The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-02-23
BURDENS OF ,COREANS
The People 0rievously Imposed
Upon by Government omoialA


k4140 R1t0o0 Oo00o ~ XDS " 100@
Are Aftsrvards Paid for By the AsF-
chant and Farmer Through Ex-
eoetionate Taxatlon.
A residence Of eight years in Corea,
says Seoul correspondents In the New
York Sun, has given me the opportuni-
ty Of studying the character and dispo-
sition Of this and neighboring peoples
which comparatively few strangers
have had. The characteristic which is
most marked in the Coreans is their
patience. We hear Of their turbulence,
their uprisings in one section or
another, the lawless, outbreaks of the
mobs, but most people fail to examine
the causes Of these disturbances. Here
is an illustration:
A governor is appointed to the south
ern province of Kiung Sang. he has
paid twenty million cash for the Office.
That twenty million cash means about
eighteen thousand dollars. Now, if
You take into consideration the rela-
tive cost Of living in Corea and America
you will find that eighteen thousand
dollars means to Corean what two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars
would mean to an Americans princely
fortune. Well, the governor goes
down to his provincial capital. About
him gathers an immense retinue of his
immediate and mere distant relatives
who live off his bounty during his term
Of Office. The term averages perhaps
three yeara During that time the gov
ernor has just four things to do. First,
ha must get back the twenty millions
cash. which he paid for his Office. Sec
ed he must forward TO- the central
govorument one-t1nttf Of Of -tha tetal
prpduc4 Of the province. Third, he
must support his immense retilue and
the district magistrates and their suites,
who, by the way, have paid for their
Offices and carry out the same plan as
the governor, only on smaller scale.
And fourth, he must lay up enough
money to support himself in ease after
he has retired.
The question arises, from whom does
this money come? 1t comes out of the
farmer and the merchant, and, as be-
tween these two, the farmer pays prac-
tically the whole. l suppose it would
every producer in the country is
mulcted to the extent of sixty per cent.
of his gross eernings. do not say
sixty per cent. of his savings, but of his
gross earnings. Can an American con-
ceive Of the patience and forbearance
Of a people that, will endure such
treatment? You may ask in what way
are these enormous taxes collected.
The governor is surrounded by body
of men whom we usually call yamen
runners, whose business it is to collect
the money. If merchant has made
successful transaction the yaman run
ners, who are spies as well as tax col
lectors, are sure to know, OF it, and
they come to him and ask him to un-
load. If he refuses, which he is gen.
orally too wise to do. he is likely to be
arrested on false charge and thrown
into prison and beaten every morning
until the sum is paid, and in such q
case the sum increases every day.
Americans say that this is an exag- !
gerated statement, but a knowledge of
the workings of things here would
show that my language is conservative.
A Corean friend of mine had one thou
sand dollars which he wanted to in
vest, and he was thinking of buying
from the government the right to cut
6rewood on q certain tract of govern
ment land and sch it in Seoul AS
was acquainted with the president of
the foreign Office put him in the way
Of buying the franchise. He estimated |
he would realize ten per cent on the !
investment. He paid the money to the
president Of the foreign Office, who, in
addition to his regular duties, had
charge Of the government woodlands.
Now, before this Corean could begin
work he received word from the for
eign office that the same franchise had |
been sold again and that he must di-
vide the work with the other purchaser.
OF course he was ruined. It may be |
asked what my Corean friend did
about it. Did he rave and tear hie
hair, mediate revenge. or curse the |
existing order of things? Not q bit OF |
it. He shrugged his shoulders and
said: ssHalsu espo," which means: .sIt |
can't be helped" and went to work t<
earn . living for himself and . largt |
family on q salary of six dollars
month. Now do you see why say ths
Coreans are among the most patien,
Of people?
But there are limits to the patience |
even Of Corean. When they are driven
to the wall they win turn and show
their teeth. The one essential quality |
in . successful Corean omcisl il the |
ability to nee just how far he can grind
the people down without causing re-
volt.
An instance Of this came under my |
once. Twas taking little |
pleasure trip in the. saddle to the
metropolis, Ping Yang. One
day, NJ was sitting in my room, .
Coxean came in to call He said that
day or two before the governor had
sent an official down to the cotton mer-
chants and as]ked for s'loan." The
ansver was not verbal, but the mer-
chnnts aroee, ushed to the house Of |
the oAacial, pulled. It down, and scat
tered tho debris along the street. That
was Z characteristic answer for the
man Of Ping Yang, but they are much
mora energetic than the southern Co
rennA
Now, the idea Of the japanese Il to
chauae al thias The idea At the Chi-
neee. is "a keep things - they ake.
rwstso xsess = Ds.ss ef Csna.
The Paxis iseoeraspondent of the Lon
lon Chronic1e tAle9Taphg that > woman +
named Marguerite Bouyenval. who, I
- - s.*sxzs - ~ 11s.n~5 - 1fewJI