Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-05
FANAMPOANA.
Oidest Sort Of Slavery Known-It Hangs
Over the Head Of Every Madagascarens.
From the Foruiphtly Revav

Oldest Sort Of Slavery Known-It Hang,
Over the Head of Every Madagascarens.
From the Fornghtly Review.
Not only is slavery universal throughout
Madagascar, but also ia there Q still more
gigantic evil and one which is even more
surely crushing the manhood and sitting the
life OF that curious and beautiful country.
"Fanampoana," or forced labor. has a Pro-
team shape. 1t may best be understood by de-.
scribing it as partaking of the nature of the
corvee; it is also applied to conscription. to all
Kinds OF government service; it is part of the
teudai system, and it even sometimes takes the
shape OF logging bee." 1t would be unjust
70 the astute old man who presides over the
desnnies Of the people of that country if it
were not stated that he has more than once
considered plan by which it might be modi-
neo and reformed. But the system is too
deeply woven into the inner life of the
nation to be dealt with except by
master hand. and then only with the assist
ance OF outside and friendly financial support
For instance, 1t is one Of the main character
lstlcs Of fanampoana that it supplies the place
OF the payment OF officials throughout the
island. In fact, in all Madagascar no secre-
tary, clerk, artisan, soldier or civilian serving
the government, in whatever capacity with
the exception of trifiing percentage received
ny some OF the governors Of districts), is paid
or even fed by the state The queen honors
them by employing them" $50 the official eu-
phemism runs), and they must feed and clothe
themselves. But when loyalty takes the shape.
as is constantly the case, of carrying vast
weights OF wood. iron or stone on raw and bleed
there are none), through swamps and forests,
up and down hills 5000 feet high then the ad.
dltlonal stimulus Of shackles and leg irons ia
needed to persuade the poor captured peasant
that on the whole he had better accent the
honor, half starved though he must be. If
ne runs away he brings punishment on his
family and becomes a fugitive and BUSH
ranger; the numerous robber bands are mainly
recruited from such runaways. Hundreds Of
instances could be cited, especially within the
past twelve months, to show that this tyranny
IL becoming more and more unsupportable.
In the fret place all the land in Madagascar.
with comparatively few exceptions, belongs
nominally to the queen, but actually to the
government At the present moment and for
many years past the government is and has
been completely conferred in and despotically
ruled by the prime minister, Rainilaiariyorny.
who, besides his original wife, has married two
successive queens Of Madagascar Fortunately
for himself and his family his rule has on the
whole, been wise as well rs vigorous In the
Sakalava expedition out of tens of Thousand
OF peasants who were summoned, assembled
and even partially drilled throughout the
country only about two thousand could be
actually laid hold Of and few months of fever
and numerous desertions quickly reduced this
number. Similarly in the alluvial gold fields.
which are being worked BY forced labor upon
the enormous nominal royalty of IS per cent to
the government as per cent is divided among
the foreign shareholders, directors and super,
intendents), immense exertions have to be con-
stantly made to keep up the supply Of forced
labor. Thus it comes about that this most inn
portant branch Of the national wealth is not
developed. Here, as elsewhere, serfdom spells
poverty.
Again, in the case Of craftsmen and artificers.
Madagascar possesses and could produce plenty
OF men whose talent would compare favorably
with that OF almost any people in the world
But the moment they show proficiency in their
art they are ''fanampoaned," that is. they are
honored by being employed by the government
or by some powerful official without wages and
without food. A clever craftsman from whom
you buy work of art in whatever metal. beps
you not to say from. whom you purchased ii.
solely for fear of the honor which would be
In store for him. So il you want a good tin
smith, carpenter jeweler, you must not
search for him among the tradesmen of his own
craft; but the clever jeweler is found among
the washermen. and so on, in an amusing DO
peep" OF industry. The queen honors ..Raini-
be" or 'Bootoo' by taking him away from his
rice fields just at the season when his labor and
supervision are most required for his crop. So
the unfortunate freeman" who is not allowed
to send his slave as his substitute-mark the
grandeur Of the distinction conferred upon
him-is remorsely bled, even to his pentlti.
mate dollar. If he desires to procure exemption
from the honor.