The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-06-01
The Heathen Chinee Again.
ANOTHER MAINE WOMAN DISCUSSES THE CHINESE
QUESTION, AND PROTESTS AGAINST FURTHER
IMMIGRATION. THE DANGERS OF THE BARBARI
AN INVASION DEPICTED IN DARK COLORS.

ANOTHER MAINE WOMAN DISCUSSES THE CHINESE
QUESTION, AND PROTESTS AGAINST FURTHER
IMMIGRATION. THE DANGERS OF THE Barbara
AN INVASION DEPICTED IN DARK coLoRs.
SAN FRANCISCO, May s, 1882.
EDITOR JOURNAL: In recent number of your
paper noticed letter written by lady, now liv-
as if must follow in her track CRYING, ~ too,' to
the sentiments she expressed. My letter will not
perhaps, like hers, be "breesy but it WILL like hers,
only give voice to the almost unanimous feeling of
the inhabitants of this State upon the Chinese ques
ton. For never could there be greater mistake
than to suppose that these feelings are confined to
the rOugher element of society here, but the very
best, most earnest and thoughtful people among us
are almost unit in this matter. Like your Vallejo
correspondent, l am a native of Maine and of Wal
do county, and | have been deeply panied at the
stand Eastern friends have taken upon this sub
Ject; that is such sore trouble to us here When
came TO this State fourteen years ago, could not
see, as do, the terrible evil which has been
growing so constantly that it now overshadows all
others and threatens to involve this fair State in
fearful ruin. But gradually | have come to feel
that no greater evil can befall a country than to
have in its midst such vast numbers of heathens,
never, Ike other nationalites that come here as
simulate with us. They preserve their own modes
of living, of dress and worship. To-day the Chinese
quarter of San Francisco is as much heather as
Pekn or Canton. Wherever they go white people
must of necessity retire and leave them the locality
Property depreciates, for one who cares at all
for the decelcies of life would be willing to live
near OF among them. 1t is not Grace prejudice y
for they are no worse than other nations that are
thoroughly stepped In heathenism.
Our churches, nearly all, have established mis-
slons to help them, and are doing what they can to
elevate and Chrstianize them. We believe that as
Christians we not to be governed by the politi-
cal side of the question, but these heathens are
among us, it is solemn duty to aid, protect and
enlishten them all that is in our power; but we
nope and pray that no more may come for at lea
a long term of years. lest our own young people be
drawn into an almost overwhelming ruin have
Tor years been more or less engaged in missio
work among them, teaching in Chinese Sunday
schools, and more recently among the women No
one can tell how sad, how truly deplorable is the
life of most Chinese women. OF course most of
those who come here, are of the very lowest class,
and are brought for the yiest purposes For these
poor creatures, who are treated most cruelty bv
their brutal owners, ought have but one feel
ing-pity. Trained to such life from infancy no
ray of light has ever shone upon their darkened
minds. They are bought and Sold from one to an
ether, By system verse than a fry;n slavery and
this is going on all the time, in Christian America,
and our present laws are powcrless to prevent It,
And when we raise our voices against these things
our friends at the East tell that we are prediced
against these people.
4 few years ago, Christian ladies having
these things deeply at heart, organized society for
the express purpose of aiding Chinese women and
girls. \ house was purchased, and a Home pre-
pared. 1t is located just the outer edge of Chin
ese town, near enough to be easily accessible and
it has proved a House of Refuge indeed to many Il
poor Chinese woman who has fled there for protec-
tion from her worse than brutal master. Many lit
tie girls have been rescued from horrible lens of
vice. where they were being trained for lives Of IN
fanny. These children are often in fearful condi-
ton when received into this Home, covered with
NTH and vermin, often bruised and SCARED from
head to foot, where they have been most cruelty
beaten. gentleman Of this city, an officer of the
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, has
rescued several little girls from these dreadful
places and has placed them in the Home, where
they are now being cared for kindly and taught the
better way. But the inhabitants of the Chinese
quarter have come to know him so well, that they
keep the children very closely guarded, and it is
very dlfhcult to get possession of them, more
especially now as the price Of girls has lately ad-
rdnced from fce hu1dredto TO thouSand doors each
Of course they are watched with great strcmess.
often these children have been stolen from friends
III China. If one Of our Christian families should
take little Chinese grit give hera home, it woul
be unsafe to allow her to go out of doors alone for
the strong probability is she would be stolen by her
own countrymen and sold into slavery, too fearful
to contemplate These things are not fancy sketche,
they are all too true. 81 speak what know, and
testify what have seen"
One very great evil-caused ty their presence in
such vast numbers-is the harm they are doing to
working women and girls, Such avenues of in
dnstry rs have been open to women here have in
a great measure been filed by Chinese and work
ing for mere pittance, many of them do, many
worthy women have been crowded out and great
hardship and suffering have been the legitimate re
suits. For where there is just work enough for /;
limited number, those who will work the cheapest
will obtain the employment. Cinnamon are now
doing great quantities of sewing, done by wo-
men at a fair price; but when shirts, with linen
completely finished for ten cents apiece, are made,
as they now are by Cinnamon, sewing women utter
cry Of despair, for no decent woman can work for
such a price and preserve her integrity.
If no help comes, san Francisco will in few
years be essentially Chinese city. Even now,
where once churches and schools We're founded
with great labor and expense by the early settlers,
we see tenement houses fairly swarming with Chin
ese. Several churches have already been crowded
out in this way, and others are only struggling for
an existence where once they prospered with large
congregations. The First Presbyterian church has
just been sold for less than fourth of its cost
for this very reason; it having become completely
surrounded by heathenism. The Powell street
Methodist church is suffering severely from the
same cause, and will probably before very long be
compelled to yield its location or die out entirely
And this is repeated in every town In the State
Every town Of any size has its Chinese quarter
with Its opium dens and brothels sending forth
continuous stream of poisonous influence and
there on a smaller scale, are repeated the sights
and sounds of China town in San Francisco Eighty
thousand of these people are now waiting in Chin
csc ports for passage to America, and are coming
just as rapidly as ships and steamers be char
tered to bring them to our shores. Every steamer
for weeks past has landed from one thousand to
twelve hundred, and kno wing what we do we can
not welcome them Yet Eastern friends by
mistaken philanthropy, instead of helping us to
check this nfowing stream, would enlarge it. We
only hope and pray that their eyes NAV be
opened to the magnitude of this terrible evil before
1t Is too late, and they, we'll as we, feel all too
keenly its fearful effects NJ b.
Section 1891 of the Revised Statutes of the
United States enumerates the following fees to
be collected of the owners and masters of veS-
sells engaged in domestic commerce: