The sun., 1910-01-30

the town. subject TO theberIns imposed;
terms which are readily accepted because
otherwise the objectOr would be SUBJ
jected to the thorough and effective
Chinese form Of boycott. Some Of the
associations have large reserve funds. that
OF the Fishm0nGers' Guild at GinRpo. foE
instance. is estimated Rt sos. 900: the Drug
Rists Guild at the same place has an an
nual income % $500 600. Some have large
entrance fees. some heavy assessments,
and some levy contributions on business
| transacted
These associations have obtained almost
unrestrained control Of their own trades.
They shave grown up apart from and
/ independent of the Government; they
have moulded their own organization.
sought their own objects. devised their
own regulations and enforced them in
their own way and by their own methods.
Among the causes that have given them
power Mr. Morse lays stress on -the enor-
nous impulsive power OF a medieval
form Of public opinion and the develop
ment Of the boycott by centuries OF prac-
tical use" He describes the manner in
which specific guilds work and shows the
great variety OF their regulations. They
are all alike. however. -in interfering
with every detail Of business and demand
ing complete solidarity Of interest in their
members, and they are alike also in that
! their rules are not a dead letter but are
actually enforced The result is q tyr
amy Of the many over the individual and
system that hnders freedom Of initia-
tive, but which suits the Chinese charac-
ter and adds to their commercial power.
These societies have grown up outside
the law, have never been recognized by
it and have never sought its protection
The jurisdiction they exercise is Of their
own creation and over their members it
is absolute ~by virtue Of the faculty Of
combination by the community and Of
coercion on the individual which is so
characteristic Of the Chinese race. Dis
putes among themselves are submitted
to the arbitration Of the guild; il il cam
not be settled It may then be submitted
TO the authorities" Mr.. Morse quotes
the rule OF one society; 1T is agreed
that after a member Of a guild. an in
dividual or a firm. has been expelled all
business relations with him shall cease;
any member discovered to have had
dealings with him. from sympathy or
friendship, shall be fined The measure
AuOWh az CCsSubAVh OA All Uuothoo1 hn8
been used to make even the Government
modify or withdraw it's orders
Turning now to a different class OF
societies. the provincial clubs" or Hwei-
Kwan, we find that these resemble in
some degree the county OF State organiza-
tions that may be found in NewYork city.
The prime characteristic is that the mem-
bers shall be foreign to the province in
I-~Ls Ls.A II. - l. -
the same province cling closely together
rand are combined for mutual support
and protection. One Of these clubs boasts
that it originated ZOO year before Christ.
All who are eligible must join the club II
they wish to do any business in that town
or province. They have a clubhouse. in
which they provide for their own wor-
ship. One important duty is to provide
suitable burial for the dead: they have
their own cemeteries and mortuaries, in
which bodies may lie till they can be taken
to their ancestral home. The club also
controls the trade with the home province
and pushes the individual and collective
interests OF those belonging to il. The
club has absolute jurisdiction over its
members, settles disputes among them
and backs them up IN disputes WITH out
siders. Mr.. Morse illustrates the power
these clubs exercise by the story OF the
Ningpo joss house riots at Shanghai in
1874 and 1898, in which the Ningpo men
enforced their demands that their oene-
terry should not be violated against the
municipality and the foreigners.
OF the guild merchant, the organization
OF all the merchants of place TO regulate
the trade of the locality and divert its
course to their own benefit, Mr. Morse
finds only three well defined instances in
China, the Great Guild Of Newchwang, the
Swatow guild and the Canton Cohong.
We limit ourselves to his picturesque
description Of the Swatow merchants
Swatow 10 an unimportant place with a
population Of sS 900 and a trade Of less
than $50 900 900. The people are indus
trious workers and hardy fishermen, and
the merchants are adventurous traders.
They are exceedingly clannish Aand to
injure Swatow man is to plunge the hand
into a nest Of hornets" The trade OF the
port in it's minutest detail is under the
complete control OF the Swatow guild. the
Wan-nien-feng. and the Swatow men in
other ports are fully organized in pro-
vincial clubs and work in conjunction
with the guild and under it's guidance.
Mr.. Morse describes the organization and
legislative action OF the guild, which is re-
marksbly democratio: he tells how It OBJ
tains it's revenues; lie summarizes the du-
ties it undertakes. 1T concerns itself
with the commercial interests. individual
and collective. OF it's members; enacts and
enforces rules regulating trade; performs
many Of the functions Of q chamber OF
commerce, a board Of trade and a muni-
cipal council. II supports fre brigade.
levies it's own taxes. provides standard
weights and measures, fixes rates Of COM
mission. determines settling days. pro-
vides penalties against frauds and tricks
OF the trade and acts generally as the
guardian Of the interests Of it's members
and the terror Of all who would injure
them"
The guild enforces its decrees without
any display. 1T would seem almost as
If an aura pervaded theminds Of the men,
bers Of the guild, leading them without
nreconcerf to do the same thing at the