Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-07-05
China's Future in the Light OF Her Past.

China's Future in the Light OF Her Past.
The feature of China in the light
Of its wonderful past, whether it Is
to be merely a profitable field for
Caucasion exploitation, or whether
rising in ITS giants strength, com
prising AZ its people do nearly one
third of the human race, adopting
modern methods and ideas, it is to
make an industrial invasion Ct tho
Western world ss threatening as tGat
of Gergls Klhar'a armed
Invasion 7c0 years ago, and
mere successful. must be the most
interesting of world questions for the
coming generation. And it is in
structively discussed in a recent
book, "prcblens of Evolution" by f
W Headley.
Ee lays much stress upon the fact
that has Teen generally overlooked,
that China's greatness ana ciivliztion
We rebuilt upon local institutions and
fusion of races as is the lesson of
all history. IT. the free life Of indie
pendent states, jostlirg one another,
trying experiments, and learning by
their own an their neighbours expe
riencs and oftea bringing the merits
of novel systems to the test Of war,
must have arisen the great bulk OF
Chinese wisdom, Of which Confucus
himself was the collector, 10. the |
originator. After centr4llzation vas
completed soon after b c 22O wh en- |
Hwangti, the Chilese Napoleon, re-
duced the feudal princes, though tie
immmediate gain was cnornous, !
stRgnation set in and has continued |
through all these centuries of isola
ton and concentrated power But it
is remarkable that she has neverthe-
less rnaintaine1 her civilization at the
highest level reached. lie finds the
first reason in community of Ian
guage. All educated Chinese-a
is very general write the
cane characters, and through the
medium Of writing can make them
selves mutually understood, from
whatever province they may come.
Then, again, the system Of compel
tive examinations gives the people
AZ interest in the government. Edu-
cation is cheap and any one who
chooses may compete in the series OF
examinations which open the way to .
he highest appointments in the en-
'ire. This makes all supporters of
he constitution ard wotshiprers of
hings As they are. Another force is
five Classics aud the -Four Books
hat constitute the great Chines3
torehoJse of wisdam, which all edn-
'ated Chinese reGl and revere. No
where else has there existed a code CT
aw or morals that has so long re-
nainei living influence for good.
Finally, tina whole cot stitution of
}hiuese society seems admirably con-
rived to prevent disintegration. The
amily is the social unit There are
o isolated Individuals. except those
'ho have been expelled from their
antilles for disgraceful conduct. This
ocia unit of,si includes three or
our generations living under one roof
he family councils sit in judgment
n offending nenlcrs, ana may even
, dict severe punishment. When an r
trocious crime is committed, the law I,
rats the family, and not merely the y
.dividual, as responsible. 1t is this
stem Of mutual Responsibility that l.
skes it possible to carry or govern
eut with very few officials. Com
AIRED with the family, irueed, the
ate is an unimportant institution n,
China. and the rottenness OF the
)vernment does not mean, to the
me extent as it would in Western
nm entities, rottenness OF the ma.
onal life. In China there are no
eat movements against social evils,
'cause the evils when they arrive ~
G checked within the family. The Nv
Tily life is perpetu4llY reinvigorat- al
by reference to the standard Of the ~,
ciept moralists. TIE ancestor wor- 'i
ip, which is universal among the
lirese, Is itself an attempt TO ideal,
} family affections, ard, there fore, -
mot but be locked upon as help
? largely to cement society sE
Remarkable also is the fact that
is long civilization has not produced 81
ysical degeneration. Mr. Headley
Us the explanation in the survival &c
the physically tittest There is in
ina next to no medical science, Sse
30 sanitation. The c1nseQusrte D
thRt hy constitute oral strength ISIS
ne does & ChinHmgn from child Ct:
ID upward mold his own against ga
editions unfavorahle TO life. The f..
act mortality is greet and only the II
md in constitution pail through. g..
@ result is that as tie inhabitants
China have multiplied they have, -
,arently, grown Ia power of resist
% TO all the diseases which bad
itation brings with il; FURTHER
ra, the institution of slavery,
oh ,roc Of