Some Differences of Ideas In the "Canton Times" recently was a communicated article signed "S.C.W." and bearing the general heading of "Some Differences of Ideas, between foreigners and Chinese," in which the subject of slavery' is discussed. After briefly sketching the history of the slavery from the beginning of time, the writer proceeds Considering that 100 years ago slavery was almost a universal custom, it is not surprising that it still exists in some places.
The Chinese character for slave, "nu," meant originally a convict, and the character "pei," or slave: girl, meant a convict's daughter, such persons having forfeited their rights to freedom by. mi: conduct, being adjudged to w for the State, which, by an eas; transition of ideas, came to mean labour for the officials. The offspring of such persons were also considered to be slaves, until a servile class arose, which continued in dwindling numbers almost to the end of the Manchu Dynasty, Pix Money!
For practical purposes, however, the slave-trade in China is confined to a trafic in young girls. Almost every family which can afford to purchase girl-slaves possesses one or-more of them. They' are used not only to do housework, but form a private revenue or "pin money" to the mistress of the house, for, as she buys them at the age of six or eight years for about $100 and maintains them out of the house. hold expenditure, she sells them for some $300 when they reach marriageable age, and appears to make a considerable cash profit. Be sides, to be without a slave-girl is barely respectable.
The lot of such children depends very much on the temper and character of their owners, for there is no Chinese Children's Protection Society. General conditions may be described as normal, but, as one cannot condescend too much, it is rare indeed for the "slave-girl to receive any parental affection.
There is. however, another branch of the traffic in girls which deserves considerable attention, and that is the "Yellow Slavery," an abominable system of enforced tyranny, ill-treatment and degrade ed misery, a life almost hopeless and wholly ill-spent, wasted for the profits of others. a life deserving the most rigid boycott.
It is true that in 1911 the Provisional Government at Nanking almost touched immortality by declaring that all slaves and _purchases of human beings should thenceforth be illegal, null and void, but in what pigeon-hole that ordinance now is. or what rice-bowl it has wiped no one knows. be allowed to carry on any oourtship in the town in which they are appointed." After this, it is not surprising to read the fate of the unfortunate bandsman,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.