Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-30
OE8T.PAYiNC IN CHIN \.
Curious Results of a Practice of the
Celestial Kingdom.

A writer in the North China Her.ti2
of Shanghai lately takes for his theme
the peculiar Chinese practice of SET
Ting debts just before New Years day.
which has often been praised by west
ern observers, but which he does net
applaud so much. The custom has. he
SAYS, its roots in three causes: First,
that everybody owes something; sec
ondly, that Il { eat necessity exists for
short settlements. and thirdly, that no
one will pay debt until he is forced
to do so. Tyrannical custom compels
most persons to live beyond their
means. Marriages and funerals are
the ruin of the people.
On the other hand, the balances in
the hands of creditors are so small that
no one can afford to leave his money
out of call for more than a few months.
Finally the universal habit is to avoid
discharging liabilities if possible So
at New Years time there is perpet-
ual sequence of flight and pursuit.
Creditors hunting reluctant debtors
are themselves hunted bv hungry cred
itors of their own. The nation, in
short, revolves in vicious circle, and
its only period of brief pause is New
Years day. Tie double anxiety of a
Chinese in the twelfth moon is to lini
some one else and not to be found him
self. Any particular creditor hunting
any particular debtor will find that he
is himself anticipated bv swarm OF
other creditors hunting the same game.
1t is greatly to the interest of all par
ties that no claim for debt should get
into the courts of law, for this would
mean that not only the amount in dis
pute, but all the rest of the property OF
both parties, would be in danger of
being wasted.
For these reasons ii is the role of the
debtor to represent that he is harassed
by impOrtunate creditors to slIch an eX-
tent that he knows not which way to
turn. In ninety-nine cases out of 100
the creditor is compelled to "call
again." then the debtor sets his wits to
work to invent new occasions to beg
for writ nolle prosequi. If the cred.
itor were to relax his hold and cease
his claims, that would be the end of
them for IN indefinite period, perhaps
forever, aud this he knows as well as
any one. Therefore, once havin: taken
hold, hGskeepS his grip, like the Jaw OF
a bulldog, till he gets his poand of
flesh. Eternal vigilance is the price at
which tEis is to be won; eternal vigi-
lance is what the Chinese creditor has
large supply OF.
To avoid the creditor altogether is a
prlmn Oni"rt al many debtors during
the trying period which follows the
winter soistice. Many are the individ-
uaIs WHO feigu sickness, and can not.
therr.1re, be seen; who do not vrniu are
on the street for many days bHt0rn the
close OF the wear and who live. i'm fact,
the lives OF thieves until Just ri tn.
close Of t1u last day OF the wear Then
they emerge from their OD|curitv i'm
time to met their heads Shavoi for the
new year, ANA have the keel ioy Of
knowing that they have eiuied the viz
lance Of t3@ir I'm r lies taas. The
Chinese debtor who 5U.rnC |, IN p,.ll-
ing or parrying the claims OF ais cred
itors III tbs critical epoch till a city
Of refuge in which for the time he is
safe On New Years day. or one soon
after, he may possibly call upon his
creditor. or his creditor may ctll upon
him. Each is arrayed in his best, and
each is full of polite phrases. Tne cred
itor may be inWardiy swelling with
wrath and fury at the thought that this
cunning wretch did after all the pains
taken to prevent it, make his escape.
The debtor may be full of smiling self
compIacency TO think how we'll he
played some of the numerous tricks of
the season. But neither the one nor
the other would ever dream of abiding
to such affairs at this festive time
Business is taDOOel contra band 0f war
interdicted by the law of the realm
and so the debtor IS out upon another
stadium Of his existence; the fan~S of
the adversary whetted in secret are re-
strained from his flesh for the time.
and he walks the earth with sense Of
lnconstraint to which he has long been
stranger.
LII