The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-09

has barricaded his shop. is to count up
his earnings and calculate the days
profits. 1t Is not mere greed which IN
spires this passion for commerce, IL is
the fascination OF the actual sport, the
hazard, the give and take OF commercial
life and the opportunities for individual
skill in the actual bargaining. Even
wealthy men. like the viceroys, have the
same instinct. and are, therefore, open
to brides. which, indeed, play most
important part in official life. The sys-
TEN of bribing is SO general and wide
spread as 10 have attained a certain re-
spectahility. 1t is a regular source OF
income TO a large number whose pay from
the government is wholly inadequate. The
Chinese love for money gives impetus
TO this system of corruption, and II is
difficult TO imagine anything that Chi
naman would not do-short Of dishonor-
ing his ancestors-for a sufficiently large
bride. He is not. however, mean. He is
generous, almost to a fault, when the
mood takes him. lends freely. with little
expectation of return, takes small ac-
count Of tribes in settling a bill. and
seldom sues for debt.
The Japanese. who are often, by rea-
son of their more picturesque qualities,
compared favorably with the Chinese,
are wholly lacking in this distinctive
feature of commercial morality, and
whereas the spoken agreement is every
where binding between traders In China,
the smallest transaction in Japan must
be reduced 10 writing.
The Two Spirits OF the Race.
While on the subject Of Chinese vir-
tues. It must be said that the estimate
of their character which makes them out
barbarians devoid OF softer feelings Is to-
tally inaccurate. The Chinese have sew
eral ideals which are not unworthy Of the
highest civilization. Their self-control,s
TO which they are trained from earliest
infancy, is akin to the stoicism of Sparta,
or TO the conventional impassibiiity culti-
waited by the youth of our own country.
Like ourselves. only in far greater de-
gree. the open display of emotion is con-
sidcred ill-bred and the Chinese have car
ried this principle to point where speech
itself is made literally to Conceal the
thoughts"
This is the outside. Within lies dormant
the soul OF an ignorant child. half saw
age. The courtliness of the mandarin.
who is master of an etiquette rigorous,
and elaborate beyond that of any other
people. does not proceed from any inner
consciousness OF the meaning or worth OF
such ceremonial. but from usage. and
from an accretion of customs. Sometimes
the slumbering volcano fed during the
meetings OF the secret societies to which
every Chinaman belongs. and by the
press. whose influence is strong Is reused
by some act which affects his private or
communal rights. and bursts into flame.
Then rebellion stalks through the land.
and once he has given rein to his pas
sion, the peaceable. orderly Chinese is a
veritable fiend 1t Is the same In domes-
tic life. Ordinarily good husband-de-
spite the inferior position of woman.
which makes the wife merely her hus-
bands servant-a loving father. de-
voted son. a single moments passion may
rouse a man TO deeds of cruelty unworthy
of a savage The domestic tie. as has
been shown In another paper, Is. how
ever. the strongest factor I'm Chinese life.
and as a rule, II Is seldom outraged.
There are two spirits. as II were. In
habiting each Chinese body. The one
makes for peace and industry. Servants
are not only hard working and skilful, but
faithful and devoted. They are clever Mt
whole dependable. II your cook takes a
less provide an efficient substitute from
his numerous relations, and IL your din
ner has gone wrong he will be able to
borrow something quite as good from a
friend. This model servant. 'chidlike
and bland" to whom you feel such con-
scious superiority In every way. Is at the
same time capable OF turning In one mo-
ment into unreasoning, unthinking
creature. made with passion, thirsting
only for blood. 1t is the ''Dr Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde" phase of character, and can
only be worked on by a steady course OF
conduct which will convince the man OF
your real desire for his welfare. The Chi