CHAPTER XIX.
The Village Lawsuit.
My object in writing this chapter is to give some idea of the common procedure in the courts of justice, or perhaps it would be more correct to say courts of injustice. I shall not attempt an exhaustive study of the subject, but give only the view that one gets from living among the people and being compelled to listen to their "tales of woe." In this respect matters are doubtless better than they were in former times, but there is yet room for abundant improvement.
The whole evil has its roots in the greatest of all evils in government — the one-man power. The entire system of law and government in Korea is built on the idea that the king is the father and ruler of the people; and in his hands their interest must rest. This being the case, every official is responsible to the king and not to the people. So it makes little difference what the people may think of him and his way of doing business, his chief thought being to advance his own interest and please his king. The usual method of obtaining office has been by purchase, the size of the applicant's pocketbook being the standard by which his fitness was judged rather than, his intellectual and moral fitness. The salaries connected with the various offices were small, and the official was expected to look out for his living from the people. If
