The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-11-13
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WHY ROUMELIA REBEhi's.b'

Americans seem little uisPp'e
axnrnd their sympathy on the houin
lians. Yet the present movemon.
,hn natural result of the
,trocitics" which excited so hluol'
feeling before the ~Russo-Iurkisn war,
IEarn 10 not, in this case. a tale u
slaughtcred babes and av'shed
wnn5nn But the peasants who have
been ncelaiming Prince Alexander are
~ neasnnts who saw Their villages
burned by the Bashi-Bazouks' ana the
citizcns who have been shouting tor
union with Bulgaria are tho cllizens
who we're brought before Achmet Aga's
innnisition and tortured till they con-
fnssed themselves guilty of imaginary
treason. When the war was osei.
writes a correspondent 20 re ne~
YORK. Times, the vicinity OF
oils, which suffered most from the
terocity of the Turks, was iett unaer
the control of the nation, w'ic" h," rs
duced it to desolation; anu though me
distance was less than a hundred miles
from the capital of Roumella TO the
capital of Bulgaria, yet the lnhabl-
tants of the former were, by the treaty
of Berlin, handed over to the rapaclty
of Turkish governors and Turkish lax
oaiherers. While the people OF the lat
ter were suffered 10 taste the pleas
ures of independence under inc lead
ership of Il dashing young German
prince. The bl ight OF rebellion lay
upon Philippopolis. The turks re-
stored to their domain, determined to
make It's citizens pay the penalty OF
INSTRUMENTATION. A governor of OK
ceptional severity was sent to take
charge of the province, much as the
duke of Alva was sent to take charge
OF the Netherlands. The reign OF OPP
preston was restored. A cry OF pro-
test rose from the entire district Un-
fortunately none of the powers cared
to listen to the cry. 6
been almost brought to u ~standstill.
Before the war the Roumelians had q
considerable foreign trade. They X
ported, chiefly to France and Ger
many, such produce As wool, anise
seed, cocoons. lamb and kid skins, OK
and buffalo hides, horns. bones. and
RAGS. Their wooden cloths and
wooden braid, their wines and
raki, were known all over Turkey.
Their tanned sh%cepskins and goatskins
are in general use among the Austri-
ans and Hungarlans. Their otto OF
roses has made its way oven to Amer
ica. In return they imported cutlery
from Germany, cottons from England,
sugar and drugs from France. and
petroleum and coffee from America.
Turkey supplied these abundantly.
They brought iron from Samakov,
olive oil from Crete, dried fruits from
Smyrna, ropes from Vrania. carpets
from Prot, rugs from Bosn a, and cot
ton stutls from Damascus. In spite of
its government Ph'lippopolis was
growing into commercial prosperity
before the signing of the treaty of Ber-
lin. That treaty ruined it. When the
| powers had turned their backs, when
the philanthropist and distributors of
relief funds had Withdrawn, then tho
swarm of 1.-THE farmers descended
upon the district. All the iniquities
OF the old system were revived. The
army exemption tax was restored.
Crops were reserved to The govern
mcnt, farmers were barred and prose-
cuted. Our W agents. sent to buy
tobacco in the most favored regions,
have seen the agriculturlsts scamper
from their fields, bar themselves in
their houses, conceal their bales OF
finer quality in the cellar, and only
consent to make terms after q pro-
longcd parley from the window. A
year ago, in The PaH Mall Gazette, an
account was given to the terrorism
prevailing among the Roumelian
farmers; but though it attracted at
tention IN England, no active meas
ures were taken for their relief. Is it
surprising, then, that these men should
be anxious to tree themselves from the
oppression of their task nIasters?: In
the sandjak of Philippopo!is the Chris
tians are twice as numerous as the
Musselmans. BY race, as by religion,
they have no sympathy with the Turks.
They were bitterly indignant when the
powers unceremoniously delivered
them into the hands of their hereditary
foes. In all the coffee houses of the
city, in every circle that gathered
round the ''hubblc-bubble" were ut.
tered curses of tho Osmanlis. Every
merchant who has traded with then
has heard the complaint of the Rou
melians. Prince Alexander of Bulgaris
heard 1t, too, and perhaps it is wei
that he needed it. The ..rose.watel
revolution which came to pass may
possibly have prevented a ris ng and
massacre which would have appalled,
the world. =, S..