Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-05
Letter From Turkey.

effects of the war While it lasted the peo-
pie were not so pressed for taxes rs at other
times. The Turkish government took every
form of military provision from the villages,
giving receipts for it, promising at some iu-
ture time to redeem these rcceiptswith cash.
Now that arrcarages of taxes for the whole
period Of the war are being collected the
people bring forward these receipts and ask
to have at least portion of them reckoned
in the place of taxes. But not para of the
receipts has yet been allowed. Zabtiehs
(policemen) are scattered through the vii
lages who imprison and beat the poor peas
ants most mercilessly till their demands are
met. Even in the Bayazid district, where
the towns and villages were devastated by
war, and the people were for year or more
refugees abroad, and where famine is now
prevailing, three years taxes are still per-
sistently collected.
If one protests to a local governor against
such oppressive collection Of taxes, he will
reply that the money is demanded at Con
stantinoplc and he has no alternative. This
is doubtless fair plea, for the Porte is in
desperate state for money. And yet the real
difficulty is that the government treasury
never receives more than half, probably not
more than one-third, of what is collected from
the people. The government officers are all
vampires that steal from the government on
the one hand and extort from the people on
the other The rule, from the prime minis
ter down to the lowest official, is dishonesty,
and if by chance an honest man should be
found in the list, it is impossible that he
should hold his own among such lot oi
thieves The reason is that the one element
of success is for each man to steal freely, and
literally to divide his spoils with all those
who can in any way help or harm him. As
an honest man cannot meet these conditions
he is almost sure to be thrown out OF Office.
But what of the reform which was TO
be ensured by the English ''Protectorate:
When the convention was formed between
England and Turkey, on June 4, 1873, there
was much fine talk, by those who knew very
little of Turkey, shout the reforms that were
sure TO follow hut TO those who knew Tur-
key well there never seemed much TO be
hoped from this convention. The fatal
weakness of the convention was that the
work of reform was to be left TO the Turks.
This defect Ipointcd cut in writing the FEEE
Prrss Aug. 10, 1878, in the following Ian
glagc:
.Asi s,id thc absolute sovereignty OF
,h. S,,l,or "a NO, in ,b, Ic,st ;o he disturbed,
IN ooso of ,l;Soc,ccmart C,etwccn the Eng.
rs, n1 ,,o Su,,.r, how or,. vyc 10 he sur,
,bc will of fine Suhan will he in TIE line Of
rcrorr, Twice within three years, tn,
c,,,,.., ,,;,,so,f bos hoe, found ,o need re-
| s,,ros;nc, ,hc E,cl,sr, shopld finf
,h.. tho rroeo,t SpI,o, needed reforming
u.;,bor, which M Other reform could b,
.:a, A., .,,, would ,hor do9 They or,
r,.1,,a1 - roo;r,oi, bs sovorcicntv ever
-, -, ,,,o,- o,,, or al, nossihiI
. ;,r IS ra,o-r, How and whore reform il
oo,,;nr !, rrdor srch conditions ;s 81 curiou
,,,,,,,o,,, 70 No ,yho fo- ,nopx veors have bee,
III. ;,,o1 ,,.;,,, ,,,o ,,,tar ro,to,,ess n
,ho ,r,,Io fohr;o ., tho Turkish Government
from, ,bo su,,or down tn the lowest official.
pror,s bare fn,,v ips.ifed these words
posor,,, = ,,,;,o ;,rnoeei,,le 81 ,on,r as il il
,os, ~ ,ho hand, of tho Turks The Eng
! rsb MIGHT perb,ns have driven them to d,
,oo,h;n e ,h.,. had ro, lorrclv DESTROYED
,ho;r ;,e,1o,oo viii, tho Turks bv their wan
of diplomatic -ai.u Az tho convention %
, June 4th was entered into without consultin!
r other powers, naturally everyone concluded
England was consulting her own interest
alone. and as by the convention she saine'
the island of Cyprus, Turkey suspects she i
only eager TO gain control of Asia Minor also
This suspicion of the Turks is faithfully en
, couraged by other powers, who are jcalou
of English influence in Turkey, and especial
= w by Russia, against which. the convenlio
! is specially designed to operate The Turks
4 therefore, refuse 10 listen to The English q
r far as possible, because they urge reform an
r have multiplied consuls who are constant
u reporting abuses, and Trying to correct them
/ The Turks are more aversc than ever to IT
: form. If an English consul asks favor {
r the Turkish government, some way is sui
4 TO be found not TO grant H. For many yea
ii has been customary Tor the governor
this city, at the request oi the Ehsiisheoiisu
4 to grant papers oil protection 10 iro"S''
h teachers and preachers Wherever thefc '"
Y danger OF their beng moies'eu. LACEY II
| haTp II
Al testant teacher, and 1t las not oeen sFaf"'
n The case las consequently gone up TO -
stantinoplc. few years ago Il native
4 Erzingan was thrown INTO PRISON. Ills ca
j. was brought before the Ensiish consul her
l. who secured his immediate release. NO
Is the same man Is IN PRISON AGAIN anu no'hii
al that the consul mas thaS ii.r peeh apic W
nr has secured his release 1t was hoped III
e the English 'Protectorate' was gong 10
great things for Protestant missionary wor
but thus far,it will be readily seen, the 1T
tectorate" has been more hinGrance th;'ii
ID help. In spite OF tho 'Protectorate 1T
testant missions are more prosperous TN
ever, because the people are coming better
- know the MISSIONARIES IN the'r true eh'ra''
n of public bcnefactors
of The Turks have never absolutely refused
ws reform. Oh, no: they are the most anxio
N of any forn, And they know how TO nal
-' n great buster over the business; of not
,ls forming. They have sent commissio
ay hither and thithcr who have made gre
he stir of examining into abuses, but who la
:'o been uniformly opposed by the local gove'
~ ments so that however faithfully the comm
,e- sioners NAV desire to reform they are able
lis do nothing But there is no evidence Il
the commissioners are any better than a
:, other Turkish officials, so the whole ope
tiou is the setting of one thief to watch a