The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-09-06


dred. Within few months there was
one conversion from Mohammedanism in
Bcyrout, but the convert had to fee to
Egypt to save his life, and body of fanat-
les in Beyrout have sworn to kill the first
Moslem who becomes Christian.
Protestants, as yet, have made no inn
preston directly on the Mohammedan peo-
pie, and one great reason is, that the Gov
ernment cannot, or will not, give protec-
ton to those who abjure the faith Of the
false prophet.
9th. Slavery exists universally in Tur-
key. She boasts that this enormity is
abolished, but in fact it exists as extern
sively as ever. Slaves are bought and sold
in almost every large town in the Empire,
Every palace and house are filled with
them, from the Sultans down. If a slave
claims protection Of the law and demands
his freedom, he is Immediately arrested on
some frivolous pretext, such as stealing
from his master, and kept in prison by
false evidence or bribery until he is willing
to go back to servitude. The judge and
all the officers OF the law are shareholders
and there is no hope for the poor slave
before the courts. Our missionaries have
tried again and again to secure the free
dom guaranteed by existing laws to the
slaves who have appealed to them for pro-
lection But they have always been foiled
in their attempts.
9th. The taxes and the method of col
lecting them are a terrible tyranny. The
Government lays a tax on the land and the
products of the land, on every tree and
then on its fruits-on all the exports of
the country as well as imports. Every
man, woman and child not Moslem is
taxed to support the army. The collection
Of these taxes is committed to the hands of
greedy and INSCRIPTIONS men, who buy
their Office, and who, by the aid of corrupt
Office holders and judges, are enabled to
exact what they choose from the people,
till it practically amounts to taking all that
they can earn.
The farmer is obliged by law to pay one
tenth of his produce to Government. This
tax is farmed out and sold to the highest
bidder. A large district, embracing a
number of towns, will be sold to one per-
son, and he again will sub-divide and sell
the taxes of each town to separate bidders,
who collect their own taxes. Now the
collector comes directly to the people, and
this is the method of collecting his
one-tenth of the crop. | got my facts
from most reliable banker at Jerusalem
When the crop is gathered on the field
the farmer divides it into ten parts, and
requests the collector, who may live twenty
miles away, to come and take his tenth.
The collector delays, perhaps one, two, or
three weeks, or more, while the grain is
lying subject to injury, and watched by the
owner. When the collector deigns to come
he processes astonishment at the smallness
Of the crop, and accusing the farmer of
purloining part, threatens to bring him
before a judge. The farmer knows what
to expect ut the hands Of bribed Judge,
and he, disheartened and frightened, begs
the collector to give him some portion OF
the crop and let him CO. The collector
may allow him to take quarter or third,
and he takes the rest
| The farmer must then thrash the grain
of the collector and deliver it at a port
where he may direct. This practice Of
collecting taxes, varied slightly in its mode
of extortion, is almost universal, and re-
suits in the tax.gatherer eating up the pco,
pie as they eat bread. The same gentle.
man told Of another method Of extorting
money which came under his own notice
A Sheik, a neighbor of his, living not
far from Jerusalem, was supposed to be
wealthy. The Governor of the district
being short Of funds, procured some one
to accuse the Shiek OF using threatening
language, and Immediately guard of sol.
diers were sent into his house and quarter.
ed there, to abuse his wife and children,
destroy his furniture, and eat up his bread
1t is suggested to the Shiek that a present
to the Governor will relieve him of the
soldiers. The present is sent and the sol.
diers are recalled. In few weeks the
Sheik is arrested on the same charge and
thrown into prison. A present procures
his release In few weeks he is arrested
again on the same charge, and another
present Is sent, and so on, TILL he was ar
rested four times in few weeks, and un-
til he was bled to death. These are only
specimens OF the manner in which the laws
and justice are administered in this EN-
pire.
They are not Isolated cases. They are
the rule, and the same story is told me in
all parts OF Palestine and Syria, and by
the best men.
Ihere Is no encouragement to labor.
The best lands in the country lie unculti-
waited. The great plains of Esdr@lon and
OF Celo Syria, lying between Lebanon and
Ante-Lebanon, are as rich as our prairie
lands, and would support millions of peo-
pie But they lie waste. No one cares
to raise crop to be seized by the tax.
gatherer or wasted by the Bedouins. All
other Industries are paralyzed, as their re-
wards are seized by the greedy hand Of
the ofhce-holders. Such thing as man
ufactory, public road, vehicle for travel