The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-27
SLAVERY AND ALCOHOL AND AFRICA.
Efforts to suppress. the One and Regulate
the Other,

BRuSsELs, Dec. 26.-0ne ieature-and
not the least remarkable-oi the Brus.
sells Anti.slavery Congress is the cam.
paign against the free sale Of spirits and
alcoholic liquors to the natives Of the
Dark Continent. That vital question
has already been agitated at the Berlin
Conference, andat Its sitting In Decem.
Der, 1884, a circle was. sent To all Euro
pean Powers, urging the necessity Of ar.
irving at an understanding In regard TO
a control OF the liquor traffic In Africa,
with reference both to the sacred rights
OF humanity aud the interests OF Com-
merCe. Public opinion was too
slow Ia It's approval Of this work.
In England the movement start
ed uu1er the auspices Of the
"United Committee for the Prevention
Of the Decentralization OF Native Races by
the Liquor Traffic. The movement
spread to Germany, where 1t caused, OH
May II, 1880, a memorable discussion in
Parliament. A considerable majority Of
the Reichstag, composed. of members OF
all parties, united In requesting the Gov
eminent to apply stringent rates to the
liquor traffic in the German Colonies.
Belgium aud other European countries
Joined in the movement, aud In 1887 the
Government Of the Congo State dropped
In line, and attempted TO enforce the
ideas OF the Berlin Conference by I'M.
posing a high license on liquor retailers
in the Upper Congo.
tits clear, however that public opin-
ion Ia Europe impetatively demands u
more radical solution OF this question,
for the alcohol traffic is assuming daily
a disquieting extension In Africa. This
explains why the duke OF Westminster,
president Of'the United Committee, has
made such efforts to induce the Anti.
Slavery Conference 10 take up the ques-
ton OF the sale Of spirits In Africa, The
Marquis OF Salisbury evinced his inter.
est ID the work by granting an audience
10 the delegates OF the United Commit
tee previously TO their departure for the
conference here.
ut Is the law that s the emancipating
instrument" The efforts Of the British
society aim at the absolute suppression
oithe liquor traffic all over the African
continent. Such a programme eau yet
be applied successfully TO the interior Of
that continent. Asto the coast district,
where the alcohol trade forms the basis
OF trade, absolute suppression might BIZ
difficult or even impossible In Its applica.
ton.
The imposition ola high license duty
upon liquor.dealers would help consid.
efably the efforts made by the Brussels
Congress for the suppression Of the Afri.
can slave trade. The latter had shifted
from the western To the eastern coast Of
the continent, as shown by the numer.
GUS statistics and memoirs placed before
the Congress. Unfortunately, theslaye
trade shows no signs Of abatement In
Northern Airlca. Its reckoned that in
the North, Egypt included, some 10000
slaves are annually received from the
Soudan, through the connivance and
supporter Egyptian officials.
The growth OF the slave trade has been
remarkable. AT Quiloa the yearly
number OF slaves sent thence TO Zanzibar
ulu TUG ThD buelp Who Vhblulhtcu az
1900 by an English naval officer. The
professional trader 10 "ehony wood" or
slaves, after having deducted the dead,
crippled and other mo values can easily
make from 400 or 800 to 5000 per cent.
The prices Of the alayes vary. AT Saudi,
three slaves declared In 1887 that they
had been sold respectively for 500, $66
and $50. In 1857 MOriCe Bey, 10 q letter
10 Khairey pacha, states that male slaves
90 years old, were worth irotn Sl2 TO
Si26, women from $50 TO 500, eunuChg
from $3.50 10 $3.50. Later, OIL account Of
the greater risks In running the gauntlet
OF the cruising squadrous Ia the Red Sea,
the traffic Consisted especially Ia young
boys and girls. Boys between aud II
years Of age we're worth from 500 10 SSO,
girls from $40 to 500. Happily. the
trade 10 less brisk aud the demand less
active than In former year, When, ~ 10
1870, for instance, young male slaves IN
the markets OF Cairo were worth "a much
aS 600 aud 4 young CItcassian girl 5000.