Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-08
HOW CHINA Is RULED.
"a Mat and Bed Quilt Government Has
the Celestial Empire.

"a Mat and Bed Quilt" Government Has
the Celestial Empire.
From the London Times.
The Worth China Herald of Shanghai in .
recent leading article describes what it calls
''the mat-and-bed-quilt theory of government"
In that country. 1t says that the traveller who
is strolling about the pr incipal thoroughfares
OF Pekin is liable Mt a crossing of two m ain
streets to find huge screen of patchwork cloth
suspended from poles in such q way as TO OBJ
struct the view from all Sides only q narrow
opening being left for carte and pedestrians.
Pursuing his way he notices that the entrance
to all the many alleys is barricaded with rush
mats and that the same kind of screen is placed
in front Of ruined temples and vacant lots
which have been used as the places Of deposit
of filth or rubbish. Whenever the emperor is
about to make his exit from the city is abou:
to return criers announce that fact to the peo-
pie, who then disappear, not to emerge until
the invisible monarch has passed. when things
go on as usual until the next occasion of a like
nature.
There are two main benefits supposed to be
attached to this Enthusiastically oriental pro-
ceeding-it helps to preserve the fiction of the
sacredness OF the person of the emperor and
of his being something other than an ordinary
NOR tai, ana II Is valuable check upon reckless
assassins of the Guiteau type. whom China
could easily furnish in unlimited numbers. A
third result is incidental. As the people see
nothing Of the emperor he Gees nothing Of
the people. He Is probably the only man in
China who Is unable to form any idea of what
the Chinese are like or what they are about.
What is seen IN the imperial court is no type
either of China or Of the Chinese. but it must
be a literal impossibility for the emperor 10 get
anything else upon which to base a notion OF
his empire. What does the emperor think
hat ha hinl
that he knows. does he think at all, what is the
specific gravity of the darkness in which he
perpetnally abides and how many bent rays of
light reach him through the Opaque oyster
shells known ''boards?'
This mat-and-bed-ouilt theory Of govern
ment is not confined 10 the emperor, but runs
all the way through the ranks of officialdom.
The district magistrate is supposed to be the
man that knows his district and the project the
man that knows his prefecture. But these
mere figures of speech used in a purely ideal
way. No one in district knows less of what
II going on within its boundaries than the chief
officials; no one would have more trouble in
finding ont what is going on. supposing he
really desired to know. AS a rule there If no
one who really cares less to know or who con-
siders it less his business to know. provided the
taxes are paid and the people are "tranquilized."
1t is very difficult for most Chinese officials to
come to any useful conclusion to their duties,
for tn" reason that they generally have too
little interest i'll the matter and are in reality
almost as much piuioned in shackles as the pris-
oners at the doors of their yamens, wearing
wooden platforms about their necks, but with
this difference, that the sentence on the pris
oner is for definite term and end, while that
of the official is too often limited only by his
life. Chinese officialdom Is largely shut up in
shell. Just as it was generation ago, and if
we hear the hammering within it is much more
likely to be a defense against those outside to
prevent their breaking in than effort the
part of the imprisoned to get out.