The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-09

OIfxvTs. Sept. 2. ts3
To THE EpfTuR In reply 20 m article
appearing IN the issue Of September -.
isss, Of the Posr-IsTKII1sEyrKg. relative
10 the capture al coatrahand Cinnamon ~
Oyster bsy by United States officials, de-
sire to De heard In regard 10 the Insult
cast upon me in the article referred 70. In
that article il - represented that SNUG
cling Of different kinds is carried on By
residents 81 Olympia, Vi whom / am one.
and the particular. one referred to. II Is
stated that certain Chinese bosses. quar-
Tesing for the supremacy. caused the dis
closures ;ha. led TO the capture Ii also
seems 70 designate the Chinese element
here 20 be controlled By factions. one the
Hong 1ek faction, the other the Long
Tim faction. Perhaps that = true; / co
not know. / do know that Of the Chinese
IN this city there are . reputable and
dtsreputabie class. the same ss
there exist among other nationaii-
ties, and l know that / am sought
10 be made the object OF particular
interest TOR the disrepulabie members OF
this vicinity and the officials, or rather
the very much desired ION their partlto be
United States officials. for the reason that
have acquired some property qualifsea-
tions. For their benefit and for the bene-
nj OF the readers Of your paper / viii state
that I have acquired some property. and
every dollar OF il honestly. | came 10
Olympia twenty years ago, Chinese lad
Is years Of age have worked for large
number of the residents of Olympia and
citizens of the state OF Washington as
domestic, earned my money and saved il,
entered into business, laundry business
first, then mercantile. when able 10 do SO:
my trade, of course. in the mercantile line
was necessarily with my own country
men. This, in connection with the fact
that l am worth some money. as my
bank deposit will show, caused me to be
pointed out as boss Chinee." am no
boss Chinee." No man is holden TO me
for dollar on any contract against the laws
OF the United States or ang of the states.
am not. nor have been, a smuggier in any
sense of the word, nor can the person who
indited the article / have referred TO by
any manner of proof. through your
columns or otherwise, show that / have
been so connected. | represent no faction
in this or any other country. / represent
only myself and the house of which am
a member, and the honest, energetic. up
right, hardworking Cinnamon, as class,
in this vicinity. As TO the latter / do not
do so as boss, nor Is there one of that or
any other class holden to me by contract.
but | do rs a pioneer leader among my
people in Olympia and ITS vicinity, SO
that am one OF the leaders of the China
men who are worthy to be American citi-
zens. | mean men who earn their own
living; men who are holden To the govern
ment of China for nothing; men whose
lives will be spent on and whose bones
will decay in American soil, If the govern
ment allows IT,
For the benefit of the readers OF your
estimable paper, / win state that there are
two classes of Chinese IN America, the
same as there are two classes of Germans,
Russians, Italians, etc. One of these
classes is supported by its own efforts and
produces more than it consumes. The
other lives on the same product without
assisting to produce. You will lind that
class either living upon the Likelihood of re-
spectability or seeking TO drag all others
down to their level. Among some of the
nations they are designated as socialists,
anarchists and nihiiists. Coming to our
country, and when / say our country
mean America, for / believe / am an
American, they very seldom change their
names or occupation. The class referred
TO. when they are Chinese, are called high
binders. They do nothing to support
themselves except through necessity, but
live on the work of others. Our city is
not large enough, nor is the settlement of
Cinnamon numerous enough to allow a
definitely formed sect of highbnders:
still We have the necessary representatives
to form such an association. and believe
such an associations sis attempted to be
formed. One of the first acts of such an
association is, like the acts of similar asso-
Citations In other countries, to prejudice
the working people against the men who
have made n success in life
/ represent only myself and the house
of Hong Yek & Co., the firms business
consisting in doing a legitimate wholesale
and retail mercantile business, devoted as
much as possible. in fact, intended, to
solicit Chinese trade. / also have a large
laundry business. in which l employ
Chinese labor. as the business indicates
should. Is that unlawful Other nation
| aiities can do similar thing with their
countrymen. but /, because l am q China
man. cannot. No American will say so.
only people who find that in the actual
meet Chinese labor and intellect / do not
desire nor do ] intend to go into any
international questions. | simply wish
TO explain to my friends who read your
paper. and remove so far as possible any
calumny that may be intended to be
thrown upon me by the article referred
to, and keeping my place or places of
business open for inspection. by all legiti-
mate officers of the United States, for any
purpose connected with the government, at
any time OF night or day. Hone YEK,
Senior member of the Hong Yek Co.
Accompanying this letter is certificate
testifying TO Hong TeK's character as
peaceable and law-abiding resident of
/ Olympia and an energetic and enterpris-
ing merchant; also to the good repute of
the Hong Yek Company. The certificate
is signed by ex-Gov. Elisha L. Ferry. who
has known Hong Yek seventeen years:
Hon. John F. Convey, eleven years; Hon.
J. c. Horr, seventeen years. and V. A.
Milroy.
The Tacoma Printing swindle.
The Tacoman.
Ninety cents for the first insertion and
80 cents for each subsequent insertion are