Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-07
OUR NAIL POUCH.
Christian Cinnamon Defended.

To the Editor Of The Dispatch:
The statement made by "John Lee" in
THE DISPATCH Of the 4th inst does not pre-
sent his countrymen, against whom he in
Weighs, in very fiattering light The cause
of this intense dislike entertained by this
John Lee, or George Lee" as he is more ia
miliarly known, is not hard to trace; in fact,
the complainant himself expresses the
whole matter in a single sentence. Speaking
of countryman by the name of Yee Tang
and two others John Lee says: "They were
bad primarily because they had cut off their
pigtails and were christianizedn That is
the whole difficulty in nutshell. China
men can hobnob with Christians as much as
they please, they can attend Sunday school
and learn to read the Bible and sing Chris
tian hymns without molestation, but let one
dare to renounce the heathenish beliefs Of
his forefathers and make an open profession
Of Christianity, and that moment every
"heathen Chinee" is his avowed enemy, who
feels it to be his duty to persecute him in
every way that he dare, and who would not
hesitate to kill If it were not for the laws of
the land. happened not long since to be
walking on our streets with Chinaman
who had recently made public profession
OF religion in one of our churches. On our
way we met two of his countrymen. As we
passed them one of them made vicious
1unge at my companion, while the other
contented himself with kissing between his
teeth some opprobrious ephithet. asked
my companion what they meant by such
conduct.
"Oh," said he, "that's nothing, they have
threatened to cut off my head and tear me
to pieces, just because turned Christian"
John Lees bitter 'denmciation of Yee
Tang and his two companions who have en-
braced Christianity IS only q specimen of
what is dealt out in their own land to any
one who has the courage to renounce heath
enism and accept the gospel of Christ. John
Lee is right when he says his countrymen
VIII have nothing to do with these Christian
creature who has manifested such spirit Of
hostility to our blessed religion. l have not
a doubt that if George Lee and his fellow
countrymen who devote their time to the
working portion of their people out of their
money in opium joints and gambling dens,
dared, they would make quick work of any
ana al OF their number who accept our
Christian faith with all that it implies. 1
happen to know these converted Cinnamon
whom these heathen are trying to drive
from our midst, and know them to be hon.
est sincere and Industrious laundrymen,
who toll early and late at their work, with
no other thought of their countrymen than
to lead them to belief in the gospel of
Christ. Had Yee Tang continued to squan-
der his honest earnings in the gambling dens
and opium joints which these prosecutors
maintain in spite of the police, instead of
attending q Christian Sabbath school, these
men of the John Lee stripe would never
have been heard from in this matter. That
Yee Tang is engaged in a system OF black
mailing, as these keepers of dens Of infamy
affirm, do not believe; and if he is furnish
ing pointers to the police whereby the
gambling dens are being broken up, have
no evidence of the fact, but that he and all
who embrace Christianity entertain a hatred
against such iniquities do not doubt. They
ought to do all in their power to rid this city
of denominations, the odium of which at
taches to all the Cinnamon indiscrimin-
ately.
If, instead of maliciously reporting to the
newspapers that these converted Cinnamon
are bad men, George Lee and his confeder-
ates would devote their spare time to abol-
tshing the gambling hells and opium dens
In this city into which their countrymen are
led to be robbed, he would be engaged in far
better business than in his present attempt
to tnaugurate the prosecutions which are SO
common in his own land against those who
cast OF the superstitions which hold that
mighty nation in iron bonds. Let John Lee
and his companions give up their vices and
then Yee Tang and other Christian China
men need have no terrors for them. / trust
the police will make it too hot for these
workers of iniquity in our city.
Respectfully,
PrrTsBURa, August 5. E. R. DoNEHoo.