The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1888-05-09
CHINESE MORALS.
Why People In the FIo1Tery Kingdom Ar,
Truly GnnI and p..ac...h he


Why People In the FIowery Kingdom Are
Truly Good and Peaoesble.
Taking into consideration the mill
ions and millions OF people who in-
habit the Flowery Kingdom. people
often wonder why so. few crimes are
committed in the Empire. and why peo-
pie live such quiet, neighborly lives.
Petty thieying is tho most common Of
Tense, but the cnlprit seldom repeats
the crime if caught the first or second
time.
Highway robbery is never repeated
if the highwayman is caught, because
it needs head TO plan such things,
and once in the clutches Of the En-
peror's magistrate the bad mans head
is taken away from him pretty quick.
This is what makes crime so unpopular
in China. So that the readers may
know how the various offenses, so
lightly punished in New York, are
treated in CHINA, some of the more
common are given, together with the
penalty that follows discovery as surely
| as the sun follows the moon.
For the first offense of petit larceny
the culprit receives fifty lashes on his
bare back with bamboo rod five feet
long and five inches wide. For the
second Ofense he gets one hundred
lashes. and wooden collar weighing
one hundred pounds is put around his
neck. This he must wear ninety days
and ninety nights. The wearer can not
seelude himself, but must make calls
upon his friends and walk in the streets.
This is compulsory. For all future Of
lenses the penalty increases at the above
ratio until the prisoner is reformed.
In simple assault and battery cases the
plaintiff must prove injury by showing
blood. otherwise he will be spanked
for making trivial complaints. For
breaking head the penalty is similar
to that for petit larceny, aud for maim-
ing it is life Imprisonment. If the pris-
Oner is rich he can escape imprisOn-
ment by transferring as much Of his
wealth to the injured man as would Sc
cure him d lie competence without
work. In all cases bail is not accepted,
except from men of great literary at
tainments, or degreed scholars of local
or national reputation. These men
seldom give bail in criminal cases,
unless they are satisfied of the prison.
ers innocence. and then it is equal to
an honorable acquittal.
An appeal for pardon on behalf of
any criminal must be made through
men of education holding diplomas
from the various colleges. In this way
the wishes of the people reach the
throne.
For misunderstanding or blackmail
the offenders mouth is spanked" so
hard that he can not use It for some
time. Women are the principal re-
cipients of this punishment. Any kind
of highway robbery is punished by cut
ting off the head of the offender. while
forcible entrance with intent to do in
jury to person or property is punished
by exile.
There are no breach OF promise cases,
! and if a single man assaults an uh-
betrothed girl he can compromise by
marrying aud supporting her, no mat
ter if he be a becgar and she a Princess.
If a married man Is guilty OF the crime,
under any circumstances. he is be-
halded, AMI IL Il single man assaults a
marie woman. he, too, is beheaded.
Ii the woman's husband make the dis
covery he can cut of the heads Of his
wife and the man. For this the au-
thorities viii reward him, because it
shows his manhood.
Under no circumstances will the
scribas, or silent lawyers, Of China,
allow their names to be known in
courts. the duty Of the judges being to
fnd out for themselves who is right and
who is wrong. No matter if he is a
/ lawyer or not, any man who aids
another to eyade the law is guilty OF
treason. In all cases plaintiffs and de-
PENDANTS plead their own causes.
Wong Chin Foo. inn T. HOrld