New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-14
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE BRITISH WEST INDIES.
OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF THEIR PROS
PERITY.
FREE TRADE AS INSISTED ON BY THE NOTIFIES
COUNTRY BLAMED FOR THE LACK OF TRADE
ANXIETY OF THE IsLANDERs FOR RECI.
PROCITY WITH THE UNITED STATES.
yRonA Stay CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRfBuyE

ANXIETY OF THE I5LANDERS FOR RECI.
PRoCITY WITH THE UNITED STATES.
yRoaA Stay CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE
Rasseterre, St. Kits, December 3, 1891.
Starting from that point on the northern coast
Of the South American continent. where it first be-
gins to fall away toward the southeast and extend
ing northward into the ocean for distance OF quito
500 miles, are chain OF wonderful islands fa-
nous in history, legend and cong. They were tho
objects of Columbus's earliest discoveries, the
home of magnificent race Of warlike savagcs;
the first prizes of Spanish conquest, and the first
objects of European strife in the Western World.
They passed rapidly and successfully into the
hands of every foreign monarch engaged in Ameri-
settlement, and back and forth among SOW
ereignties with every changing tide Of battle.
For three centuries they were regarded as the
richest pearls in the crowns of coonl2ing princes.
They were the cause and often the scene Of their
ercest engagements, and from the privateer navies
they commissioned to prey on one anothers mer-
chantmen proceeded body of malignant sea
rovers whose gallantry and deviltry h.ve fur
nished themes for many weird romance. They
constitute to-day the Danish. French and British
West Indies
But they are not the jewels they were. Their
lustre has faded. The enormous fortunes that
were once the product of every succeeding sum-
mer are now a reminiscence. The vast, grand
residences where, century ago. rich and
naughty aristocracy lived in magnifcence almost
royal, are now, for the most part, ruins Ihe
great families have gone. They have fallen ana
fed before the black wetches out of the sweat
Of whose brows they formerly thrived.
And yet the islands are still commercially I'M
portant, and every square foot OF their wonder-
full soil suggests possibilities OF wealth muon
greater than any that have been realized. Inc
disabilities they rest under are mainly politcY
and entirely superficial. But it Is history thao
politica disabilities are of all others the most dill
cult to get rid of, and the kinds that per-
plex and trouble these islands are paralyzlng.
The wonder is, when you come 70
understand the matter, not that the islanders ac-
complish so little, but that they do SO much anu
bear up so courageousy. Expressed in nutshei'
the present trouble is Of foreign governments
and absentee proprietorship.
To the United States, the islands, especially
those over which British sovereignty eXtehos' aro
of exceptional interest and value. For many years
their trade has been leaving Europe and moving
TO the United States. This has gone SO lar .na'
they are now in the severest sense commercial de-
tendencies of the American Republic. Ihey i've.
move and have their bcing in the sunlight OF
situation and all that it means. Their sentiments
toward America are those of the warmest gratitude
and friendship. OF course l speak Of the island
ers. of the men who actually live upon the Islands
and have their business interests fixed in ohem.
The official people who are sent out from England
as a governing body, and the absentee proprletorS
who but feebly understand even their own affairs.
constitute another class. But it grows weaker
and is tolerated with less patience every day.
Naturally. the new American policy Of Reel
procty is exciting the most profound concern
among these people, To understand their feeling
and its significance it is necessary to know not
only the nature and extent Of their commerciai
relations with America, but the character OF ther
political constitutions and their attitude toward
England. The British Islands are st. kits, tho
Virgin Isles Nevis, Antigua Montserrat and
Dominica, constituting the Leeward Group and
confederated into a single colony, with Gov
crnor over all, and Federal Council; st. Lucia.
st. Vincent. Grenada and Tobago constituting the
Wndward Group and similarly confederated; Bar
BADGES. Trinidad and Jamaica, each with Govern
ment of its own. In production and interest
identical with these islands is the Colony OF
British GUIANA on the Spanish Main In all the
British Indies the population consists OF large
body of negroes, coolies and mulattoes, ana
handful of white men-creoles and Englshmen.
The proportion of white to blacks is about one
TO one hundred. The government of such q
society is of course, full Of embarrassment 1t
would be difficult enough were the governing class
native or near at hand, and the difficulties are
multhed many times in dealing with Her
Maesty's Colonial Secretary across the sea. None
of the colonies except Barbados, has anything
worthy the name of free government, and as u
consequence they are necessarily grumbling. After
the manner oil the unjust judge in the Scriptures.
England has made so-caled concessions from time
to time. but they are without substance Tho
I.eeward Islands Government is fair illustration
of ALL There is an electoral system here, but Its
creatures are impotent, and the group is as much
a Crown colony as if no fiction of popular repre-
sentation existed The confederation is a fctions
Also so far as the functions of the Federal Coun-
ell are concerned That body has no real author
ity Each island possesses its own council, IN
which is lodged the control Of its revenues and
expenditures, its tariff system and its police Tho
Governor however, is the indsputab!e ruler OF
ALL for he has the appointment of as many Gov
ernment members of each council as there are
elective members, and the casting vote in case Of
division This enables him to force through.
against the will of the electorate, any measure he
wishes or is directed by the Colonial Office TO
pass His power is rockribbed with veto, 50
that in case any of his own appointees deserted
him, he would still be COMPETENT to prevent such
action as he chose Another veto is reserved to
the Colonial Office at home, and that, Of course.
is insuperabe.
But in spite of all this machinery, or. perhaps,
because of it, the people restless This is qAte
as true of the lordly white planters or such Of
them as still live in the Islands as of the negroes
Their complaints against the mother country would
ill n book, and they seem TO be. in the main.
sound complaints They 90 back to emancipation
days. when the prosperity of the islands began to
vpne and have continued with unvaryng con-
s,ancy to the present hour. Selfshness, neglect
and oppression are the heads under which Eng