The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-26
IN CHINESE PRISONS.
Deplorable Pens in Which Malefactors
Are Locked Up.
From the Pail Mall Budget.


From the Pail Mall Budget.
The Chinese are law-abiding. With
those of their own number who are law
breakers they have but little sympathy,
and the government has none at all. 1
like China. like the Chinese More
ever, respect them. But in two details
of their national life they merit unquali-
fed condemnation. Their hospitals and
their prisons are unmitigated national
disTaces.
The deplorable condition of the Chinese
prisons is justified in the national philoso-
ply. To the Chinese mind the law is a
thing to be obeyed. A law concerns mil
lions and conserves the welfare of mil
lions. 1t must be held invioate by the
individual, be his whim-his personal
bent whatever it may. The Chinaman
who disregards any item Of the Chinese
law becomes a social leper. Individual
tendency, moral ill health, inherited
traits-they are taken into account not at
all This is cruel2 Yes But ii rend ers
existence possible in the overdensity of
Chinese population.
No Chinaman is noble" except through
perso nal fitness. There are two excep-
tions to this rule-two only. The direct
descendants of Confucius have rank of
their own. 1t is high rank IL is re-
spected. But it gives them no power of
interference with national affairs. The
descendants of an emperor are never less
than royal. But they have no necessary
, power. In brief, then, in China every
man is served according to mis- deserts
A Chinese prison IS called 'fcangue"
Its outerdoor is barred with bamboo, and
is guarded by petty soldiers of policemen
The ''cangue" contains two rooms and
two yards. One room and one yard are
for men. The other room and yard are
for women. The space set apart for wo-
men is very much smaller than that for
men. But the women's quarters and the
mems quarters are alike in being entirely
devoid of any provision for personal com
fort or for personal deceucy.
Chinese prisoners are by the govern
ment provided with absolutely nothing
but the space beyond which they may not
pass. If their friends thrust food to them
through the bars of the prison fence the
law does not interpose. Otherwise the
prisoners may starve. The law does not
interpose.
used to take food to the Shanghai
prison yards. | was not ieered at. A
Chinese crowd Is, | believe, incapable Of
ieering at woman But was condemned
for it. And high Chinese official remon-
strated with my husband. | used to buy
Chinese food at a cheap chow-chow shop,
and, when | reached a prison fence, hire a
coolle 10 iced the poor, starving WretcheS.
/ did not quite care to feed them myself
And it was quite impossible FOR them to
feed themselves. No Chinese prisoner
can reach his own mouth, for his neck is
invariably locked in a board, which is
about three feet square. IL is very heavy
and gals the neck II blisters or ossifies
the shoulders. The "pigtail" drags
heavily over it, and pulls the poor en-
locked head uncomfortably to one side
re N de 4.
water to the craving mouth, and from
brushing from the tinRling nose one of the
myriad insects that infest the prisons
and the prison yards of China.