The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-12-15
DAKOTA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1888.
THE CHINESE NATION.

THE CHINESE NATION.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
IN THE EMPIRE.
The Peoples Incapacity for Self Elevation.
Lack of Intelligence on tho Throne.
Corruption of Oficials-Hcvcrenco for
Acknowledgements Prejudice.
The Chinese throne has been conspicuous
for its lack of great, strong, formative
minds; and it is so hedged in with form,
ceremony and adherence to preccdents that
unless the incumbent be man of supreme
ability lie falls under tho guidance of his en-
tourage, and although an absolute dcspot,
he makes little positive impression OH the
government of bis people, The provinces
arc governed by viceroys of governors, who,
so long Us they follow certain minute direc-
tions laid down for them, arc at liberty to
manage affairs rs they please. And under
them the mandarins do tho same
In tho matter Of taxation, if the tax gath
erels turn over to their superiors their ex-
pccted quotas, too careful examination is not
made into tho amounts over and above those
sums which they have cxtorted from tho peo-
pie and put into their own pockets Tho
civil service is honeycombed with corrup-
tion. II from no other evidence, this is ap-
parent from tho fact that officers with utterly
Inadequate salaries retire with ample fort.
unes. Mandarins, as rule, seldom enter
office with largo possessions; and it is rca-
sonablc deduction that tho wealth with which
they smooth their declining years is ill got
ten. Occasionally, tho official who has been
moro successful in feathcring his nest than
i'll conccaling tho fact, cxcites tho jealousy of
his superiors and suffers i'll consequence
Hang kc, who was superintendent of customs
ut Canton prior to 1859, resigned his seals
with Il fortune of 100000 taels (s5O0, ,OOU), not
withstanding his salary was only 2,40O taelsa
year. and tho necessary expenses of his yamun
Official residence wcro 5000 n month He
was ordered to Pckin, and before ho had been
many days i'll tho capital one-third of his
$500 had been transferred to tho "insido
pockets of tho members of tho governments.
Occasionally scvercr punishment is inflicted;
but the c;lmc apparently consists of being
discovered, not of llcccing tho people.
Without strong, clcvating force ON tho
throne to lift them up, without representa-
pate and raise themselves (f they wanted TOY,
without Il well developed and equitable judi
cial and legal system to insure Justice and
encourage right living, with nothing to slim
ulatc invention to alneliorate tho condition
of tho race, without anything to develop
yrility and stamina, with almost everything
to press, subject, conflno and servlize them,
it is little to le wondered at they they do not
rise, expand and advance:
But they do not seem to desire anything
better. They do not aspire to n higher con-
diton With oil inborn spirit of subscrvi-
ency, intensified by centuries of hercdity,
which is reflected in n degree Of abjcct sub
missiveness to parental and civil authority
which is unknown i'll this country, they havo
not the spirit, courage or energy to lift up
their hand for anything higher than they
possess. The samo lack of animus which
leads full grown men meekly to submit to
unmcritcd aud cruel logging, without even
raising finger of protest, causes outraged
people to neglect ono of the most potent
means of protection against oppression
afforded in tho imperial censors. Only tho
most aggravated cases aro reported to them
and the rest nrc mcekly tolerated.
No doubt this condition Of things is due i'll
u largo measure to the intense and suporsti-
tious reverence of the Chinese for antiquity.
We study the past to improve upon it; they
to initiate it. Tradition and custom ure
everything to them. They nre linked to tho
dead past by tho unbreakablo bonds of pre-
ccdent; they are chained to historical
corpse. Their government, as has been seen,
is crude; their language, without alphabet,
infection or grammar, is unwi4ldy and un-
suitable for Il progressive literature; their
blind prejudice against post-mortcm exain-
nation still leaves them IN ignorance of
human anatomy, tho functions of tho heart,
lungs, liver and other organs aro sealed
books to them; they make no distinction be-
tween veins and arteries, or nerves and ton
dons. By mere gucsswork they have hit
upon tho gall bladder as the seat of courage
and assurance, which, according to modern
slang, is not SO far amiss.
In medicine, ignorance and superstition
prevail, and tho medical board Mt Pckin, in
tho exercise Of its profound wisdom, has
sanctioned such remedies as dried red spotted
lizards, silk worm moths, tortoise and oyster
shells, dragoon's teeth, verdigris, bears gall,
shavings Of rhinoceros' horns, elephants
skin, etc In astronomy, their Chaldean
heritage, they have progressed no further
than popularity to believe that tho earth is
square and flat, and that eclipses are caused
by some monster attacking tho sun or moon.
Their agricultural methods nre of tho most
primitive sort. And SO 1t goes through all
their SO called arts and sciences. They have
not tho inherent life and power to break their
way out of tho cocoon Of early superstition.
Although as nation thoy are forty centu-
ries old, they arc yet in tho first stages of
evolution.
Ono of the most striking evidences of tho
Mongolian prejudice against innovations is
tho utter absence of railroads in tho country.
A few years ago some foreigners secured the
right to build dozen miles Of railroad and
operated it for n short time. Tho Chinese
viewed it askance, and at length purchased
it-not to run it themselves, but deliberately
to tear it up America and China arc as
complete an,ipodes in this respect as they are
geographically. We have half the railroad
mileage of tho world, they none; and when
ono considers tho vast civilzing influence
and the great potency for progress of great
railroad system, which brings tho ends of
country together, gives quick communica-
avenues for enterprise, develops community
of interest and makes nation homogeneous,
it is evident that hero one finds great factor
of the disparity between tho American and
Chinese people.
While there are few miles of telegraph,
tho use Of this means Of communication is
hampered by tho unwieldiness Of the Ian
guage and the impossibility of expressing it
in telegraphic symbols, except through the
cumbersome and inadequate method of con-
version into numbers.-New York Times
Use OF Paragraph Signs.
Writers for newspapers should use para
graph signs freely in their copy. Tho marks
do not disGguro tho manuscript at oil, and