The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-11
The Globes SSsms.Jmay
The Storm Center of The 11orld.
BIZ DR.. r. WARREN coNAMr

edch olner IN their congratulations az
the parents who have produced so dis.
tinguished a son.
AS for himself, he scorns to work.
henceforth his life is one of ease with
dignity, until such time as his official
appointment comes. There are thousands
or. these Hterari all over the enpire
and they form a sort of ex-offfcio privl-
legged class, midway between the people
ana the actual officials. exercising a pow
erIuI influence on each. The people look
TO them for leadership and instruction.
especially when they are suffering from
official oppression; while on the other
hand, the officials must respect their
powerful influence, for they are of equal
rank with themselves, and may be cali
ed at any time to take their places.
Under these model conditions. Of
course, China is the paradise alike of the
oHice-holder and the civil service re-
Iormer Well. not exactly Here, as
everywhere, we must make important
reservations. Official corruption and
intrigue flourish in China, and plenty Of
msgovernment. but it is by no means
universal. While it is true that the
entrance to official life is only through
the examinations, as above described II
IS also true that promotion is often
hastened by the judicious placing OF
money where it will do the most good -
There IS also much extortion from tbe
peope with one hand and stealing from
the government with the other. So that
few officials die poor There is this ex-
cuse for them, that their legitimate sala-
rles are infinitesimal; STILL there are hon
est officials, even in China But there
are important checks on the rapacitv Of
officials, through the influence of the it,
erat1 above mentioned. and through the
disposition of the people to combine.
EVERY Chinaman belongs to a number
Of associations for every conceivable
purpose, business, political and social.
Inc Infamous "high-binders," too we'll
known in San Francisco are an instance
of one Of these transplanted to our West
ern shore, as the Malta has been from
Italy to our Eastern coast. Consequent
ly, although there is some similarity be-
tween the Chinese and the Turkish nro-
vincial system, no such wholesale plum
dering of the people is possible as is en-
Joyed by the Pashas, who are like wolves
placed in charge of sheep.
But, of course, the filing Of all Offices
by men of the highest education. insures
an official body of exceptional ability en-
Hghtened views and high ideals? Well,
not exactly. There are it Is true, many
capable high-minded gentlemen among
the rulers Of China. but the majority
is narrow. conceited and conservative to
the last degree. This Is one Of the most
significant Illustrations of what has al
ready been mentioned. that everything
in that strange country is fOssliZed The
Middle Kingdom is like one of those pre-
cociouS children who fail to fulfill the
promise of childhood. In the beginning
they easily outstrip their playmates in
everything which predicts a maturity of
strength and brilliancy, but after time
their brightness fades and they become
nonentities while the dull and disorder
ly boys forge ahead to success
The explanation of this official failure
is found in the peculiarities of Chinese
education. and this in turn has it's roots
in Confucianism. There is no room here
for any description Of this dominant re-
llgion or philosophy beyond the state
ment that one Of its cardinal principles
lis the worship of ancestors. People who
have scant respect for either fathers or
forefathers can have no conception of the
extent to which this principle enters into
Chinese life. 1t is bred in their very bone
and marrow. Their highest conception OF
learning is perfect familiarity with the
books Of Confucius and a few other clas-
sizes equally up to date
The Chinese boy begins to 60 to school
there are no native schools for the boys
at the age Of five or six, and his school
hours are nine daily for seven days in the
week. His task is to learn to read these
musty classics. and then memorize them
so perfectly that he can write them All
study must be done aloud; if Johnnie IS
silent, down comes the teacEcSs long
bamboo with vigor and precision. This
seems more logical than trying TO enforce
silence by discipline; furthermore. it is
excellent for the boys lungs; long prac-
tice enables them to shout their lessons
with an effect which makes a boiler fac
tory seem the home of silence.
BY eighteen years of age the young man
I,or, ,.IIrr ~
dous task, and is ready for the examina-
tons. If he were to be examined in any
thing Of practical value or contemporaries
Gus interest, he would fail utterly, but
the sole object is to test his familiarity
with classics nearly 1900 years old parts
of which are unintelligible to even a
Chinaman. This method of education has
only this to be said for it: 1t gives the
scholars powerful memories, and a very
thorough acquaintance with their own
language. But all originality is carefully
discouraged, for that would be equivalent
to an insinuation that the forefathers
could be improved on. Amy signs of snch
heresy in an examination paper would be
sufficient ground for rejecting the candi-
date without hesitation.
In arts and sciences the same arrested
developments appears. After making
many brilliant discoveries the Chinese
hdNS AdlfCO " .pAOllL ny IHCIis SlCl6I ne
glecting them entirely or using them
without further development. The ex-
PLANTATION is the same-everywhere the
Dead Hand
But there is this additional explanation,
which is even more interesting. For we
see in Chinese art, sciences and educa-
tfon a condition which might be ours also,
were it not for the Inductive Method.
This is the debt we owe to the Induction
lists, particularly to Sir Francis Bacon.
Before their time European thought was
frittered away on distractions and fan
tastic PHILOSOPHERS, and was no nearer
to practical, useful results than is Chinese
thought today
Copyright, 1909