The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-14
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER IA, 1900.
CHINESE CIVIL SERVICES.

The Chinese Government has been so
criticised and SO reyiled by the high-mnded
Diplomats, who desire TO find in China a
field for national exploitation, that ii IS
difficult for US to remember that China
has theoretically the finest government on
earth That is for all who believe that
Plato's republic Is ideally perfect China
must be regarded as the nearest aIl,,roxi-
NATION to human perfection in matter of
government that we have to-day, and this
because China is governed by u ciass-the
Mandarins-who are chosen, not by birth.
but by a system of natural selection. which
gives each part of the nation a full and
fair chance to be represented in national
councils
The system Of selection which the Chi
oese have evolved is that of the most
1dgid civil service examinations, and all
authorities agree in admitting that the
examinations as a whole are fair and I'M
partial. The son of some peasant from a
back province stands as good chance OF
getting into the foreign office at Pekin as
does the son Of d noble or a rich merchant.
seems SOME auEsIiliS.S
for the sons of the highest princes. but,
taking the situation by and large, it is true
hat the system OF examinations is admin
tstered SO as TO give the greatest possible
chance to the greatest possible number.
How small the chance and how bitter the
competitions, may be seen from the fact
that of l4,Gno applicants for degrees in one
Of The provinces only $50 got through, but
the prize for those who win is very great,
for il opens the way 10 ali official advance
mant, from that of !, small judgeship 10 lie
vice-royalty OF a great province. Despite
the corruption of the Mandarins in their
official capac.ty, despite the fact that only
one-ierlth OF the taxes collected for The
central government ever reach its treasury,
The system has been borne with for 2.Oo9
years or more, because Il gives everybody
a chance. and because a man. despite his
taxes today. can say with "a great deal of
certainty, who knows bur that tomorrow
or my son may be il The position of the
present Mandarin. And 50 the nation has
gone on bearing with remorseless taxa
lion. which has gone to enrich the Powers
thai be.
The value for US of the system consists
in the character Of ,hs examinations thai,
are given. ana the fact that The nation
which has asaf un!;npeachable morality
among its traders and in lis private ife.
should tolerate such corruption in high
places as is allowed in China to-day. For
example. no American or European rail-
road would think of choosing rs civil en-
Esnee.g by an examination of the best
method of picking pigs feet and vet in
China the foreign Office is chosen from men
who have shown their ability solely in be-
ing able to answer questions like this:
Heaven alone is great. 1ao alone found
heaven. How high were his virtnes?. Or
The question. why is il thai the character
which represents the moon is closed at the
base, while that representing the sun is
open2"s,
Such an examination as this reminds us
of the story OF the police board in 9azoo,s
Miss. who asked one of the applicants
This question: IF a ball of lead weighing
one pound takes lG 2-S seconds TO drop
from The surface of the earth TO the wafer
il a we'll. now deep is the Weiie" TO which,
the Observation-Disclosures replied: II
is said il. mythology thai when Jupiter
Kicked out of heaven ne fell for forty days
and forty nights How far does that make
olympus from Yazoo. Miss. ?''
The fact is. that the need in China to-day
is not 50 much 10 change The system of
government as to choose the governing
s class from men whose intelligence and
whose ability has been focused on ques-
lions Of more practical value 10 their pep
pie than the commentaries on confuc,us.
IN rhe modern struggle for existence a
man with trained reasoning faculties is
1ar ahead OF q man who is possessed only
81 = memory. no matter how wonderful
that n,emory may be- As the Chinese have
B Illssun shear ability IN building up sys-