The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-13
OF and Abomt the
Makers of Books.
Some of the Latest Volumes
To Issue from the Press.

chial. The emperor bosses everything
and owns everything. He chooses his
subordinate councillors and executive
officials, who in turn choose their assist
ants. The father rules the family; 8
council of fathers rules the village. sec
ondary, of course, to the emperor ant
his general representatives; and thi.
order of progression Is followed ou
until the province is reached, which
corresponds to our state. There are
eighteen provinces In the Chinese EN-
pire, and each enjoys a certain degree
of home rule, which Is never checked
except when 1t conflicts with the i'm
perial wish-or, what is practically thu
same thing, with what is supposed t.
be the imperial wish. While the EN-
peror Is venerated most profoundly ant
obeyed to degree. incapable of ex
PLANTATION to Caucasian ears, the othel
officials are regarded very much a!
public servants, to be respected onl!
as parents or instruments of the EN-
peror. The Chinese system of civi
promotion along the line of what there
Is deemed merit makes 1t possible fo
any bright Chinese boy to hope to be
come, II not president (or emperor). a
least prime minister. The imperia
powers of the emperor alone excepted
China Is governed very much on thu
tribal or democratic principle. A pecu
liar fact is that while the emperor own.
everything, even to the lives of his 300
1Nf 70 mil yf
relatives are comparatively little es
teemed. Mr.. Holcombe says he has
many a time had in his employ mar
who, as a blood relative of the emperor
was entitled TO wear the imperial vel
low girdle, or badge of highest dis
tinction; but he was a hod-carrier. ant
earned cents a day. AS showing the
possibilities open to the ambitious, ir
China, the author elsewhere notes thai
one of the greatest of Chinese premiers
Shen Kuei Fen. was the son of street
peddler who esteemed himself fortu
nate If he made profit of ten cents
day. from his business. Such cases are
not exceptions. They form the rule"
Very interesting to the American are
Mr.. Holcombe's chapters on the home
and social life of the Chinese, for con-
cernng this subject hardly anything Is
known in this country. I'm one re-
spect at least" he tells us, "China sets
an example which all the world may
wisely follow. In this empire every
one marries and no one boards. But
it must be conceded as an offset to this
item of superiority, that the Chinese
marriage. so far as the bride is con-
cerned. is an emphatic failure. She
not only has no voice in the selection
of her marital lord and master but,
the author informs us, theoretically
at least marries one whom she has
never seen, and to whom she has never
spoken. He, upon his part, has never
seen her, had no share in making the
selection, and has not the least reason
to be other than wholly Indifferent to
her. In her new home the wife becomes
simply a convenient under-servant
The most menial tasks, the heaviest
burdens, are laid upon her. Her only
justification for continuing to live is
event she is not even given the title
of married woman, but is still spoken
of or addressed as a girl. When she
becomes a mother, and especially If she
bears son. then>at last she is entitled
to certain amount of respect and
recognition as something higher thar
a beast of burden" But before this
event occurs young wives, the author
says, frequently commit suicide as the
only escape from the intolerable cruel
ties Of the mother-in-law, who, even in
China, appears to rank as a promoter
of domestic discord.
1t is impossible to eXaggerate the So
cial degradation which Chinese GUS
tom DEGREES as the lot of woman. She
is never anything but a servant to her
husband. "In the event of her death,
writes Mr.. Holcombe, her sons must
by Chinese law, wear mourning and &c
about with unshaven heads for period
of 100 days. But her husband would
render himself an object of ridicule
and contempt among his friends If he
put on mourning or expressed grief at
her loss" In conversation with some
high officials of the government of
China the author once referred to the
then recent death Of the wife of the
Prince Regent and remarked that of
course the prince would go into retire
ment and lay aside his duties for a
time "O', no." replied one of the
cabinet, With laugh, 1.-The death of a
wife counts for nothing with us. Why
should the prince go into mourning for
her? He can get as many more as he
wishes" And, as matter of fact,
the weather. men of China do have
many wives, at one time. The emperor,
in addition to four head wives. has
usually from Is to 100 assistant wives,
or concubines; and is supposed to
study the character. of all his numerous
sons by all these head assistant wives,
and to select from the entire number
that one best qualified to succeed him
on the imperial throne"
Women are seldom mentioned by
men in China. They are not supposed
to be seen by their neighbors except at
distance. 1t Is regarded as an insult
to ask q Chinaman how his wife is
Apropos of this peculiar social canon
Mr.. Holcombe narrates an interesting
illustration, which we reproduce In his
own language. I'm May, 1S75,' he
writes, news reached Peking that an
honored Chinese official, then resident
In the United States. had married an
American lady. Soon after. the receipt
of this intelligence the United States
minister and had occasion to visit the
SI,i r,.
formed me that he intended to con-
gratulate the Chinese officials upon this
marriage. / advised him that 1t was