The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-02-15

hANY OF THEIR CUSTOMS ARE The
REVERSE OF OURS.

Ho" They Compare With the japanese.
What Constitutes AN Education-So he
reditary Aristocracy In C!,ina-Thc Peo-
pie Vary In Different Sections.
The samples we get Of China in cur
country give us very inadequate ideas
OF the people. We have here to contem
plate civilization entirely unlike our
own, but in itself much more complete
than ours. In the presence Of the Chi
uese, all Europeans and Americans are
parvenus. These people burned coal
before the Christian era. They invent
cd printing 1000 years before Guten-
berg and Faust fiourished, and they
knew the use Of gunpowder when our
forefathers were using bows and ar
rows. In most things which appear on
the surface they are our anti p0des.
They mount horse from the right side
instead Of the left, read from left to
right, say west south instead Of south
west, their mariners needle points to
the south, the men wear petticOats and
the women trousers, they shave the
fronts OF their heads and not their faces.
shake their own hands instead Of each
others as greeting, write their family
names first and their given names aft
erward, have their marginal notes at
the top Of their books, place a distin-
guished guest on the left and are care
full not to uncover IN his presence, wear
white for mourning, the men sew and
the women work in the fields, and SO on
to the end of the chapter.
We shall find in China the origin OF
much that We have seen in Japan. The
position of woman in the family and So
ciety is about the same, except that the
japanese women do not cramp their
feet, and therefore can go about more
freely. The domestic architecture is
similar, SO far as external construction
goes, but the Chinese houses have no
mats, and the people do not squat on
the floor. Both wear loose, flowing
robes, which the Chinese button, but
the japanese DO not. III the cOnversa-
ton Of the people tho Chinese indulge
in hOnOrifics as much as the japanese.
1t is the correct thing to ask yonr friend
TO COndescend to come from his elegant
house to your miserable hOvcl, or to al
low his distinguished cup Of tea to de-
scend to your unworthy self. The Chi
nese classics are also the classics in ia
pan, and the Chinese ideagraphs are
used by japanese writers. Edncation
is mainly etiquette. The Chineco have
5000 rules Of behavior, which the edu-
Gated man must know. If a man have
bad manners, they say he is not edu-
Gated.
The Chinese sages, like Confucius.
Mencius and others whose works are
classics, enunciatel a high grade Of
ethics. Confucius stated the golden
rule, though negatively, thus: :" If there
is anything | do not want done to me, /
Will not do it unto another" His eth
zeal teachings take rank with those OF
the Greek and Roman mOrahstS and
the Hebrew prophets, but are without
reference to a Supreme Being who re-
Quires us to keep his commandments.
The family customs are similar to the
Japanese. Society is patriarchal. The
family, not the individual, Is cOnslQ-
cred Marriages are arranged as III ia
pan to perpetuatc the family, and 90 be-
tweens are employed to settle the terms
There is only one wife. but CCnCubines
are taken into the house at will The
wife finds life burdenSOme when she is
the servant Of the household, especially
Of her father-in law and motherinla law,
but when she becomes a mother-in-l law
she gets her own innings and makes it
warm for her daughter-inlaw.
The Chinese have as many genutiex-
ions as the japanese and numerous
grades of obeisanCes to DO employed &C
| cording TO circumstances. Three prOstra-
| tons, each with three knOCkings Of the
| head against the floor, are supposed to be
! about the extreme exhibition OF respect,
, The people vary good deal in the diff
| fcrent sections. The south Of China is
| mountainous, and the people there are
smaller, more volatile and brighter
| than in the north, where the crowded
| jewellers on the plains and paddy fields
| are heavier, less excitable, not so quick
| to see or act. There is no hereditary
| aristocracy in China. All tho people
are bound to obey the will OF the en-
| peror and have no rights he Is bound
| to respect. There is no caste, as in India.
| The people are classified as natives and
| aliens, the latter being subdued peO-
pie in the provinces; cOnquerors and
conquered, with special reference to
the prohibition of marriages between
! the Mantchoo and Chinese, and freemen
| and slaves. There are no laws against
slavery. Every native is allowed to
purchase slaves and retain their chill
dren in servitude hut the number Of
| slaves is small and their condition is
comparatively easy. Probably there are
no better hammered people in the world
| than the educated Chinese. They are
also very competent business men, and
as such enjoy an excellent reputation. =
| Cor. Boston Herald.
Marriage Proposal Reform.