The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-19
DON'T Luke OUR CIVILIZATION
NOTHING SHORT OF BARBAROUS.

Christianity. its spirit influence our
actions far less than do economic con-
siderations: that Christianity is even
less to us than is Gonfucianism to
them; and that 1t is fcke our imperti-
nence to missionaries to China.
The Chinese think that We ignore
and neglect the five great relationships
which they learn in their classics; the
relationship of sovereign to subject. of
father to son., of husband to wife. of
ung brother to elder, and OF friend
to friend. Celestials observe that III
western countries when a son comes
of E he goes where he likes. does
what he chooses, and has no necessary
connection with his parents nor they
! with him. and they think this the Ue-
havior of a grown calf or colt to a
COW or mare-prcper for brutes, but
not for human beings.
The Platonic in~termingling of sexes
in western society the Chinese do not
understand: they think that our treat
ment OF ome is a mixture of i'm
becility. ill-breeding and buffoonery.
A Chinese opponent of railways late
ly wrote that they would be useless
in China as far as women are con-
cerned. THE wives and daughters of
Europeans axe no pleasure in stay
ing at home; blu in tho case Of our
womankind. gadding about is held in
great disrepute."
The author of a native work called
The Lights of Shanghai" complains
that foreigners and their wives stroll
about in the public gardens arm in
arm and shoulder to shoulder without
any bashfulness what v er. For men
and women to talk together in public
iE, In n opinion of the Chinese, bad;
but for them to shake hands or take
each others arm is barefaced immor-
ality. Etiquette in the flowery king
dom requires that men and women
passing things to n another should
lay them upon a table instead Of hand
ing them directly.
When the Chinese hear Of the
Christian precept that a man should
leave his father n mother and cleave
to his wife, they are, If good Con-
fucianists. horror stricken: for Con-
fucianism requires a man to cleave to
his father and mother, and to compel
his wife to serve and honor his par.
ents also. We say hat the Chinese
worship their ancestors. mi they re-
tort h a western nations worship their
wives. They hear Of men among us
adoring and being devoted to their
wives.
The Chinese think that our man.
ners are those of barbarians. and thai
We arc always acting contrary to their
saying. "Politeness' ID better than
l force" Certainly, the foreigner who
does not take the trouble to learn CIV.
en- he alphabet OF Chinese politenes.
cannot avoid giving frequent ohtense
unconsciously. For instance, II he
wears spectacles. and does not remove
them when a visitor ONT into hi.
; room. he will be thought very rude
The Chinese strongly object to be look,
ed at through glasses. When we show
manners h Chinese are surprised. A
lady told me that. on a recent occa,
sion. when she went into a shop a
Canton h door a oon blocked W
by a crowd, Of idle sazers. NY friend
who speaks Chinese well, said to tn.
crowd in that dialect, II beg your par
don. would o allow me to go out?'
They at once made room for her, and
: she heard them relnarktng. "sh,
speaks IL language. and she hal
! manners. too!"
I Our idea Of progress is to hav'
motion. and to be always ION The CO.
To the Chinese this Seem to be NOR
bid unrest. They say that we do no
{ live. 30 intent are We in increasing tn,
3 means OF living, and that in onse
quence We are always discontented
The Chinese approve Of tho tramwa!
cars. lavatories and fire engines Of TIL,
are. in the opinion Of the educated
! curious rather than useful. and II
that of h ignorant connected will
magic. Whatever he may preten.
l for the sake of advantage. the mos
u~nproeresstve yellow man despises tn,
3 most inventive white man The in
v%entiveness of the latter is. in the eye
3 of the former, no more worthy of re
] speet than Ii the cunning Of the TO.
. or the strength Of the elephant.