The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-07-12
AS SiiEN ISY ARP,
The Hcathon Chinoc and His Tricks
That are Vain.


That are Vain.
How fast the earth is shrinking.
How for away was China when we old
men were boys. II took q three years
cruise around the world to find it, and
even thcn our merchantmen only
touched At tho ports and learned but
little OF the vast unknown Interior
Her Immense domain WAS set down at
five and ono-hall millions Of square
miles, being OnC-tcnth OF the habitablc
globe and nearly twice tho area OF the
who 10 United Statos. Her population
Was IN lN6O 800, 600, 900 and is now prob
badly 500, 600 900. Her government for
at least 5000 years mas been one OF rev
0lutions, Internal brOila and changes Of
dynasty, but it has stood and still
stands and no doubt will continue 20
stand. Travellers tell us that the stag
nation and Ignorance that has long
been charged upon China do not cX-
iSt: that they are IA Industrious, peace,
loving people, and all their troubles
come from outsiders. ! was ruminat-
ing about this China business and the
war over there and the cable dispatches
that come in Is day, for we had an old
time district school in our town last
night and old Mother itciJUn and nv
sell were the two youngest scholars.
She had on draw string frock and a
pair OF pMntnlcttea and was sucking a
stick OF molasscs candy, and | had on 1!
shirt and ono gallus and pair OF
brCcchcs that como down nearly To the
top Of my blue homo. made socks. She
was Becky and was Bill. We belong.
ed TO the infant class and had to stand
up ana spell "bn' and "bco and "bo."
SprKN cried hnpnbsn q h., NJ |
lax and had to 20 foot. consolatcd
her all | could. Kirby Anderson was
the smallest boy in school and the
largest Ounce. He was in geography
and 3nld China WAS as big us Barlow
County, and that's how | come to rumi-
nate about China. All that | ever
learned nbcut China in my geography
WIS thai l'ckin WAS it's capital and tho
people were all hcathcn and eat rats,
and there WAS great wall around the
entire country. Oar book makers 0ug ht
10 have known better for Marco l'Olo
haC travelled all over that country and
lived there for tWcnty-fOur years and
WAS made governor Of IL large province,
| and ne says he never mingled with q
| better people. Confucius gave them
laws 1900 years ago that they still rev
crcncc and obey. Families arc faithful
to each other and children are taught
| to obey their parents as long as they
live. COnfucius had such reverence
for his mother that ho mOurned for her
for three years whom she died. How
many sons do that in this Christian
country. or course they have some
rice traits and customs that seem very
bad to MS, but they are not malicious
nor selfish nor are they rcvcngcful un.
less wrought up to it by bad treatment.
Our Christian people massncrcd 200 OF
them out West Is few years ago for no
crime but because they were in the way
and wanted work and accepted H. at
less wages. Who ever saw more
harmless, industrious people than those
scattered Cinnamon who are found In
almost every town and village In this
country. For thirty years hayc OBJ
served them in my travels from Vir-
ginia to Texas and never heard COM
plant. Besting and gambling Is q ma
tion"l amusement, but it is on limit
cd scale and makes nobody rich or
poor. 1t doesn't compare with our
stock gambling or high rolling on
steamboats, or Kentucky poker among
the bloods. | never saw General John
Z. breckenridge but once, ana that was
st faro banliin Richmond during the
war. ,C0loLrl Towers took me in there
to show mo how the thing was dOno
and to our surprise Breckenridge was
doing IL.
Bot the great crimo against China
was the Introduction of opium from
India by the English. This began in
1910, ahd in 1928 had gotten up to 200
chests. In vain and in vain did the
emperor and his counscllcrs protest
and plead. They SAW that the opium
habit was spreading and running their
people. In 1898 it had increased to
"a 900 chests, and It's importation was
stopped by force Of arms-and 2l,000
chests we're seized and destroyed. This
brought on a war and the Chinese gov
crnmcnt had to pay $2l ,0OO, 900 for the
opium destroyed, for its value was
81 600 q chest Then treaty was
patched up and the opium business in
creased 10 7l,OOO chests in 1860. |
wonder what it is now. But the Eng.
lish merchants now pay d duty, but
that am0unts to several millions OF
dollars annually. What will not Johnny
Bull DO for money? No wonder China.
men have a suspicion Of al, foreigners
and contempt for our missionaries.
The Chinese authorities passed a law
against eating opium and gave it u