The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-12
CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
The Management of Public Affairs
In the Villages.
No Regularly Elected Officers to Look
After tho Interests OF tho People,
and No Governmental Re
strictions.

n recent writer in the North China
Herald of Shanghai describes the man
her in which local sclf-governmcnt
works in China. Every Chinese vii
lage is kind of little principally by
itself-thc theory in regard to the head
men or village elders being that they
are chosen by their fcllow-townsmcn
and confirmed in their position by the
district magistrate. In some regions
this is actually done, and for the good
conduct of the head men in their Office
the leading landowners are required To
become security. They are not ncces-
sarily the oldest mon in the village,
neither arc they necessarily the wealth
lest mon, although it is probable that
every family of property will in some
way be represented among them They
are not necessarily mon of literary
attainmcnts, although this may be the
case with Il few. In these regions
where the method of selection is most
loose the number OF head mon has no
necessary relation to the size of the vii
lagc; the position is not hereditary.
neither is there any fixed time Of scrv-
ice. y man may act in this capacity at
one tillc and refuse or neglect to do so
at another
The head men arc rot formally
chosen nor formally dcposcd They
drop into their places 10y {, kind of nat
ural selection. The qualities which fit
villager to act as head man are the
same which contribute TO success in any
line of business. He must be IL practi-
cal man who has some native ability,
acquainted with the ways of the world.
rs we'll as able and willing to devote
upon occasion an indefinite amount of
time and attention to the affairs which
may be put i'll his charge. The duties
and functions are many and various
They may be classified as those which
have relation to the government of the
district, such as taxation: those which
relate to the village, such as repairs of
the wall, fairs and temples. and those
which concern private individuals, and
arc brought to the notice of the head
men as being the persons best able to
manage them. 1t is noteworthy that
the government of China, while in
theory more or less despotic, places no
practical restriction upon the right of
free assemblage by the people for the
consideration of their own affairs The
people of any village can, if they
choose, meet every day in the year
There is no government censor present,
and no restrictions upon liberty of de-
bate The people can say what they
like, and the local magistrate neither
knows nor cares what is said. There is
in every village unceasing supply of
matters which do not belong to the pub
lie, but which must be adjusted by some
man or men who are in the habit of
transacting business, and who not only
know what is to be done but know how
to do it. There are always Chinese who
like to engage in these matters, such as
the adjustment of domestic quarrcls
and differences between neighbors and
the like. The head men of the village
will be frequently called upon for scrv-
ices of this sort. But such labors, oncr-
GUS as they often are, will be aclnowl-
edged only by the thanks OF those in
terestcd and a participation in the in
evitl blp Toast