The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
SELL WIVES AND CHILDREN.
4 PractSee That II Common IN China b
Ttmes Of FA mine.

There is nothing surprising IN the de-
spatch from Hong Kong to the effect that
In the famine district OF southwest China
men are selling their wives md chisdssn
10 prevent them from starving 10 deAkh
Their purchasers supply them With tood
and the lives Of the sellers Of their eSn
flesh and blood are alss preserved BY ~
nnonsy they rec,ive.
When Mr.. Nichols travelled through
the fsmine-stricken Province Of 0heaA
he heard mich OF this practics. He wrotS
that however much Chinese parents might
love their little onee. they could be induced
10 sell them whsn Ill were starving
This practice marks the worst and lass
phase Of famine horrors. There 10 always
A market for children in China and the
demand 10 usually far greater than the
s,,pply: for parents will not sell their child
rem. as a rule, until they have suffered
long through hunger.
We hear comparatively little Of slavery
in China. The fact IL. however, that it
ia A time-honored institution. HoussmAlds
and women in domestic service In the In
terror towns usually receive 10 wAtas.
Until they are married they are the PropSrty
of their masters. who purchase them when
they are little girls.
The EXTREMIST poverty, the inability to
provide their family with food, 10 the solo
cause OF the selling by fathers OF chiIdfea
into bondage Rich families oftSn IN
these girls by the dozen and most fsnaHes
in easy circumstances have at least olS
slave among their servants The slave
state Ia for the women only temporary.
their masters being Obliged to provide
them with q husband when they are Of
manageable age, and as married wonnso
they cease to he elavee.
The absolute right Of the father to ssll
his offspring into bondage 10 fully rwces.
nixed BY the law, but the descendsuts Of
slaves cannot always BE- hsld In bondage.
MALI slaves have ritht bsfoss theie 6Air-
tieth year to require thsir ovrsss - ind
wives for them. and - heads 81 tomAhes
they transmit the slave state only down
to the fourth generation. 3 ~
In all respects. except that they arc in
bondage they are treated, - . rule. Ike
the other servants. reoeivinS Instruction
In the schools. competing At the Pablo
examinations and somstimes ohfGninG
oficial appointments. ID this cass tho
owner Is bound 70 permit thsm to redssm
themselves and their families.
The Sun despatch says that hus6Aods
are selling their wives a. well - the1 ohil-
dren. It Ia permitted under the lAw tor
married women to be sold. but never -
slaves. They are purchased only - wives
by those who buy them. -
When the famine was st To w6rst In
Sbensi men in carts. according 10 Mr..
Nichols, appeared in the city OF Sisn.fu.
Thew were spectators whoss b,ninees was
the buying Of children In the famine market.
Starting from Siam a. the headquarters
for the trade they made excursions into
the surrounding country. They bought
hundreds Of children. paying ordinarily
about 1900 cash for little boy. while httls
girl could be purchased for half that sum
The trade was carried on BY wholesale
and the children wcre scattered al ever
China to 30 sold TO the rich. RSclus says
that the prios Of children h usually st The
rate Of q 70 $50 for evory year OF their
age.
A while ago Bishop Favier published .
book on Pekin In which b spoke Of gam.
bling - the national vioe Of the ChlnsSe.
He told how beggArs In rags would b. the1
last scrap OF clothing; and how sorps fren-
xied RaYnbiers would stake their vivss and
children at the gambling table. 80
He told Of ono young man Who stassd
his wife and lost Der. The woman
was only 20 and the gambling debt To-
volved was only $50. Bishop Favser
paid the debt and returned the young
woman to her mother. A few months aft1e.
ward che rcjoined her husband and, ~
oil probability added tbs Bishop. ~
hos played and lost her again.
IL is extreme poverty also that 10 reepon-
sibie for a large proportion Of the enormous
infanticide that n known to exist IN Chlns.
This crime 10 much more com mon IN tns
south than In the north; but II exists every
where and IL especially prevalsns wnee
days are drinking the drem OF poverty.
find themselves unable to procure enough
food TO keep their children from starving