The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-08-27
A TERRIBLE SECRET SOCIETY
The Chinese vegetarians Who Muir
dered the Missionaries.
Almost Mysterious Secret Order. They
Are Bent on PilIage and Murder.
Dislknd and Feared 10y Govern
ment and People. Some
Account of Thorn

The Vegetarian society of tho Chi
hese empire is mt tho present day the
most talked about but the least under
stood secret society in the world The
horrible massacre of Europeans by its
SrenSied members the other day is now
n matter of history. But of tho society
itself, its aims and tcnets, its history
and membership, little has been known.
The blow already struck, unroasona-
bic and unaccountable, may be repeat
cd. If it be true that tho enormous
membership of this organized band of
assassius approves of tho Ku- Chang hor.
TOR then other terrible murders may DO
locked for
The Vegetarians are Buddhists of the
strictest sort. They carry out this doc
trine so far in their daily life that not
only no meat, bat no Tx or butter, cv-
er passes their lips. Taken altogether.
they form ono great secret society, re-
gsrdins the membership Of which prac-
tically nothing is known
Politics undoubtedly co1orG VcGctari-
nnism TO its utmost coro. Whether or
not the man who passes you on the
streets Of a Chinese city is Vegetarian
is something that cannot be told He
certainly does not say.
Also there is grade after grade Of
Vegetarnnisln. Some Of tho devotces Of
this doctrine absolutely abstain from all
kinds of animal food permanently
These really are the true Vegctarians.
but quite rs we'll to be included with
them, should any sort of political ont
break come, are the men who only alb
STAN from meat portion of tho time
One sect, for example, refuses to touch
any sort Of animal food for the first "a
days of each month, its mcmbcrs being
perfectly at liberty to cat meat the re-
manning week. Another sect leaves meat
alone rigdly OH certain days of the
week and on other days eats it. All
sorts of grades and shades make up this
great party. 1t is a party much to be
feared.
One branch of this society says "For
every four ounces of meat YOU use in
this hfe you Will have to pay back eight
ounces i'll tho next" Another way that
they put 1t is that tho chief doctrine of
simple VeGetarianism is "a means of
rectifying tho heart, accommodating mcr-
1T, avoiding cnlamities in this life and
retributive pains in tho noxt''
or all these organizations tho govern
ment heartily disapprovcs, for it sees a
constant danger and monaco to it in
their enormous strength and power.
There are SO many of them, and they
differ so much i'll minor principles that
every grade of feeling and opinion is
provided for Money these societies
seem to get in unlimited Quantities
from semewhere-whcrc it cannot he
SAID, At all events, they have ample
funds to push their propaganda and tu
gather IN new members constantly. One
secretly may partially die out or become
weaker, but another is always on hand
to take its place and grow stronger ont
OF this very weakness.
That tho secret societies in China an,
exceedingly dangerous to tho interests
OF peace i'll the Chinese empire it is easy
to tell from the lawless deeds that arc
done by the gangs of men from the low
CT classes who make Thorn up. In the
country districts they carry off persons
1cr ransom; they plumber wherever any
- W Nv hSlNA lh'fN assume me
role OF policemen and sail in pretended
revenue cutters, stealing and carrying
on women wherever it is possible.
Ihey also have an arrangement with
me farmers of their locality by which
they get regular mdcmnities" from
them, the farmer understanding per
tectly well that il be does not gisc these
lndemnities" the society will carry
OH his crop when ii is ripe. Before he
mas chance to harvest it.
In the cities they fire hou.es Mt night
and carry off property and yeople living
In the house under tho pretext of saving
them .
Besides this they have an. unconouer-
able dislike for foreigners OF every kind.
Inc nntlforeign and the Vegetarian elc-
ment are, i'll fact. one and the same
Ihey arc constant source of danger ia
the stranger within China's gates =
New York World
She lad ".