THE ETHICS OF CONFUCIUS. 93 



ual remonstrance, the recalcitrant was to be dealt with as a 'father 

 would treat a disobedient son. The rod has always been the chief 

 instrument of enforcing discipline in the political household as 

 well as the domestic household ; and cases that will not submit to 

 this primitive method of chastisement are visited with the guil- 

 lotine. 



The fact that no one could be found willing to undertake to 

 put in force his method of conducting government is due to the 

 strict conditions he sought to enforce. Rulers were accustomed 

 to hold the people in check by force of arms, and subaltern petty 

 ofi&cers were appointed by the crown and held their position by 

 carrying out the desires of their creator. Confucius declared 

 that political appointments in the civil service should be made on 

 the basis of individual merit, rather than simply the standard of 

 subservience to the dictation of the throne. He was the first ad- 

 vocate of civil-service reform, and his success in that line is not 

 calculated to create very high hopes in those of our day who would 

 substitute a similar test for office. 



It is commonly understood in this country that China has 

 long practiced competitive examinations of candidates for office. 

 They do go through such a form, but it is a mere farce. For 

 appointment to a position in the customs service, for example, the 

 examination is conducted by testing the candidate in his pro- 

 ficiency with the bow and arrow, and by having recitations from 

 memory of certain portions of the classics. The man who can hit 

 the bull's-eye the greatest number of times in a given number of 

 shots with the bow, and can recite the greatest number of pages 

 from some book, of the meaning of which he may be utterly igno- 

 rant, is considered the best fitted for the position. It may be that 

 they consider that a man who is skillful with the bow, and whose 

 memory will absorb a long list of trite sayings in a book, will also 

 be capable of acquiring useful knowledge in his chosen position in 

 the civil or military service ; but certainly the attainments tested 

 are of no practical benefit in the work to be done. Running and 

 jumping and other athletic attainments are also tested. This 

 is more useful, especially in the military service, than the other 

 tests appear to be. A good runner in the army may be an im- 

 portant foresight in the selection of soldiers or officers who are 

 thus selected. China's experience in her recent wars with Euro- 

 pean armies has taught her the need of a fleet-footed soldiery to 

 enable them to get out of the way of the enemy. 



It is, of course, difficult to estimate what part the teachings of 

 Confucianism have had in forming the national character of the 

 Chinese. Some powerful influence must have been required to 

 secure such a condition of contentment under such an arbitrary 

 government to hold together in apparent submission to one reign- 



