POWERFUL BEGGARS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5056, 15 September 1894, Page 3

POWERFUL BEGGARS.

The Chinese are more charitabl e than they have been given credit for. They give freely, especially on occasions of public or private rejoicing. Beggars are numerous everywhere, and are organised into a sort of union or guild, with a master at the head, whose word is law to his mendicant subjects, and whose laws are as unchanging as those of the Medea and Persians, No man can be buried without a large share of "funeral baked meats" falling to the lot of the beggars' guild. No person is allowed to marry by thi3 powerful union unleES he or his friends; pay a tribute to the king of the beggars, in the shape of a big feast and a sum of money. The last varies from a few shillings to a hundred pounds, according to the means of the tribute-payer. The feast must consist of as good food as is served to the weddiDggueais. On this the beggar king and his cabinet dine with as much gusto, if not as much ceremony, os the Emperor of China when feasting hia Ministers. In almcsi every city you will find a beggars' guild. The subjects of any one king vary in number; ] according to the Biza of the city. These ] kings of China's submerged millions, whosa \ territories consist; of streets, gutters, I bridges, and doorsteps, and whose subjects j have been won for him by poverty, j accident, vice, and disuse, exercise a ■ patriarchal sway and dispense & rough and j primitive justice. Tho office ia not here- j ditnry, but elective, and tenable for life. ; The beggar king lives in a housa that, is almcsb a palace, compared to the miserable she! tar that his subjects have to be contented with. Noh infrequently he grows rich from th.9 tribute paid him by the people of! the upper cruse, of society.. Ho lihs powerful, means of enforcing his deraamls, Ho hns means of annoyance which the police are unable to put a stop ■ to. • . Suppose a man about to marry refuses to reeogoiso the claim of the beggar king. His wedding procession will be blocked j by thousands of lamp, halt aud leprous beggars, who will easo their minds by imprecations such ss are unfit for a bride to hear. Else this uiseetnly rabble will tho house of the unlucky bridegroom, and go through a similar performance. It is worth a large sum to be rid oi such pest s. Even the magistrates, autocrats as they are in their own realms, respect the office of the beggar king, and nover offend Aim if they can avoid it. Ordinarily beggars go from hon3e to house and from shop to shop with a bowl in hand, into which is poured the handful o£ rice, or is dropped the copper coin of charity. They are irrepressible, and will not take "no" for an aDswer.