The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-30

trivial questions, yet the excitement was ex-
treme. You cannot imagine how closely the
whole affair resembled one OF our South
ern elections. The tickets distributed about
were in form, color and shape, like those we
use in Indiana. They were handed about by
the "b'hoys," as with US. Although there
are no wagons, horses, etc, in Monroyia,
steep and rough stony streets preventing,
the whips" brought up to the polls the in
different and spawned and laborers ''allee
samee Melican man." In the evening
there were the usual serenades, speeches and
drinks. "De returns from de interiah am
not yet heah, sab, but We hab 'shurances dat
our men am subsessful, sab; de honest votah
OBJ dis land knows who his friends am"
Drums and cheers we heard until morning.
La asking, day or SO after the
cation on shore President-elect johnson said
with a smile: "Oh, nothing. The boys were
merely celebrating" and every American
hoy" knows what that means.
1t is remarkable how wild every Liberian,
is on the subject of politics. They talk poll
tics before at and during meals, during busi-
ness hours, at church-in fact, almost all the
tin, The youths on the streets will stop
the.- hes nd have political 'scussion."
The ave- ge oy can recite the rights anG
wrongs OF ais country, her trials and sue
cesses, her present condition, and the reasons
why "his candidates. should be elected,
fancy have had many good laugh at such
performances. And, by the way, this matter
of politics is one of the drawbacks to Liberian
progress and prosperity.
1t strikes me that the present system
of education in this country is a
higher" education, and too little Clover"
education for the youth. l mean by this that
the system tends to fit all boys for a cah'Fet
position, and not for a laborer's cond on.
When the boy leaves school or the college,
he stoutly declares he is educated for pro-
fession. He has disciplined brain to work
with; he is not going to use his hands, Re
suit Liberia is to-day suffering, if not dy-
ing, for the want of two things, viz: Capital
and workmen. She will get the first just as
soon as she amends her constitution and ad-
mits the white man as a citizen and prop
erty-hoder-and no sooner. She will get the
second Just as soon as she changes her sys-
tenn of education and youthful training-and
no sooner. The few capitalists here. when
asked the great need of the land, invariably
answer Labor" The workman says the want
is Capital" Both are right to a certain degree.
but it is an indisputable fact that the lazi-
ness, the Indifference and haughtiness of the
poorer classes are keeping Liberia i'll the
mire. am told that there are in the country
many fertile coffee and palm plantations
that grow great quantities annually, but it
is almost impossible to secure laborers
enough 10 properly WOrk IneIn ana DrlnS Une
yieldinto the towns and cities. Not that there
are no laborers, but that they will not work.
How the idlers live is to me mystery. On
landing at the wharf at any hour of the day
one can see crowds of them standing around
listiessly or discussing politics. Now it stands
to reason that this state OF affairs cannot
long exist No government can endure such
vagrants. l think | am safe in asserting that
one-half or two-thirds of the population of
Monrovia-say !, 1,250-belong to the lazy,
idle class.
MoNRovIA, THE CAPITAL
is one of the most miserable and dilapidated
towns imaginable. In my travels l do not
remember to have seen more ruin and neg
lect. The Streets" as they are called are
rugged, grass-grown and impossible except
for the rootman. One never sees beast of
burden-except man or woman-and these
usually belong to one of the aboriginal tribes.
1 feel safe in saying that there are as many
fallen and falling houses and buildings as
there are strong and well-preserved ones. 1
remember that the first thing that struck me
after getting away from the wharf was this
fallen-dowp state of affairs. l asked the rea-
son. 1t seems that many of the buildings be-
longed to people who came here, remained
while and left for their old homes in Amer
ica Many houses, again were never COM
pleted. Some were completed, and because
of many of the timbers used having been
grown in this country, the dreaded
WOODWORK came and played sad havoc with
them. There is only one kind of wood these
worms will not attack, and that is a certain
kind of North Carolina pine, which is now
being brought over in schoopers to Mon
rovia. The presidential mansion" has much
nF ma naVa Min a1kl l.,
quite an old house, it stands as erect
and solid as the great light
house at Genoa The houses are
usually two-storied, and now and then built
of brick. Some of them resemble, in exter-
ior appearance those of a well-to-do mer-
chant in village at home Large porches,
with heavy pillars, ornament the fronts. The
first story is given up to the parlor, the eat
ing-room and'servants' quarters. The second
story is for the owner and the family No
carpets, but now and then a straw or grass
mat is seen. Window curtains merely
from entering house. hence they are sin
the way" But the floors, stairways, win
dows doors and all woodwork are kept
bright and clean as good domestics kitchen
table On the mantlepiece or table, or in
case of the room in which you are received
as visitor may be seen good books, papers,
and frequently American and English
periodicals.
The reception one meets with at a house
here is much like that he would receive at
the residence of the average negro at home.
1t is awkward and shy. but hearty. Some
times wine, beer or tea, with cake or bread,
is offered the visitor.
The population of this city is variously es-
timated at from 1000 to 5000 people. This
includes, believe, only the Liberians. In
addition to these there are a number of Kroo-
men, Veys and Golahs composing the aborig-
ines. OF these tribes fancy the Kroomen
They are hardy, muscular and generally
energetic tribe. Most of them are seafarng
men. In appearance they resemble the
American negro, those positive signs-nose
and hair-being perfectly similar. Asa rule