Smyrna times., 1888-03-07

ed, as one that might possibly in the
end work out the best result. Those
were questions ofpolitics. This refusal
to join with the leading enlightened
nations is a matter rather of morals.
civilization and religion and must be
dissented from if christian civilization
is held to be better than that of the
savage. Mr.. Bayard's ideas of state
craft seem to be those way back in the
days of the slave trade when a cargo
of rum would be taken to Africa to
buy cargo of slaves. The christian
sentiment of this country as well as
the world has got way beyond this.
1t is not now our national policy. Our
laws prohibit liquor traffic with the
Indians. They outlaw the trade in
Alaska, all religions condemn it and it
is fast becoming the political policy of
the individual states. Our flag ought
not and must not shelter this trade in
poverty, crime and death.
A leading New York paper under
the head Of "A Strange Missionary
Work" says:
One of the saddest chapters in human
history is repeating itself on the coast
of Africa. The same degradation of
savage tribes that followed the contact
of the aborigines of America with the
Christian people of Europe is now be-
ing seen in Africa as the result of the
incursiOn of the Christian peoples of
Europe and America. The free intro
| ductiOn of Intoxicating liquors, which
has followed the failure of the fourteen
powers taking part in the Berlin Con-
| gress of 1S84-'S5 to agree upon an alb
sOlute prohibition of Importation into
the Free State of Congo, is working
| great havoc among the natives. Strong
drink pOurs into Africa from all parts
of the globe. The United States, un-
happily, stands third in the list of i'm
/ porting countries. In 18S4-'5 we sent
to Africa an aggregate of 921 ,412 gal
Ions of spirits. In 1856 Boston sent
$4,000 gallons in one cargo. Germany
and Holland, the two Powers whose
unwillingness to join in a prohibition
| of all such traffic with native tribes
defeated the efforts of the United States,
England, Italy and Belgium in that
direction at the Berlin Congress, take
the lead in this profitable trade. The
| latest statistics, which are two wears
old, put down 100000 of the 10000
600 gallons imported into Africa in
1886 to the share of Germany or near
| w 20 oil
100000 gallons.
SpirituOus liquors seem to be quite
as new a thing to the African blacks as
" tire-water" was to the American red
men. 1t is the universal testimony of
men engaged in business as well as
missionaries that general demOraliza-
ton has followed their introduction.
The first demand of the natives when
vessels arrive is for strong drink. The
chiefs are becoming drunkards, and
degradation is rapidly increasing
among the people. 1t is said that the
| degree of decentralization is even greater
| than 1t was among our own abOrigines.
| There is much agitation both in Eng
land and America to have steps taken
to prevent expectation. A deputation
/ AHNANNiAS SOHCAtAA GACA ~ AnCn duu rep
resenting the National Temperance
Society recently appeared before the
Foreign Relations Committee of the
Senate, and urged the passage of a law
| prohibiting expectation of intoxicating
liquors from American ports to Congo
and the Western Pacific islands. They
claimed that Congress could do this
under the clause of the Constitution
granting the power to regulate COM
merce."
A circular recently issued by the
United (English) Committee for the
Prevention of the Decentralization of
Native Races by Liquor Traffic, of
which the Bishop of London is chair
man, charges the responsibility for
the failure to reach an agreement
upon the United States Secretary
Bayard, who, while strongly APPROX
ing its purpose, declined to enter
into it, apparently out Of Difference
to the Monroe doctrine. It is true.
nevertheless, that the United States
has made just such treaties. A case
in point is the treaty of 1925 with
Russia by which the countries bound
themselves not to allow their subjects
or persons under their control to sell
to the natives in Northwestern Amer
lea spirituOus liquors, firearms, other
arms, powder or munitions of war of
any kind.