The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04

Enormous Burdens Laid Upon the People
by the Drictnis.

SEnrir Corea. Sept. II. residence Of eight
years In Corra has given mo the opportunity VI
etudying the character and disposition of this
md nCighbrrinI peoples. which comparatively
few strangers have had. The characteristic
which Is most marked in the COrtnns is their
patience. We hear OF their turbulence. their
uprisinrs in nnc section or another, the lawlcss
outbrcass of mobs. but most people fail to cx-
amino tho causes of these disturbances Here
Is an illustration:
a Governor l. appointed to the southern
province OF Kiung Sang. lie has paid twenty
million cash for the office. That twenty million
cash means about $4,000 Now, II you take
into consideration the relative cost of living in
Corea and America, you will find that $4,000
means to n Corcan what $3.50, 600 would mean to
an Americana princely fortune. Well, the
Governor goes down to his provincial capital.
About him gathers an immense retinue OF his
immediate and more distant relatives who live
of his bounty during his term of office. The
term averages perhaps three years. During
that time the Governor has just four things
TO do. First. he must get back the
twenty millions cash which lie paid for his
office. Second, he must forward TO the central
Government one-tenth of the total product Of
the province. Third, he must support his i'm
mcnsc retiaue aud the district magistrates. and
their suites, tho, by the way, have paid for
their offices and carry ont the same plan as tho
Govcruor, only on IA smaller scale. And, fourth.
lac must lay up enough money to support him
self In ease after lie has retired.
The question arises, from whom does this
money conner 1t comes out of the farmer and
the merchant, and, as between these two, the
farmer phys practically the whole. suppose
that 1t would be a conservative estimate to say
TO the extent Of 10 per cent. of lis gross earn
ings. do not say 60. per cent. Of his savings,
Conceive Of The patience and forbearance Of a
people that will endure such treatments You
may ask; in wn !, way are these enormous taxes
call yamen runners, whose business it i
has made u SUCCESSFUL transaction the yamen
runners, who are spies as vel AS tax collectors;
orally Is too wise to do, he II likely To be arrested
on II false charge and thrown into prison and
beaten every morning until the sum IL paid, and
in such u case the sum increases every day.
There Is absolutely no redress. He cannot plead
yamen runners rs cheaply as possible.
Americans say, that, this is. an exaggerated
things here would show that my Language is
conservative. \ Corean friend of mine had
81 900 which he wanted TO invest, and he was
right TO cut tlrewood on u certain tract Of Gov
eminent land and Se4, il ~ seoul. As ! was
chiSe. lie stimated that he would reaiiae ten
to the President Of The Foreign Office. Who in adj.
dition To his regular duties had charge of the
Government woodlands. Now. before this Co.
rean could begin work he received word from
the Foreign ONCE that the SAINT franchise had
been sold again and that he must divide the
work with, the other, purchaser. OF course he
was ruined, II may be asked what my Corean
friend did about il. Did he rave and tear his
hair, mediate revenge, or a. rse the existing or
der Of thingsg Not IA bit Of II. lie shrugged
his shoulders and said "lIalsu epso,' which
means 1T can't be helped" and went 10 work
To earn n living for himself and II large family on
a salary of Sb a month, Now do you see why |
say that the Coreans are among the most patient
OF pcoplef
hut there are limits 10 the patience even Of a
COrean. When they are driven Ia the wall they
will turn and show their teeth. Tie one essen
tial quality in "A successful Corean official Is the
ability to see Just how far he can grind the peo-
pie down without causing a revolt. An instance
OF this came under my own observation once, !
was taking u little pleasure trip in the saddle
to the northern metropolis. Ping Yang. One
day as | was sitting In my room a Corean
came In 10 call. He said that a day ortwo before
the Governor had sent an official down to the
cotton merchants and asked for II loan. The
answer was not verbal. but the merchants arose.
rushed 10 the house OF the official. pulled IL
down, and scattered the debris along the street.
That was n characteristic answer for the men Of
Ping Yang. but they are much more energetic
than the southern COreans.
Now the idea Of the Japanese il To change all
this, The idea of the Chinese is to keep things
as they are.