The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
washington. Aug. S1.-That the present
row between two factions of pigtailed
1sundrymen in Washington should be
Connected in any way with contemporary
POLITICAL troubles in China seems almost
beyond imagining. Yet such is the fact.
The recent massacre of Christian mis-
-ionaries in the east was accomplished
through the machinery of a secret society
which has branches in all the large cities
Of the United States. The branch at
the national capital has had wholesale
blackmailing enterprise on foot lately.
hence toe disturbance between the Moys
and the Lees.
The social arrangement of the Chinese
is primarily an organization of clans. Peo-
ne belonging to the same family hang to-
gether. In Washington the dominant clan
j. that of the AIoys, who run the local
branch of the secret society aforesaid.
Now, after the laundry business the
chief industry of these Orientals is gam
Bling. which furnishes a subsistence for
all those who do no work. The society
l.vies a weekly assessment on every gam
ing table. Recently the Lees refused to
yay the tax any longer. and war followed.
Every now and then one reads in the
newspapers of disturbances among the
Chinese in one city or another of the
United States. These troubles always arise
f,yin the same cause. Wherever there is
branch of the secret society it levies
legular tax of so many dollars a week on
each gaming table in the heather colony.
once in a while the gamblers make up
their minds to resist the imposition, and
then the society resorts to blackmail.
Spurious charges of murder and perjury
are brought, and the machinery of our
courts is invoked to help the scheme.
Alleged Christian converts and Sunday
school scholars among the Chinese are US
ullly members of secret society. They
care nothing for our religion, but merely
profess to do so for the sake of a certain
material advantage gained. Among these
are opportunities of learning English,
which to them is a valuable acquisition.
and of flirting with the young ladies who
teach them the catechism. Their adiliation
with the church actually is made to serve
the purposes Of the society on occasions
when as happened in Philadelphia a few
years ago, a crusade was directed against
the wicked Acknowledged gamesters.
This crusade was part of the black
mailing scheme in which the good" Chi
namen of the society were engaged. The
gamblers had refused to pay their assess
ments; so the Sunday school pupils in pig
tails induced the churches to make war
upon the recalcitrant votaries of the god
dess Fortune.
The pulpits Numbered against the dens
of Oriental iniquity in the midst of the
virtous Quaker City, and the powers of the
law were invoked to secure
their suppression. The true inwardness of
the plot was exposed, however, and it fail
ed. 1t was not considered desirable to pro-
mote the interests of blackmail, even
against gamblers.
While in this country the attention of
the society is directed to nothing more inn
portant than Matchmaking, in China its
purposes are chiefly political. Its main
object is the overthrow of the present Tar
tar dynasty and the restoration of the
Ming family, which formerly occupied the
throne. To it's Vaccinations are due the
disturbances which are now agitating the
empire. 1t is the greatest conspiracy in
the world.
A section of the penal statutes of the
Middle Kingdom makes membership in it
punishable with death. Nevertheless, the
number of its members runs up into the
millions. Whereas the great majority of
them are of the most ignorant and de-
Graded classes, initiates of the order are
to be found high in the councils of the
state.
Members have a secret language of their
own, and the system of signs is so
elaborate that every action as in eating,
drinking or smoking, may indicate their
utilization with the society. 1t is said that
the famous Ratchet societies or "highbind-
ers' are branches of the same great or
ganization.
The word "highbinder" by the way, is
Of American origin; in Philadelphia 80
years ago it was a familiar synonym of
rutiian. The society is called the Heaven
~ loo ono ic In bo
Il Hing or patriotic Rising The no.
ton that it has any connection, however,
remotely, with the Masonic order is
mistake. At the same time many Masons
believe that there are Masonic lodges in
China
This society has been a cause of con-
slant and curious apprehension to the
Government of China Twice during the
present century its Vaccinations have
eliminated in open rebelhons which have
only been subdued after protracted wars,
with much desolation and bloodshed. It's
membership is constantly increasing, and
embraces all classes. from officers hold
mg the highest positions down to the
poorest peasants. 1t includes nearly two
lAlrds of all the Chinese in the United
States
In San Francisco sub-branches of the or
aer are said TO have for an object
lAe protection of gambling houses and
- CoiS anu surveillance OF those en-
isrants from the Middle Kingdom. They
are popularity regarded as bands of out
laws ready and willing to commit any
crime which the policy of their leaders
may dictate. In st. Louis and Chicago
many offenses against law are attributed
~ me lmissaries of the dreaded Il Hing"
me Chinese in America come exclu-
ssFely from the province of Kwantung;
Hehee the extensive family relations
among them. Wherever there is a col
yhy OF them in the United States they
nave meeting hall of the society Here
Slie chief or head man sits behind a ia
we with a secretary, who records his
uecrees. These formalities are said to.
simulate those of petty Chinese court of
Une OF the earlier dynasties. Before this
IlDuhal aggrieved members lay their
Didlms for redress.
ne constant quarrels arising over the
SaIhohng tables, the family feuds carried
So"h Tor generations at home are here
.e'lVed, not always for peaceful settle
-"eHt' 1t is to be feared, but for revenge,
so-heumes even to the death. Those who
tHcar the displeasure of the order are Of
IN made to feel it's power and some
"!Ies' It is said, they are found murdered.
a, ne initiation of new members is con-