The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-05-30
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE.

NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE
New YORK CITY,
May rs, 1889. {
Editor Democrat
1t looks very much as if-thanks to
the effo1ts of the Young Mems Catho-
lie Association-the damning vice of
opium smoking, and the Infamous trade
of the Chinese in this connection, was
about to be broken up. Perhaps it
would have been better for the sake of
the eventual conviction of tue Mongo-
lian tiends if the Society and the two
clergymen at the head of it had quiet.
ly gathered all the evidence they could,
went before the Grand Jury. had the
miscreants indicted, and then given
the results of their discoveries to the
press. The pressure of public opinion
would then have secured not alone
their Indictment but their speedy pun
ishment. AS it is, evidence in the le-
gal sense will be somewhat difficult to
procure now, as every Chinaman is
thoroughly scared and keeps as shady
as possible. You must understand,
that this agitation is not so much
against the vice of opium smoking per
Sc, as because the almond-eyed Asia
tics make it the vehicle of debauching
young girls, and running them, men.
tally, morally and physically to such
an extent that they become practically
beyond redemption.
Let me explain this Chinese question
of ours. The facts l have obtained
from a gentleman who is thoroughly
acquainted with what he speaks of, and
I believe most of his points are I'M
known to the public at large, and fully
deserve the greatest ventilation. Of
the Chinese population in this city full
ly 80 per cent. do nothing for a living.
The other 10 per cent. consists oflaun-
drymen principally, few servants,
but all work for their daily bread. The
80 per cent. keep opium joints, run
fern tan tables, levy blacF mail, and in
general grow rich by cheating or swim
ding the others out of their hard earn
ed money. On Saturday evenings the
Cinnamon who work in the laundries
and factories of Jersey City, Belleville
and other suburbs, come to town to
purchase their stock of groceries, etc.,
for the week. They rarely 60 back to
their homes with a dollar in their
pockets, for the sharps manage to get
all their money away from them. Now
for years this colony has been under
the thumb of Tom Lee, former De-
putty Sheriff who fow weeks ago was
indicted for extorting money, dismiss
ed from the Sherif's Office and is now
in prison. This fellow is one of the
shrewdest "bossee" seen for long
time. Tweed, Shepherd and other no.
liabilities of the Caucasian race would
not be able to hold a candle to him.
He is clever, quick-witted, adroit, un-
scrupulous and speaks English like a
native. He ruled the Chinese quarter,
and there was not an opium joint, not
a gambling house from which he did
not draw weekly stipend. In fact it
was said that there was not a China
man in town who did not pay him tri.
butte for protection. And the best part
Of this wholesale confidence scheme
was that his hand never appeared in
any of these confidence transactions.
When it became necessary to raise
the wind, or when member of the COL
ony was refractory to the chiefs rule,
he was either individually arrested, OF
a raid was made. Arraigned in court
the next day, of course tho Judge
could not grant them hearing on &C.
count of the language. Then there
we're always two assistants of Tom
Lees in court to interpret for them,
and they interpreted just as it would
suit Tom Lee. Many and many apoor
devil, it is said, was thus punished for
crimes and offences which be never
committed. If he agreed to yield to
the power Of the chief, matters were
so arranged as to get him clean, for a
consideration of course. Two Toombs
shysters we're the legal advisers of the
king harpy and they aided and abetted
him in every way. The courts of
course knew nothing of this inside his
tory, but whether the police were &C.
quainted with it, is to say the least,
open to doubt.
Now as to the female side of the
question. 1t is a we'll known fact to
those Gin the know" that there are
scarcely a dozen respectable Chinese
women in this country. Some even
assert thet the number does not reach
half dozen. Now the Cinnamon, of
course, have no respect for woman
hood, and particularly white woman.
hood. Their instincts are british. At
the same time they never beat women
the same as white or colored ruf'aus
do. This is perhaps because they are
not physically able to do 30. They