The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-07-25

class people in barbarous protest
against modern ideas, western methods
and liberality Of thought and cduca-
ton. such as is now causing alarm in
the northern part Of this country
around Pckin. The Boxers move.
ment is one that is directly traccablc
to nc mode Of life and mode Of
thought that has been part Of the very
existence Of the Chinese for centuries.
China is one Of the oldest countries in
the world; its form Of government has
existed longer than any other system
in the world it has not changed with
changing conditions in the other coun-
tries because, as is we'll known, all
knowledge Of these conditions was
kept out Of China until within very
few years. China has been living in
the past.
The reverence for things antique,
for manners and customs that date
back two and three thousand years is
nowhere more noticeable than in the
Chinese system cf education. Sup
pose that the young men Of America
we're sent to college to learn nothing
but to repeat by heart the writings of
the ancient Greek philosophers, and
that the extent Of a man 8 education
we're reckoned by the number of quo
tations from those writings he could
glibly repeat. Would America be the
progressive country that it is if her
educated classes had received only
that kind of an education?
Chinese education consists in just
that sort of learning, nothing more.
When one considers that the system
has been in existence for centuries,
and that for hundreds Of generations
the Chinese have been taught to look
backward and not forward, it is not
surprising that thcTnrcsent generation
should look with disfavor upon the
new ideas that in spite Of them have
crept into the country and made an
impression upon part Of the people
that can never be effaced, no matter
how many Boxer movements are start
ed and supported by the conservative
classes.
There is no public school system in
the Chinese empire. Only the we'll
to-do or wealthy have the advantage
Of an education, except the mission
aries or generous Chinese open schools
in behalf of the masses. The Chinese
boy starts to school when about six
years old. The girls are practically
never educated. The Chinese recog-
nize three great superiors, the Emper-
or, the parents and the teacher, so
when the boy presents himself at the
school he bears a present for the
teacher and bows his head to the floor
three times, signifying thatshe is will
ing to obey the teachers commands.
His next duty is to burn incense be-
fore tablet on which is written the
name Of Confucius. Then he is ready
to begin to learn his lessons.
The walls Of the school are usually
decorated with scrolls on which are
pictures and writings, quotations from
the ancient sages. Each pupil has
little table on which are nn ink-stone
and the brush with which he learns to
write. There are no regular hours for
the opening and the closing of the
school, the pupils come and go as may
be convenient, and there are therefore
no classes, each being taught separate
ly and they are advanced as rapidly as
they can be. The pupils are taught to
read and write the Chinese language,
and this is no easy task; for there is
no alphabet in the language, which
las 214 root characters which enter
into TIE formation of all the characters
in the written language. each Of which
represents word. There are about
10000 words in the language, but oaly
a small part Of these are known to any
but the most highly educated.
The primer which is used in the
schools is at least 1000 years old and
contains number of proverbs which
the scholar has to learn. He is then
taught that there are three great pow
ers, heaven, earth and man; and three
great lights, sun, moon and stars. He
is further taught that rice, millet,
wheat, rye and barley are the five
kinds Of grain on which man subsists.
This sort Of teaching is followed by q
summary Of Chinese history and the
examples OF the sages OF antiquity are
commended to the youthful pupil. He
is also taught to despise foreigners and
thai China is the only great nation Of
the earth. Filial piety is taught from
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