The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-18
CHINESE LEARNING.
\ source ot BoundIes. Arrogance
and a Rar 90 All Intellectual Fro

T""F'f oi honhdtess Arrogance
and n Rar 20 All Intellectual FRO
Ercss.
a. w Lawson IN The London Telegraph
Most q the cherished ncstrums Of the
Western rciormer have been tried ana
found wanting In china in the course ~
the ages. A. the Chinese proudly point
out, competitive examination has been
the means Of recruiting the public SER
vice for q thousand years. but the results
are hardly such a. 20 recommend the
system. az IL is worked Their. for general
adoption. II has been said thai the CHI
neHe mandarin resembles no English tyne
- much ~ the University Don. and al
lowing Tor an the differences Of environ
mint. there h a grain Of truth IN the
pleasantly. The Chinese graduate has q
supreme contempt for the iliiterate
world. which he holds 20 iucihde not only
the coolie crowd % his own blood but
all the hsrbsrianr who live beyond tho
four sens. lie believes IN no learning
that Is not founded upaM the Chinese
classics What he does not know. 10
paraphrasc the oxford tag Is no, knowi-
edge
All he values n the literary nniah that
r. gathered from fecundity OF quotation
facility Of versiGcatl0n and elegant style
~ prose-poeiry that are borrowed from
their model. His memory Is aprodislous.
his imfativonrss 81 surprising accuracy
but % original ability or love 81 fact and
science he hns none The old learning n
q cast iron ban 10 al Intellectual progress.
and. IN proportion 90 its ae~ and diffusion.
n Is ten times more stulifying than was
tho podantry % the schoolman OF the
h
talk 81 The young mandarin turning to re-
form. they much recollec, that he has
been bred upon this diet that Il r. all IN
ali 10 him and. that the Glass 20
which he belongs depends Tor their exls-
tencc upon the maintenance Of the sys-
tenn Of examination and subsequent ae-
lection ~ u nov stands. Some writer on
China has said that no face ever wore
more coutemptuoua expression than that
Of tho young mandarin a. he passes along
the street or looks out from the laiticed
window ~ the tea house. Seated IN his
official chair ana surrounded by a greasy
rctinue % noisy attendants. bearing ihe
insignia % once or making discordant
clane OF sounding brass. the mandarin ar-
pears the very incarnation ~ human AFRO
rnuce lie seems inseneihte 90 ali that
The vulgar herd afe doing or saying, ana
he hardly dciRns 10 notice the sweitering
crowd who block the way that his SER
vantg are making before him. No patri-
clan Of Old Rome could have frowned up
on the piobs with more insoience than u
shown Ia the blank stare Of the young
iiterati az they glance from the long seats
that fringe the principal guest room, set
np1rt for them IN the teahoure. ana watch
the antiilge workers. bearing their pails
ana bales on the further side Of the stas-
nant pools. which. with their broken. neg
lected rockery. are the great ornament OF
the filthy city. $3.50
Kingdom. 20 Il Il with mental Nothing
b. tho world con exceed ror excel me
monumental Industry u the budding
scholar. engaged. pcfchauce, ~ the age
% foreacore In tho long drawn compeN-
tion 10 obtain the undyinE honors o. the
nc tdsmlc Extraordinarily undyinE. Tor
they are continued gnd he'd IN high e.
testn even unto the third ana fourth gen
erniiau. II Is not only a question OF hon
o. SIC title or az at home. ~ letters Of the
alphabet Every graduate has the mat
ifnsh;s right 81 planting role or mast
IN front Of his family mansion, no matter
how humble n may be-. and the number Of
yauareF. inclined cfessets on the taperng
ton proclaim the nature % his degree
one for the prefectural, Two for the pro
vinclai and three FOR the national. some
towns arc untifu Over Win tNfrf NatfFt
like q forest % burnt trees: IN others but
one or two have been distinguished. Be
cause a house T. frOnfed by pole Il does
no. follow that ~ owner OF occupant
must 10 a graduate. n may well BE- that
the gallery mast has been obtained by the
talents 81 remote ancestors. but Ike
coat Of arms the precious examination
papers never lose their virtue. The scholar
Of to-day may not obtain 10 the supernatu-
RAJ diligence % classical heroes, the King
Alfreds 81 Chinese literary history, who
prosecuted their studies By the iight Of
glowworm or tied their books 20 the
horns or the OK that they were ploughlng
win but their admirers ana imitators are
10 be- reckoned by thousands.
Dr. Smith mentions that In the province
o. Anhui there recently competed Ave stu
dents over 50 years OF age and eighteen
over -. To those who. ~ early ufe. have
faced the schools or oxford or Cam
bridge. II r. petrifying 20 think u logic
papers following ore 20 HE brink % the
tomb. OF the UNDERGRADUATE with one foot
IN the grave and the other Ia the exam-
"a Ion hall These three degrees u merit
are those Of. nrat. the cultivated talent,
T. q. smalls. second. tihe raised man. !. @,
Mods: and. third and last. the promoted
scholar. l. e.. Finals. To the supreme hon
or not one candidate in n thousand ever
attaius. for the entrance 20 the Han Lin.
or national academy. is pearl OF much
price that few can obtain by favor 81 by
worth.
Al Chinese education leads az. and Il
iui ended % lead ~ TO the examination
ksii One curriculum includes the -Four
Books. which contain the teachings and