The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-07

tation from 'tThe Middle Kingdom" by
the late DR.. Samuel Williams, professor of
the Chinese language at Yale College and
at one time secretary of the American le-
cation at Picking:
The spirit of resistance was in some parts
crushed, and in others exasperated by an order
for all Chinese to adopt, as a sign of submis-
sion. the Tartar mode of shaving the front of
the head and braiding the hair in q long queue
Those who gave this order, as Davis remarks,
must have felt themselves very strong before
venturing so far upon the spirit of the con-
quered, and imposing an outward universal
badge of surrender upon all classes of people.
"Many are the changes which may be made in
despotic countries, without the notice or even
the knowledge of the larger portion OF the COM
munity; but an entire alteration IN the ma
tonal costume affects every individual equally.
from the highest to the lowest, and is, per-
haps, of all Others the most open and degrad-
ing mark of conquest" This order was resisted
by many, who chose to lose their heads rather
than part with their hair, but the mandate was
slowly enforced, and has now, for about two
centuries, been one of the distinguishing marks
of Chinese, though to this day the natives
of Fuhkein, near the seaboard, wear kerchief
around the head to conceal it.
Continuing. Mr.. Masters said:
The queue is really a mark of degradation,
but the Chinese have become somewhat accus-
toned to it. The members OF the Chez Kung
Tong, the rebel society, which has degenerated
into highbin0er organization, always unpleat
their queues and leave them hanging long to
show they do not uphold the Tartar dynasty.
That is, they wear tn cir hair in queue on the
street, but unplait it in their meetings. l don't
blame Chinaman who was born in China for
wearing queue, as he cannot be naturalized
in this country. He virtually says he will not
cut off his queue and renounce his allegiance
to the only country which recognizes him as q
man and brother. respect those Chinese who
retain their queues; that is, those who were
not born here
l believe that some of the American born
Chinese will become good citizens and will
vote conscientiou'ly and intelligently, but |
fear that those who wear their queues and are
led by others will cause trouble. 1 like to see
those entitled to vote go to the polls as well as
any other race, but no one has any more right
to go to the polls wearing queue, his badge of
allegiance to the Chinese Government, than
have to go to the pools waving an English flag
and shouting for Queen Victoria.
Ng Gun and Leon Chung were seen at
the headquarters of their club YESTERDAY.
Ng Gun said:
Our club now comprises fifty members and
we expect to run the list up to 500 soon. We
have not organized yet and have no officers
We desire to wait until all the members are in
and then we will choose the officers. We will
soon ask the Chinese Consul to issue procla-
nation that the club is good one to join and
then we will have no trouble in getting in re-
cruits Why don't the health officers enforce
the law that all births must be registered? If
this law had been enforced we would have no
difficulty in finding out where all the native
sons are living.
When Ng Gun and Leong Chung were
asked what they would do in the case the
question was brought up regarding their
queues they were thunderstruck and could
hardly make reply. Leong Chung said !:
Well, you see our. parents make us wear
queues and we don't like to offend them.
l don't think even the native sons would
agree to cut off their queues. we
are banded together to vote solidly as we think
best for our interests, but think most OF the
men would refuse to vote if they were com
PEELED to cut off their queues. But We have all
voted so tar and no question has been raised in
regard to us. Don't you think they would Let
US vote again?
The statement which brought forth this