Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-01-25

Deplorable Pens I'm Which Malefac-
tors Are Locked Up.

Deplorable Pens I'm Which Malefac-
tors Are Locked Up.
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.
like China. like the Chinese. Moreover,
respect them. But In two details
their national life they merit unqualified
condemnation. Their hospitals and their
prisons are unmitigated national dis
graces.
The deplorable condition of the Chi
nese prisons Is justified in the national
philosophy. To the Chinese mind . law
Is thing to be obeyed. A law concerns
millions and conserves the welfare 81
millions. 1t must be held inviolate by
the individual, be his within, his per-
sonal bent, whatever it may. The Chi
nsman who disregsrds any item Of the
Chinese law becomes a social leper. In
dividual tendency, moral ill-health, in
berited traits. they are taken into account
not at all. This is cruel2 Yesl But 10
renders existence possible in the over
density Of Chinese population.
No Chinaman is "noble" except
through personal fitness. There are two
exceptions to this rule-two only. The
direct descendants of Confucius have q
rank of their own. 1t is high rank. 1t
is respected. 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 his deserts"
A Chinese prison is called ''cangue."
It's outer door is barred with bamboo,
and is guarded by petty soldiers or
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 women 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 pro-
vision for personal comfort or for per-
sonal decency.
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. I Twas not jeered at. A
Chinese crowd is, believe, incapable of
jeering at woman. But l was con-
demned for it. And high Chinese off,
cial demonstrated with my husband. I
used to buy Chinese food at cheap chow
chow shop, and, when l reached q
prison fence, hire a coolie to feed the
poor. starving wretches. Ibid not quite
care to feed them myself. And it was
quite impossible for them to feed them
selves. No Chinese prisoner can reach
his own mouth, for his neck is invariably
locked in board, which is about three,
feet square. Il is very heavy and gals
the neck. It blisters or ossiies the
shoulders. The ''pig tail" drags heavily
over it, and pulls the poor unlocked
head uncomfortably to one side. 1t pre-
vents the hands from lifting rice or water
to the craving mouth, and from brushing
from the tingling nose one of the myriad
insects that infest the prisons and the
prison yards of China.-IPall Mall Ga
xett0