Evening star., 1901-09-14
ADVICE TO KUANG HSU.
Reforms In China Suggested by a
kiangse Magistrate.


kfangse Magistrate.
From the Shanghai Mercury.
The shen Pao some time ago printed a
letter which Chen Than, a district magis-
trate Of Yen Cheng, Huai Anfu, Kiangse,
proposed to send to the emperor. It con-
tanned eight sections. the gist Of which was
that China must reform. Today appears a
second letter by the same official Of five
sections.
/. Selfishness Foreign countries are
united. but China is not. Occidental men
Of wealth do not leave their wealth to their
children. They found schools, hospitals
and other benevolent Institutions and then,
having done their duty, they die content.
If you object that in that they do not pro-
vide for sacrifices to the Names they would
reply they prefer the gratitude Of a thou
sand generations to the sacrifcial offerings
of descendants. This seems to Chinese
rank hereSy, but, in my opinion, 1t is far
from it. Their public spirit is beyond
praise. Now Chinese are altogether with
out public spirit, and wholly selfish. This
Is the root of all evil. But public spirit
is the gate to all virtue. France and Eng
land once upon time were just as selfish
as the Chinese are. But afterWard q change
came over them and they began to love
their country more than private advantage.
Companies, museums, exhibitions became
common.
2. Covetousness-In the Ming the eunuchs
showed this proclivity to perfection. In
those days rice was the article valued and
given. Today the names are changed and
the little gifts are called "coal respects in
winter and lice respects" In summer. In
the provinces we hear Of birthday and
holiday gifts, gilt-edged contracts for
munitions of war. paper soldiers falsifica-
tion of accounts, &C., &c. Yeu Ching
Ming and Peng Yu-lin, these two men
were shining examples OF non-covetous-
ness, and the emperor should issue an
edict praising these worthless and holding
them up as examples for officials to imi-
tate.
g. Lazness-Western officials busy them
selves with census returns, registry OF
births, deaths, marriages, reclamation OF
lands. forestry returns. live stock tables,
inns opened or closed, medical returns,
labor statistics, manufactures, excessive
deficiency Of products. But Chinese OFF,
cials are too lazy to attend to such matters.
Their chief care is bestowed on official
calls on superiors and the etiquette or In
tercourse. The real business Is delegated
to clerks and gatekeepers. They them
selves are too lazy to personally attend to
important business. The emperor shouid
abolish the custom Of routine calls, OF con-
gratulatory letters e.g. at New year time,
meeting and escorting superiors thanking
for favors, &C.. which are merely forms'
but consume valuable time.
4. Deceitfulness-Thus serious murder
case is represented as insanity, an escape
of criminals Is always set down to absence
on public business. Real sins of subordi-
nate are frequently reported by superiors
as foundationless charges. Where the
profit is great they report that there is no
profit where abuses are most fragrant they
report that there are no abuses.
&. Pride-I have heard that Sir Thomas
Wade once compared the Chinese to a
drum the follower the more noise. The
westerners are not so. Napoleon I dis
turbed the peace Of Europe by his wars
but the English copied all his good Ideas
and SO overcame him. They did not con-
tent themselves with. calling him sucn
names as barbarian as the Chinese do
The Catholic and Protestant religions are
indeed different from ours, but their
schools and parliament show them equal
to the best In China's golden age. THESE
religions are able to obtain the peoples S
hearts and enrich the masses.