The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-15

factory or something of that sort. He gets
5000 per year for gazing vacantiy out of
the shattered windows of the Supreme
Court building between meals. There isn't
much else for his Excelency TO do, as the
indecency cases are usually settled without
an appeal As the three great powers
have guaranteed his salary in the event OF
the kingdom collapsing, the Chief Justice
Is not greatly perturbed in spirit by the 1T
into the cadaverous strong box. He viii
get the money anyhow. So he continues TO
gaze in blissful serenity through the win
however. with the less illustrious attaches
or the government, including the Secretary
or State, Surveyor-general,m arshals, clerks.
interpreters, native advocate. body-guard,
ETC., etc. They hold about $1,000 worth Of
government debentures, and have been sub
slstlng chiefly on wind for the past six
months. AT first these gentlemen did not
repine, as they we'll knew they could real
lie on their debentures when cash began to
HOW into the treasury.
But few weeks before the battle the
three consuls, acting as advisor to the King
In the absence OF the regular official. de-
clded upon an economic measure TO reduce
expenditures. They forthwith stopped the
ISSUANCE of debentureS. This was bril-
liant stroke, worthy of a napoleon of Fl,
nance, but somehow or other the plan failed
10 work. An edict which prevented the re-
moval of coin from a treasury already
empty did not fill the Golfers, strange as IL
may seem TO those verSed in the mysteries
or finance as a profession. Nor did the
consuls guarantee the salaries of the Of
HclalS thus ShOrh OF their debentureS. They
are stlll struggling along, completely at the
mercy of the taxpayers, while the store
Keepers are making a feint at doing bust
ness by trying TO collect antiquities-old
bills
So far the taxpayer has had the best of
II, and is getting his tomahawk sharpened
for another round with the enemy. Fight
ing Is more TO his taste than filling up the
treasury, and while the white official is
yearning for wealth the dusky citizen lies
back in the woods, plucks his meals from
no L.. clx- ii
Aside from a natural aversion to enriching
foreigners of high degree the native has
another equally valid reason for not pay
ing his taxes This is the extremely dam
gerous route the money must travel from
his hand to the royal treasury. III the ma
tive collector who makes the round of the
villages forgets himself and turns the tax
money over to the chief of village, which
IS according 70 law, a new peril confronts
II. The chief may have been yearning Tor
| hair chain, or fancy may tend TO other
equally useful things which ready. money
will buy. But if, with commendable and
surprising honesty, he carries the cash to
the treasury, that is the last OF 1T, so FAR as
the taxpayer is concerned. BY easy sue
ccSsion il slides gracefully into the bank
account of the white official, who kindly re-
ciDrocates by filming the taxpayer $3.50 for
Indecent exposure, because the irresponsi-
| BILE breezes happen to toy with his breech-
clout.
| And yet people cannot understand why
| the meek-eyed citizen of this balmy cline Is
cleaver and chopping off mess OF heads
| 1t is because, gentle reader, the meek-eyeo
| citizen does not know exactly where he is
at, and besides he must get even somehow
/ The manifold blessings of the Police Court
which has for ages past posed as one or the
cherished institutions OF enlightened coun
| tries, do not seem to hit the native IN the
right spot. The blessings are showered up
on him too copiously to be fully appreciated
| If his clothes fall off or blow of within tht
municipality the accident costs him some
| money, and this is a hard condition to inn
pose upon a people whose toilet is matter
of so little concern to themselves. No won
| der he is longing and willing TO fight for 9
| revival of the autonomy or self-governmen'
of days gone by, under which there were nc
riotouS police courts, nor missionaries, MOI
| high salaried foreign officials to harass OF
| rob him.
| THE native derives absolutely no benefit
/ from the money paid in the form OF taxes
1t is packed off to Germany or sweden
| from. which bourn il never returneth About
| the only people ever benefited were the ma
| tive members of the standing army. Be1ort
| the adoption of q RECONSTRUCTION poncS
| the soldiers were paid S. per month in de
| count of 20 per cent At the present time
| they do not get even so much debentur'
per month. From this It VIII be seen tha
| protecting the sacred person of his Majesty
| is purely a labor of love and tender solici
! tude. And the edict which deprived tn
/ standing army Of its measley debenture!
| went into effect several weeks prior TO th'
late war. -,
The restless subjects are again talking
/ fight and Tamasese, jr., is being favorab l,
| spoken of as a dark-horse candidate for tn
throne He is not particularly anxious TO
the place, but he liked the Way they cook IKE.
! cral years ago with his parents, and II Il
| mainly on that account the young man de
| sires to return. 1t is probable that a splr
| tied campaign will open as soon as the wa
I-l1; ln.,xr AyNfn