The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-28
HONESTY In PERSIA.
A LAND WHERE THE OFFICES ARE
EARNED OUT.

The Entire Persian Government Honey
combed with Corruption-The Poor the
Only Taxpayers Condition OF tho
Lower Classes Might BE Worse.
Honesty there isn't much Of in Persia
Political services are always paid for-oitice
on delivery. Here is, for instance, the son
Of the present moursheer- ed-dowleh, boy
of Ii, not quite five feet high. His father
had done the shah a little service some time
ago, and so the young fellow got job as
governor Of Ghaserin, an important and
fertile province. He didn't rule any worse
than his predecessorS-that's true AS o
general thing the offices are all fermed out,
so much cash down and so much every year
as long as the oflico holds good, which is not
long. For the4'ight divine to misgovern
some of the mora important provinces enor-
nous sums are paid. Thus, the Zil-es.Sultan
pays his royal papa annually q matter Of
5UU0D0 tomanS, and the other prince at
Tabreez pays 10000. The governor Of
khorassan, although bossing it over a
thinly peopied and sadly-impoverished
country Exposed to continual inroads of the
Turcomans;, yet has to find the wherewithal
to replenish the Golfers of his master every
year TO the tune of 10000 tomans (53O,C0u),
and SO it goes on in proportion III all the
other Offices down to the very sculllons who
Lave to bribe their superiors to be allowed
to stay another term
Everything goes by bribery, corruption,
and stealing here, either direct or Indirect
The whole country, from the complicated
government machinery down to the smallest
/ bu 5inesS, is so honeycombeI with this thing
that doubt if thorough reform could
ever be accomplished here in this slow going,
conservative country, even If Sumo shah or
q succession OF shahs should attempt it. The
present shah is, for instance, fully aware Of
this drcary state Of things, as numbers Of
! his sayings prove, but lie has never tried 10
remedy it. Thus he gives tho fattcst Jobs
within his gilt always to his faforltss.
Every Noon louz New Years., about March
II, ho sends out number OF them, who
haze to lear the khalats tropes OF honor to
the big oiiiceholderS III the provinces. This
is sigu that they will Le allowed to hang
Oh to their Offices at least one year longer.
The messenger bearing this mystic gift trav-
els with allnost royal pomp, and large
retiuue Of servants, horses, mulos, oa:nels,
etc AL this splcndor and tho gigantic
/ bribe paid tie messenger to report to the
shah that the province is in apple-pie order,
and that all the habitants thereof are as
happy as tho day is long, has to come out
of the governor or officer, and indirectly, OF
course, out of the poor taxpayer, and when
say poor taxpayer" l mean "poor tax
payer" for here tie only taxpayers are the
. poor-tLe artisans: the peasants, the small
traIesp, oplc.
not rocR MANS PARADISE
Tie rich don't pay any taxes whatever.
That is why great many rich iolks here,
with whom tie fear OF being dcspoilcd Is
greater than their love Of display land that
is Ole Of the leading traits OF the Persian-
tie love OF display live III mud novels, 60
about on the Lack Of lame donkeys, and
Wear shabby clothes. As soon as peasant,
for instance, has had q plentiful crop
presto! the thumb screw is applied to him,
and he is made to ruy twice his usual taxes
EoGresS, there Is uouo y refractory tax
payer is Simply bastinadoel till he gives in.
1T is astonishing that there is any people
lett hers at all to raise taxes FROM But
century after century OF this msSoVern-
ment and oppression has accustomed them
to it, So that ti.ey don't know any better.
AMI think it is rs it ought to be. Nowhere
else in tie world, do be,ieve, are tue POO
pie such thorough believers i'll the Old saw:
"Whatovcr is, is right" Besides, they can't
help themselves They are intensely ignor-
ant, and have but tie flrniest and most
ausurl ideas OF other countries. They don t
know bat what Persia .'is really the poor
mans PARADISE us | oncY saw Persia called
in q book written by Dr. Willis. E;niSrato
: they can't-there Is q law against 1t, and
the government prevents II. Even the poor
! GueDi es, tortured and oppressed beyond en-
durancc, had t. emigrate to lnola on the
! sly, and those caught were punished cruelty.
! In spite OF ali this, the poor here, rs Tar
Is tho actual necessities Of life are con-
! ccrnrd, ar. really better Oil than i'll some
oJlier couatricS-a i'll tie south OF. Italy, Tor
! instance, or even the west Of Ireland. They
j have enough to cat and drink, md the
shelter they have is ample three-tourths OF
the year. The soil, wien cultivated, is usu-
ally extremely rich, the climate rot rlgor-
olis and the clothes they wear and 1ood
they cut can bo supplied for neat to MOTH
ing. Their wants are not those of civilized
beings, hut OF poor, Gown-t: o,!dcn slaves,
vino have BEN Under tho heel OF tho con-
queror for thousands OF years. Who knows
Lu5 what iJ comes in appropriately hare to
say, Where ignorance is bliss ,twere folly to
| Le WIS.,. At least, must say that 1t is
but very seldom that one meets lerslan--
no matter how Eumtle even the beGsar by
the sile-who wears the detected, dcs-
olate, miserable air one may seq SO often de-
picted OH the faces Of the toiling masses OF
Englaul, France, Germany or Italy. 1t
seems the gayety of heart, the elasticity of
mind we find in HalH, a SaaGi, have not
wholly faded out of the national character.
! Wolf Won Schierbrand's Toheran Letter.
Tho Occurrence of pCtrifcd ElcSIl.