Smyrna times., 1888-03-07

a CDLACA11ON ludJ has attracted con-
siderable comment both by the leading
dailies and the periodical press has
been that of W. T. Hornaday entitled.
Free Rum on the Congo. The book sets
forth the startling and shameful facts
that in the tracks of Missionaries to
carry the bible and civilization to
the heathens sitting in darkness in
Africa, follows the rum traffic for the
greed of gain with the usual results of
widespread drunkenness, with the
mental moral deterioration of the Afri-
can tribes.
Africa herself is protesting against
the iniquitOus traffic upon her shores
The late appeal of one of the power
full Emirs in the West of Africa is to
this end:
1t is not long matter; it is about
Darasa rum or gin). Barasa, barasa.
barasa it has ruined our country: il
has ruined our people very much; it
has made our people mad. 1 have
given law that no one dares to buv
or sell it; and any one who is found
selling it in his house is to be eaten up
lplundered); any one found drunk
Will be killed. l have told all the
Christian traders that agree to every
thing for trade except barasa."
Three years ago, at the instance of
the English society devoted to suppress
ing the liquor traffic among native
races, Lord Granville addressed a cir
cular letter to all the powers having
Pacific trade, proposing an information
al agreement " for preventing the sale
OF arms, ammunition, dynamite and
alcohol to the natives Of the Pacific
ISLANDS Like the slave-trade, this.
traffic, which Is debauching and depop-
ulating these islands, can be suppress
ed only by such an agreement. Every
power answered favorably except the
United States.
Secretary Bayard decided instead
that our flag should shelter this infam-
Gus commerce. We propose to give
him the benefit of all he had to say on
this subject in his despatch of April II
1885
While recognizing and highly an.
proving the moral force and general
proposed regulations and the respon-
sibility of conducting such traffic under
proper and careful restrictions the
Government of the United States does
not feel entirely prepared to join in the
international understanding proposed.
ana Will, therefore, for the present.
restrain its action to the employment
IN the direction outlined by the sug-
gested arrangement, of sound discre-
ton IN permitting traffic between its
citizens in the articles referred to and
the natives of the Western Pacific
islands.
The United States are looked upon
as a nation planted and maintained by
God to be both a storehouse and beacon
light for the civilization of the world
and yet here is its chief Secretary who
from his high place should have been
in the van in the direction Of enlighten-
ment and civilization, actually it would
appear, deciding for the whole nation
that rum which only brutalizes and
degrades still worse their condition.
should go without stint to neutralize
all the effect of the missionary and the
bible. We had reason to expect better of
Mr.. Bayard or any other man that
should represent our nation and its civil
lization. AS a citizen of our State, eleva-
ted to a place in the nation next to
that Of chief magistrate, believing that
he was endeavoriDg to obtain so hon
orable record, we have spoken kindly
of his policy where others have critics.