Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-19
OUR MAIL POUCH.
That Chinese Club Scheme.

Ahdt CnlneSo CluD Scnemes
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
Mention has been made in the daily papers
OF an application to the courts by certain
chinese OF this city for a charter ofincorpora-
tion for clubhouse which they propose
to establish for the benefit of their fellow
countrymen. The plain English of the mat
ter is that they desire to thoroughly inaugu-
rate chinatown" in our midst as it lives
and thrfves in several cities on the Pacific
slope, to the horror and reproach of all who
respect decency and virtue. Dissatisfied
with the present methods of the police to
pounce down upon them at the most unex-
pected hours, they are anxious to have o
place where they can gamble at their own
sweet will, smoke opium until they float
away in vision to realms of Celestial bliss,
and inveigle sillv young girls into their in
famous den, without fear of molestation
from the guardians of the public virtue. 1t
has also been stated that 1t was my purpose
to resist the granting of any charter for such
an abomination in our midst. Now while 1t
is my earnest desire to do all in my power to
promote public and private morality in our
city, wish it to be distinctly understood that
1 am not running private law and order So
ciety with the intent of enforcing the laws
and bringing to justice those who defy the
same and persist in debauching their neigh
bors, no matter how praiseworthy such
work might seem to be. If the Department of
Public Safety, with all its expensive machin-
cry, whose duty it is to look after such mat
ters, are going to tolerate such an iniquity
as Chimes clubhouse, and If the courts of
Allegheny county are going to grant these
Oarbarians the right to conduct an opium
joint and gambling hell under solemn sane
tion of their authority, unless ], private
citizen residing in remote portion of the
city, exert myself to oppose it; and II the
press of the city is to allow these persistent
violators OF law and enemies of civilization
to carry out their villainouS purposes with
out rebuke, l do not see why l should trouble
myself about it. True, the ring-leader
in this latest scheme has been conducting
notorious den in which gambling and opium
smoking have constituted the chief a1nuse-
ment. True also, he has been repeatedly
raided by the police and all the parapherna-
liza of the gamblers art captured and borne
confederates heavily fined. True, as is
known, both to many Cinnamon
in the city and certain of the police force,
this blue-blooded Chinaman has q family in
China, and in addition q woman of color to
do the honors OF his household on special
occasions in this city-still if the police, the
courts, the press, and the long suffering
public can stand q licensed abominatiOn
such as 1 have family limited at, believe
would be infinitely better for the peace and
order of the community at large if every
lasting one of these heathens, whose skins
are saturated with opium and whose morals
are detestable in the extreme, we're made to
understand that the atmosphere of this
town is altogether too rare for their blood.
PITTsRURG, Nov. Is. E. r. DoNEHoo.