The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-30
TIE BLACK RsPUBLIJ.
Langstoa Found the People Enlight
ened Beyond Expectations.
E-o,,, a. p;fysb,,r,,

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Hayti becomes every day more impor-
tant country to the United States, writes
ex-MiniSter John S. Langston in q recent
contributions to the press. 1t is the greatest
colorei republic in existence, and it in
creases in importance as the negro race
grows in numbers, education and power
The late political troubles in the island have
forced il 70 the front, and the importance
which it sustains to this country as forming
the key to the lsthmus of Panama makes it
one of the most interesting spots on the
western hemisphere. Whether we shall own
a coaling station on the Mole San Nicolas,
our title to the Island Navassa and num-
Der Of other important diplomatic problems
are wrapped up in it.
am surprised every day to find how
little the people of the United States know
about this colored republic. Port au Prince
is not the tumbled-down village it has been
described. Even the poorer buildings are
picturesque. The prevailing color is white
with green blinds The climate will stand
brighter colors than ours and the buildings
are sometimes painted 10 hues which would
be out of place in an American city, but
which, under an equatorial sun, are in per-
feet harmony. Few OF the houses have glass
in the windows, and shutters and lattice
work take the place of glass. The climate
is so mild that fires are only needed for
cooking, and the atmosphere is pure and
clear.
A VERY CULTURED PEOPLE.
l find that our people are usually sur
prised at the culture and education Of the
elite Of this colored republic. The better
classes of the people are well educated.
Many of the leaders speak several Ian
guages, and the common language used
among the educated classes is French. They
have French newspapers, and you may hear
at one of these receptions as good French
as you will hear in Partisan drawing
room. The lower classes speak Creole.
The population of Hayti is estimated at
from 500, 900 to 800, 600, and these people
may be divided into three classes-the mill
tary or the political class, the merchant
class and the farmers The military class
live eff the government, and the tendency
in Hayti, where the government is demo-
cratic is to lead the young men TO politics,
and every young Haytian is educated like
every American boy with the idea that he
may some day be president. The law is
their stepping-stoDe to politics, and there
are more young lawyers than there is bust
ness The merchant class includes every
! body who trades or dickers. The third
class embraces the farmers and the extreme
poor engaged in cultivating the soil and
| growing fruits. A market scene at the
capital brings out this class in all its glory
aIlu Ills h6bS VI L OAk du EllCb ne
worthy of notice.
SCENES IN THE MARKETS.
have seen 20 900 people engaged in SELL
ing in this market. You can buy all kinds
of meats, and large quantities of beef, NUT
| ton and fish are sold. HaYti is especially
famous for its coffee, and this market is
| filled with coffee sellers. Hundreds of men
| and women come to market with all their
goods on a little donkey no bigger than a
g.. i u,
| for chem to sell. One may bring three or
| four eggs ten miles t. market, and if you
asked his price he will tell you they are
| worth cents apiece. A woman will carry
| four heads of cabbage a number Of miles to
sell them, and, besides these peddlers, you
may see men with four-oK wagons packed
with fruit and vegetables. Hayti has its
own coinage, its silver and its paper money.
| Both are at discount, and American silver
| brings premium.
| Hayti is capable Of producing enough
tropical fruits to supply the United States.
1t has the finest OF oranges, bananas and
pineapples, and were it cultivated according
to the principles of modern agriculture the
yield OF the land would be enormous. Even
as it Is it produces more than 10000, 00C
pounds of coffee year, and this is of the
finest flavor. The coffee industry of the
island is increasing. Most of the coffee goes
to England. Cotton is produced in consider
| able quantities, and the woods of Hayti are
among the finest in the world. You will
nowhere find any better mahogany, and
| logwood is more or less exported.
THE POSSIBILITIES IN TRADE
We might have large trade with Hayti
if we wished. We already furnish all the
| flour used in the island and not pound OF
| cured ham, cured meat or cured fish goes
| there from any other country than ours
| We send them SOAP and hardware, drugs
and medicines, and we have been lately
shipping large quantity of cheap cottons.
! Many of the arms used in the late revolu-
ton were of American make and they have
even purchased some of their war vessels in
this country.
The government of the whole island shows
an extraordinary union of church and state.
Catholicism prevails throughout San Do
mingo as well, and on both sides Of the
island the men and women are very devout
| Catholics. The constitutions of both couu-
tries are modelled on that Of the United
| States, but there is a coRcordat established
! by the church under which are the clergy
and teachers of the various parishes The
government pays all the expenses connected
with this concordat, and the clergy are
white The bishop and archbishop are ordi-
narily invited to attend the national assem-
| bly,, and they aid in all the great gather
| ings of state, but they take no part In the
ADMINISTRATOR OF Ine auairS OF The govern
| ment
| POWER OF THE MASONIC ORDER
| In connection with this is the curious
| strength of the Masonic order in Hayti. The
men seem to be all Masons If man of
distinction is buried, the Masonic order
renders the last euloges at the tomb, and
Masonry runs throughout every branch of
society.
The church has been 80 strong at times
that it has attempted to dictate to the gov
eminent, and this was the case when first
went to Hayti. Bairond-CanaI was presi-
dent of the republic, and he had nearly
closed his term of four years, when through
a revolutionary movement Solomon came
into power. In the past it has been custom
airy when a mau was made president for, the
Masonic order to wait upon him and to ad-
wise him that the order would be glad to in
stall him as its protector general 1t was
| given out that President Salomon had been
waited on by such a committee and the
church concordant, feeling that the Masons
were growing very strong with the govern
ment, sent the archbishop to see Solomon
and to protest against his acceptance. The
archbishop said
COULDN'T BRIGHTEN SALOMON.
"Mr. President, it is reported that com
mittee from the Masonic order has waited
upon you and offered to make you a pro-
tector general of the order. | here deem it
my du.y to advise you that the church may
have to consider the matter in case you &C
cept, and your accommodation may be
the result"
! The-a was nothing cowerdIv about SaIo