St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-11-30

DEMONoLOGY IN CHINA.
One OF the Causes That Have Hindere
Progress In the f1Owery Kingdom.


Proxress In the f1owery Kingdom.
The ceremonies SO often observed on
occasions of death all have their origin
in the demopology of the Taouists.
Paper clothes. paper palaces. paper
pipes and paper money are burnt
when man dies to provide
the soul of the dead with means Of
bribing its way through the devils
kingdom to its rest, and the clothes
burned are oftered patterned after
high officials gowns in order to inn
press more favorably the spirits en-.
countered on the mysterious journey.
Taouist priests are called to consult
the soul of the departed to ascertain its
wishes. They'discover the locality for
burial and indicate ali details of this
last service to the dead.
The Shanghai railroad met its doom
from this source. The priest informed
the people that the rumbling noise Of
the cars and the steam engine were
distasteful to the dead who filled the
numerous mounds along its course. To
appease the wrath of the dead, Chinese
capitalists bought the road, with its
equipments, and tore up the tracks.
and stored the entire plant under sheds
at Shanghai Thus it is seen that this
religion stands in the way of all in
novations in that old country. and the
first thing necessary in order to intro
duce railroads into China is to de-
throne the priests and infuse little
common seuse into the people.
During the prevalence Of the great
famine in northwestern China in ls7a-s
there was an unusual food in the val
ley of the Yang:-se-Kiany. The priests
endeatored to solve the mystery Of this
uneven distribution Of rain. The cen.
sure fell upon the royal household at
Pekin. 1t is the duty OF the emperor
to enter the Temple of Heaven
twice . year and invoke the blessings
Of Heaven upon the people. He always
asks for rain among other things. and
the impression obtained that the en-
peror had burriedly asked for rain. but
had not taken the pains to state where
he wanted it The result was that
floods came in some places, while FAM
inc from drought came in other parts of
the empire. This feeling was produc-
ing . general spirit Of revolt, when in
1878 the rains came to the rescue in the
drought-smitten provinces.
A few of the more intelligent China.
men At Shanghai have exhibited an in
dependence of thought which was ex-
ceptionaL 1t shows q tendency to
break away from the tyranny of igno-
rance and superstition, which tendency
must eventually spread sufficiently to
awaken an age of reason. And when
it comes the Taouist high priest must
fold his tent and silently march away.
But the dominance Of ignorance and
the quackery Of priests will hold China
in slavery to an unrcasoning fear and
irrational faith for generations yet un-
born. Yet the seeds of = better intel
ligence are being planted in this dark
corner of the earth. The people oh.
serve that Eur peans give no heed to
imaginary deSils. and neverthelcss
prosper without the Intervention OF
priests; and thus the realization will
eventually dawn upon them of how
grievously their forefathers have been
hoodwinked, cheated, and robbed by
the reign Of demonology. created and
perpetuated for their own gain by the
army of Taouist priests
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