
and the great potency for progress If great
railroad system, which brings the ends of
country together, gives quick communica.
tion among the people, excltcs ambition, Opus
avenues for enterprise, develops community
Of interest and makes a nation homogeneous.
it is evident that here one finds gre4lla.'.r
Of the disparity between the American ana
Chinese people
While there are q few miles OF telegraph.
the use Of this means OF communiclt.la s
hammered by the unwleidiue-5 II the lfl-