The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-08-30
The Chinese Debtor.

From the reports of three American
consuls in China some very interesting
facts may be Cleaned in regard to debt
and litigation.
In China there are no lawyers, fees and
costs. Litigation is regarded as great
evil and is made very simple. A magis-
trate hears case very much as father
would dispute between two children
and in the main justice is administered
speedily, thoroughly and cheaply.
To prevent litigation, many debts have
been made debts of honor, not binding
in law. Among these are all loans Of
friends or relatives to start man in busi-
ness, extricate him from trouble, assist
him in litigation-all loans to gam bier,
spendthrift, drunkard or runaway wife
all loans upon parol, without security,
and various other debts. Drinking debts
are not collectable. A Chinaman takes q
a very little liquor at his meals. If he is
a drunkard it is disgrace of the deepest
sort. The only saloons in China are
owned and patronized by Europeans and
Americans. Professional services cannot
be sued for unless there is written obli-
CATION. The unsecured creditor simply
stands in front of the debtors door and
weeps. He rarely has to do this longer
than an hour. To get rid of the annoy
ance and avoid disgrace, the debtor hus-
ties around and gets up the money.
In cases of insolvency the debtor al
most invariably pays If he retrieves his
position. A legal debt is binding upon a
mans children and grandchildren, and
it is considered filial duty to pay
fathers debt Of honor. A peculiar GUS
tom in China is that Of mutual forgetful-
ness. When creditor is on friendly
terms with debtor who cannot pay in
full or in part, he calls on him and agrees
to "forget> everything to date. This
custom is greatly favored by magistrates
and is equivalent to release under seal.
Consul Bedloe says:
"Beyond the fear of going to law is the
great fear and disgrace of being delin-
quent debtor. A Chinaman who becomes
financially embarrassed will sell himself
for plantation coolie, go into exile for
twenty years, or even commit suicide.
1t is part of his religion to pay off all be
owes in the last week of the year, in
free from care and obligation. If he has
bond, or bond signed by relatives to
tide himself over to more prosperous
season. At this time Of the year creditors
are lenient and liberal. Where they are
satisfied with the bona fides of debtor,
they will compromise on easy terms, and
on many occasions will forgive the debt
entirely"
The Chinese business man is the soul
Of honor and foreigners prefer to deal
with him. There are no fraudulent fail
ures. In the event Of failure mans
whole family is responsible for legal
debt, Consul Fowler writes:
'For Chinese not to pay his debts is
disgrace felt 80 keenly that he will COM
NIT suicide rather than face the reproaches
of his friends. On the last day of the
year the Chinese have great settling.
On that day they settle with their credi-
tors and begin the new year with clean
books. At this time suicides are more
frequent, the poor wretches being unable
to meet their obligations. At two other
periods of the year accounts are settled,
but not so scrupulously.
"rhe rich do not contract debts, unless
they are reasonably sure that they can
pay, for in the event Of failure they would
lose respect, and the possibility OF sui
cide's grave stares them in the face. The
poor do not contract debts, because credit
Is not accorded them; they must pay
cash down."
And these are the people who are
placed under the ban by our Geary law {!
Instead of shutting out the Chinese,
and viewing them contemptously as 8
semi-civilized people, perhaps it would
profit US to make closer study of their
social, business and political systems.
A people who had religion, literature
and many of the arts of an advanced civil
ization thousand years ago, when our
cfor hn1f md ,oxyor
ing through the forests of Britain and
Germany, ought to be able to teach us
something, and we should be very will
ing to learn from them. The Chinese are
the most interesting people on the face Of
the enrth, unless MaeXcept the JapaneSe.