Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-01


tedious memorizing in most Chinese
minds there remains but confused
aass that is not and never can be Of
any earthly use--outside of China. In
the empire itself this Is the path that
leads TO preferment and honor for
Chinese offices are given out on the
basis Of knowledge Of the classics
after examinations somewhat like our
civil service.
The peculiarlties Of study in the
village schools and ia those of higher
grade are endless in number and i'm
possible of enumeration. Let the read
er picture to himself the very oppo-
site Of our well ordered schools and
academies. Chinese education has
been well called a system of inteIlec-
tual infanticide. The Chinese consider
a man a Well developed scholar who
knows by heart the maXins Of Con-
fucius or Mencius. and yet this man
may never have seen map Of his
own country or may not know the
names of its provinces or their CAPT
tails. as for a knowledge of other
countries or of foreign inventions, they
are bad medicine"-in fact, unknown.
Chinese scholars learn how to write,
after a fashion, but when writing CON
sists in simply copying something that
has been memorized in language
without an alphabet it is not of much
use. Chinese writing and reading are
somewhat different from ours. When
reading a page written in those queer
looking Chinese characters made IA
millar to Americans by many repro
auctions. you begin at the lower right
hand corner and read upward to the
top of the column. Then you begin al
the next column to the left, and so on
to the end Of the sheet. Many Chi.
nese use their ability to read and
write only when they are at home.
Their scholarship is Of no use when
suddenly called upon. and you are
gravely told by a Chinaman that he
cannot read something because he has
left bis spectacles Mt home. Chinese
men, women and children have much
use in the course of their daily lives
for the brass or copper cash, or
small coins. of infnitesimal value.
To q foreign mind an education that
left out simple arithmetic would be
worth very little, and yet it is not
taught in China and must be learned
by practical experience.
After a pupil or the pupils father
decides that he is to learn more than
the curriculum the village school af-
fords he is. put through a course in
the high school. His new occupation
Is TO memoriZe and learn to write es-
SAYS. which are to entitle him to adj
vance to the rank of graduate when
proficient 1t is all done by means
of officials sent from Peking to the
provinces to hold examinations, which
determine the award of degrees.
Many never reach the distinction OF
graduate. not having memorized suf-
fcient number of essays to be able to
construct one satisfactory to the ex-
aminers. The examinations are very
difficult, but Cinnamon, it is said, are
deploring the fact that promotion and
degrees are in these latter days to be
bought instead of earned in the good
old way of learning hundreds of essays
by rote. Like every one else in China,
scholars have both eyes open TO their
pecuniary benefit, and essays are open
ly bought and sold, although some
measure of disgrace attaches to the
transaction.
After passing successive examina-
lions by purchase, bribery or real Chi
neset merit and receiving successive
degrees, the scholar, by this time
grown man, may succeed in becoming
government official which is the goal
of all true Cinnamon. They may then
settle down to a life of complacent
taking and giving of brides. For schol-
ars unsuccessful in obtaining govern
menr positions there are various
courses open. teaching school being
considered the most honorable profess
sion The literary graduate enjoys
many honors in his own village. He is
man of importance and is referred to
in disputes and on every occasion
which demands ceremonies the exact
form of which is 70 he decided AS