Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-07-21
What is all This Fuss About :

In response to an inquiry from 8
subscriber, the Madison Democrat. un-
der the above heading, give the follow
ing comprehensive account of the east
ern troubles:
The immediate cause of the trouble
is financial embarrassment occasioned
| by the extravaganza of the khedive
| Ishmael. The present khedive is an
| illegitimate son of Ishmael. The ori-
gin of the trouble is somewhat remote.
and antedates IshmaePs reign by sew
eral centuries In fact, the Egyptian
question:" as Subscriber" calls it is
older than history. 1t has been os-
tensibly settled score of times since
the beautiful Cleopatra ruled and
wooed, lost lover and life, and her
kingdom fell into Roman hands, but it
refuses to stay settled.
Egypt lost her independence and be-
came province of Turkey in 15l7.
Banaparte led the French invasion
and broke the Turkish power there in
1898, and was i'll turn expelled by the
Turks and British in 1901. Since that
time Egypt has been a province Of
Turkey. The power of Turkey has
however, been suspended, or bought,
from time to time, until at the present
time the khedive is an independent
and absolute sovereign so far as Egypt
is concerned, but nominally owes al
legiance to the sultan of Turkey, on
the tenure of tribute or military aid in
case of war. These different suspen-
sions of Turkish power has led Indirect
iy to the present trouble. The last
suspension was by a frman Of the
sultan, issued June S, 1873, when
Ishmael, father of the present ruler,
was khediye, which made the khedive
practically an absolute sovereign. 1t
gave Ishmael the power ''to contract,
without any sanction from the porte,
foreign loans in the mans of the Egypt
ian government" and the khedive was
to make all laws and regulations which
he might at any time deem necessary.
Thereupon he went deeply into debt,
England and France being the princi-
pal creditors, and his extravaganza is
the immediate cause of the present
trouble.
He was a man of excellent education,
and having obtained his education in
Europe, attempted to Europeanize
Egypt. He was man of vast ability,
but deficient in practical judgment, and
went further IN this direction than all
his predecessors together. He built
railroads, bridges, roads. palaces, public
works of all kinds. He made immense
Improvements in and around Cairo,
Alexandria, and other places. His
lighthouses on the Mediterranean and
Red Seas are as serviceable as they are
astonishing. He constructed railways
and canals, built Partisan bouleyards
in Cairo, and squandered vast sums
upon his palaces, his harem, his gar
dens and opera houses. His palaces,
built by European architects added
to the burdens of the people. He made
Cairo and Alexandria semi-European
cities, and to induce foreigners to
build there, he gave Europeans land to
build upon. The population of Egypt
proper Is about 100000, and four
tifths of the people are fellaheen, who
are peasants of the lowest class,
scarcely a remove above slavery-igne-
rant, superstidous, fanatical, degraded.
Under the system of forced labor which
is one of the ancient institutions of
Egypt, when the khedive wants
railroad built, or canal dug, or work
done on his lands, he sends out an or
der for the requisite number Of men
to do it; and they work slave-like from
morning till night, without pay and
without food. They are obliged to be
fed by their wives and children and
parents or starve. 1t is by this con-
scripted labor that all the improvements
of modern Egypt We're made. Every
European idea that has seized upon
kbedlve has taken so much unrequit-
ed toll out of the muscles and bones of
these unclothed and only half-fed fella-
heen. Some of them have land; but
one-ifth Of all the land of Egypt proper
belongs to khediye, and the tax upon
the rest of the land amounts to about
S12 an acre, with an additional tax on
every fruit-bearing tree. The govern
ment, not content with taking a por-
ton, stops all. When the tax-gatherer
enters village he is received with
horror. If an unfortunate holder of
anything happens to be unable to pay
the tax, he is beaten until he dies, un-
less his neighbors club together and
make up the deficiency. And the
biggest part of the tax goes to pay the
interest on the national debt of over
$4Q0 100000, contracted very largely
for European improvements and lux
uries for the rulers.
Ishmael soon become unable TO pay
even the interest on his colossal debt
Creditors became clamorous and ruin
81 hS,1, g. al.
he readily entered into an agreement
with France and England, whose citi-
zens were the owners of the debt. An
arrangement was made for refunding
it, and in order to secure the bond
holders, two comptrollers of finance,
one selected by France ano one by Eng
land, were appointed TO regulate the
levy of taxes and see that the revenue
was properly applied. In other words,
Egypt being in debt, and having no
means of keeping herself, was run by
foreign office holders. representing the
creditors. The administration OF the
government passed under control of
foreigners. Europeans were quar-
tered in the most of the public offices
at large salaries, and their chief object
noo ~ sec l6AC5 10 pay
the interest to the bondholders and
their own salaries were levied and col
lected. 1t is not strange that under
these circumstances the people grew
restiye. The natural feeling of hostil-
ity to the foreigners was intensified by
the Moslem hatred of the infeel.
On account of these financial
troubles, Ishmael abdicated on the 29th
of June, 1879, and was succeeded by
his son Tewfk, the present khediye.
Tewfik was not the heir apparent If
his father, but is an illegitimate son by
slave. He became khediye en-
tirely through English and
French connivance, because they
thought him but half-witted
and easily managed. As might have
been expected, the financial condition
of Egypt has not improved under Tew-
fix, snd the country is still overrun by
foreign ofice-holders, who take charge
Of the public pocket-book. The popu-
lar revolt against this state of affairs Is
led by Arabi Pashs, the Egyptian min
ister OF war, who has suddenly sprung
into prominence, and seems to be
much stronger man than the khediye.
A little more than year ago, Arab
was only q colonel in the Egyptian
army. but he has been so aggressive.