Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-06-24
THE JAPANESE.
REPUTATION oFsTATEMENTs WHICH
WE'RE WHOLLY MISLEADING.
Hatred of the Chinese-Marriage, Divorce,
Morality asd Observation-Disclosures to
Reiigion-Love Of Country and
Attachment TO Home.
New York Times.


A short time ago some. statements were
made public In regard TO the japanese
living in this country which greatly In
censed Them and their friends. A gentle
man who has had long and Intimate ac-
quaintance with those who are here, as
well as with the manners and customs of
Japan itself, says that the statements re-
ferred to were wholly misleading "One
of the persons mentioned, he said, was
Mr.. Momoturo Sato, who was represented
rs a shrewd fellow who made money
from the curiosity Of people who wanted
TO stare at him He is the son of DIR.
Sato, who was the highest medical al.
thOrity In Japan. He was the first Japan.
ese to establish in this country the bust
ness of importing goods from his native
land. and exporting American goods
thither. He did not marry a German
girl, as stated, but an American lady of
Philadelphia The japanese do not, as
asserted. hate the Chinese particularly.
They hate whatever is small, vicious, and
tricky In them. just as they do In other
people. The statements that japanese
have harems regard their wives as mere
chattes, and that no formality is re-
quired TO procure divorce are all gross
untruths
at is lawful In Japan 10 have only one
wife The marriage ceremony Is a COM
pick but beautiful one Their women are
Just as chaste as our own. and as TO
divorces, while the manner of procedure
is not the same as ours, they are obtained
by direct evidence and without the ques-
tionable aid Of detectives Considerable
stress was put. in the statements referred
TO. on the employment in q Front street
place Of some japanese girls as clerks
Ii was said that the attention paid them
by men completely demoralized them
The fact is thar they were mem
bers of troupe of Japanese jugglers
When the novelty wore off and they
ceased To draw, the Front-street merchant
took them simply to draw trade by ex.
hibiting Them. When they were no
longer a curiosity in his place he dis
charged them with the Christian recon-.
mendation already given. Some Of them
are still IN this country. One is in Louis.
vile and has been repeatedly spoken OF as
an efficient clerk who has made a great
many friends. both through be- modest
behavior aud her attention 10 her duties
Another one is at the japanese legation in
Washington. but is going home soon.
She also bears an excellent reputation.
@ss 10 the morality of japanese gener.
ally, l can testify that parents are noted
for their kindness 10 their offspring.
Swearing is wholly unknown in Japan.
The worst word japanese ever ap.
plies 10 a man whom he dislikes
is beast There Is. IN fact,
less disturbance among them than
among any other people known to Ameri.
cans Their homes. no matter how poor.
are neat, and In cleanliness they set a
notable example 10 the whole world Law
and order are as much desired and en-.
forced there rs elsewhere The statement
that the faithless wife is punished by death
in that country is senseless The Law
takes hand in that as well as in other
matters As 10 the story that the Japanese
have no religion. the facts are simply
these: They have a religion and are in.
tensely devoted to IL. and are quite as
anxious to live uprightly as we are. We
have succeeded in making doubters of
few OF them, but they do not propose 10
adopt new religion without the most
searching investigation They are in.
yestigating the subject now. and doubt.
less good results will come of IL.
So far rs coming to this country for
the sake Of making money is concerned.
hey dOso no more than others: and plenty
of Americans go TO their country simply
90 make money and without any inten.
ton Of becoming japanese citizens. The
Japanese are 10 this respect no exception
Go the rule which governs human ambi.
fion. Their love Of country and attach
ment to home are Just as great ms they are
among the people Of any other nation.
At home they live pleasantly under gen.
Gle aud progressive form # government
and are proud Of the distinction Of being
Japanese Tbev are class Of people who
have made themsel' es respected and ad.
mired wherever they have entered an
American household They do business
rs we do il. and are fully as straightfor.
ward in their dealings and guard their
regulations with as much fare as any PEG.
pie whom | know. The erson who
made the statements referred 10 is exceed.
ingly ignorant about the history of Japan,
rs laws. its customs. and Its people I"