The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-18

matter which will serve foreingers in
China for all time. The Lord Mayor
of London, some years ago, collected
large sum of money for the suffer-
ers by a famine in one of the Chinese
provinces. The money arrived in Pc
kin and was handed over to the Chi
nese government for distribution.
Just about the same time Great
Britain made demand for an indem-
nifty in respect to the destruction of
the foreign settlement of Shameen by
a turbulent mob of Cantonese. The
Chinese government calmly paid the
indemnity out of the lord mayors fund,
and split up the balance of the fund
among a number of officials These
facts were proved beyond dispute, and,
ineed, were not denied by the officials
implicated.
Give BighaYn, who was formerly a
British attache at Pekin, says that
'peculation has so cankered the Chi
nese bureaucracy that an honest off,
cfal is to the ordinary citizen some
thing almost superhuman." To prove
the truth of this sweeping statement,
it is only necessary to quote the words
of the Viceroy Chang Chin Tung in a
recent memorial to the Emperor of
China. The Viceroy has the reputa-
ton of being the most honest and en-
lightened of all the great Chinese Of
ficials. He said in the memorial:
mot many years ago a certain Chi
nese official absconded from the coun-
try with about half million of gold
of public funds. He placed this sum
in a German bank. Dying soon after.
the bank thereupon cancelled the
amount and kept this sum for itself,
giving only a small interest to the rel
atives of the deceased. The sensible
man will not repudiate his country,
because, forsooth there are some
things in it that he does not like"
Half a Million a Small Steal.
Observe the moral. No surprise or
Indignation was expressed at the Off
cial stealing half million sterling. but
the foreign bank Is held up to oppro-
brium and the lesson drawn that Chi
namen should spend their graft at
home.
Rice does not grow on the Court
House pavement" says a Chinese prov
erb. If the sutton at a Chinese yamen
wants to get verdict, he must con-
tribute to the sustenance of the judge
and all the court officials, down to the
humblest policeman. There are many
other Chinese proverbs which are
equally significant of the administration
of justice. when the moneyless
speak, the nearer hastens away" is
SAAI VI Twill ~ SOu nave EHOuBu
money, you may hire the demon to
turn your mill" is another. What
paddy fields and corn fields belong to
the yamen?" asks third. The an
swer, of course. is that the people at
large are the magistrates paddy field.
An "HOnest" Magistrates Pickup.
Even an honest magistrate may,
during q three years term of office.
save ten myriad white taels of
silver" runs popular saying. The
word honest" is used in comparative
sense. The official who does not steal
more than 20 per cent. of the money
that passes through his hands Is con-
sidered honest in China. If he goes
beyond that limit he is regarded as a
hog who will not let other people get
their fair share.
In the republic of Hayti the people
are fond of saying that II is no crime to
rob the government, because what be-
longs TO the government really belongs
to nobody in particular, and nobody
will feel the loss of it. The same per-
verified view is held In China. All pub
lie property is regarded as the leglti-
mate object of theft. II is not safe
to leave paving stones in the streets
over night when repairs are being
made. They will assuredly be carried
away and used for building purposes.
A few years ago there was a big
scandal IN Pekin because somebody
stripped the copper sheating of the
roofs OF the Palace building, but even
that audacious theft was beaten at one
of the treaty ports. where the Chinese
residents actually stole the wall that
had been erected around the foreign
ers' cemetery. They regarded IL az no.
body's property. and 30 they carried
Il away brick by brick
Doubtless they felt the force OF the
old argument against cemetery walls
them ms is out don't want 10 get IA,
and them ~ N IN can't Ret out I"
Copyright 1904. BY r. g. Mcciure.)