The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-09-03
CELEBRATION OF
CHEZ KUNG TONG
LOCAL CHINAMEN DO HONOR TO
MEMORY OF HUNG
TSU.

1t has developed that Sunday nights
celebration by the local Chinese was in
honor of the birthday of Hung Tsu, an
illustrious general, patriot ard tutel-
ary deity of the strongest Chinese So
ciety in the world.
Hung Tsu has been dead for about
two centuries but members of the To-
cal lodge of Chez Kung.Tong observed
the day in a manner befittingly COM
memorating the life Of the man who
started the reform movement in Chi
ma over 200 years ago.
There are many Chinese secret So
cieties, but the Chez Kung Tong is by
and of influence, both in this country
and in China. Tie OBJECTS of the socie-
ty or tong are best translated by the
term Free Masonry, and it is by the
name of Chinese Free MasOns that the
tong is generally known. 1t is esti-
mated that about nine out of every 10
Cinnamon in this country are men,
bers of this powerful organization, and
in China the percentage of members
in the district south of the great wall
is about seven out of 10.
Although Low primarily beneficiary
organization, it was started by Hung
Tsu as a political party, composed OF
the most enlightened Cinnamon who
were opposed to the invasion OF the
empire by the hordes of Mongolians
and Tartars who swept over it, and
who founded the present dynasty,
known as the Manchu dynasty. In
China it still keeps up much OF Its
political character, and even now, un-
der the leadership of Sun Yo Sin, one
of the most enlightened and progress
siye of the sons of the new China, is
engaged in a civil war; the object OF
which is eventually to unseat the
reigning emperor and the real power
of the throne, the emperor dowager
Big Day for Its Members.
The consideration of Hung Tsu's
birthday is one of the annual events
in the calendar of the Chinese Free
Masons. and comes on the 25th day or
the seventh month of the Chinese year,
approximately corresponding to Sep
tember l. On this occasion the men,
bers of the tong, who like all China
men. dearly love a feast and celebra-
ton, gather together and have a big
dinner in the daytime and at night OF
fer a sacrifice to the memory of their
joss, Hung Tsu. accompanied pv
much burning of incense and an elab-
crate ritual.
Local Cinnamon are greatly interest
ed in the meagre news of the uprising
that is going on in the San Ton prov
ince. The head of the Chez kung
Tong, Sun vi Sin, is direct descend
ant of the great Confucius, and when
tho revs came that he had turned re-
former and was in favor of having the
schools founded by his illustrious an
cestor thrown open to the teaching OF
learning of all sorts without res'rlc-
tion the members of other tongs, who
stand for the time-hOnored customs or
the empire, stood aghast. rms man.
who has one of the finest educatlohs
of any of the more progressive emma
men who speak several languages
who was educated in England and VINO
was admitted to the British par Is
looked upon as formidable candidate
for the position of head of the new
Chinese kingdom. With his powerful
hacking wher. the time is fully ripe IL
is thought that he can carry every
+b.no before him when the Manchu
dynasty is finally oyerthrown
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