The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-08-17
JUSTICE IN China
District Magistrates Are Both
Judge and Jury.
Story of Oriental Solomon Who Used
Basket as Witness Throws Light
on Court Methods.

The men who really govern China
and who make life happy or miserable
for the people are the district magis-
trateS. There are about fifteen hun
dred of them in all. These men unite
in themselves many various offices.
They are cOrOnerS, sheriffS tax cOllec-
tors, road surveyors and forest COM
missioners. They are superintendent
of schools and overseers of the poor,
and they are at the head of the state
religion, and worship at the temples
on specified days. There is scarcely
any matter into which they may not
pry and for which they are not held
responsible.
The administration Of justice is in
their hands. In the court of justice
there are no juries lawyers or men
who are entitled to speak for the Gull
prit. The parties to the suit, whether
civil or criminal, kneel before the mag
istrate, who, sitting in his official chair,
asks such questions as he sees fit, and
as soon as he thinks he has discovered
the truth, brings in his verdict. Either
party may appeal still, as the expense
of a lawsuit is higher propOrtionally
than in America, that is not often
done.
1t will at once be apparent that such
man must possess a keen mind, a
good knowledge Of human nature, and
be fertile in expedients. Above all, he
must be a man of decision; not be-
cause immediate action is required, but
in order to sustain his own dignity
and command the respect Of the
people. The magistrate who hesitates
is despised.
Some years ago a Chinaman who
owned a mill where he pressed oil
from beans was visited by neighbor,
who came to borrow an immense baS-
ket used by the oil man to receive
the bean refuse after the Oil had been
extracted. The Chinese are quite
neighborly, so the request was grant
ed, and the neighbor, who was a miller,
carried the basket home to use for
holding bran.
Time went on and the following fall
the oil man asked for the return Of the
basket. To his surprise, the miller
claimed the basket as his own. In
spite of the fact that there were no
witnesses, the Oil man went to law,
and the case came before the district
magistrate.
The magistrate asked each man to
tell his story, which he did. Each man
oil hot l,n
produce witnesses. The magistrate
recognized that his own reputation was
at stake, and also that it was q case
where a righteous decision would
greatly enhance his reputation. He
did not hesitate.
Bring in the basket" he said. He
had already determined in his own
mind that in all probability the oil man
was in the right for he felt that no
man in his senses would be likely to
go to law about so cheap an article
unless it were really his.
AS soon as the basket was brought
in, the magistrate, with severe frown,
addressed it in these words: "N1r. Bas-
ket, each of these two men here in
court claims you as his own property.
There are no witnesses as to which is
telling the truth. Now I order you to
tell us to which of them you belong.
What. you remain silent! Are you not
aware that l am the magistrate of this
county? If you do not reply at once, 1
shall order you to be severely pun
fshed! Still silent! Here, sergeant,
get your paddle, turn over this basket
and give him a hundred blows!"
The underlings who were present
had great difficulty in keeping their
faces straight, but they had to obey,
and accordingly the man who was
wont to use the stick for beating I'M
willing witnesses proceeded to beat the
basket He had not delivered many
blows before the oil, which had been
concealed by the bran, began to ooze
forth.
"Hold on said the magistrate;
"that is enough. l thought 1 should
make this basket speak. 1t is evident
that he belongs to the Oil man. Take
out the miller and give him five hun
dred blows, and you, Mr.. Oil Man,
carry home your basket. youths
Companion.