The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-03
IS ABSOLUTE MONARCH.
The Worlds Most Complete DeSpOtiSm
Is Morocco.
But It Has Queer Phases-one Of the
Mandates of Its Ruler Is That His
Subjects Shall Obey All Foreigners

Subjects Shall OBEY All OreAs hSA D
Atrocious Cruelties.
From the New York Press.
The political situation in Morocco is ex-
tremely interesting. The country IS rap
idly sinking into decrepitude, and it seems
inevitable that il must before very long
die as an independent state.
1t has been often remarked of late that
the Emperor of Morocco is about the
most absolutely despotic monarch OF
whom the world knows anything in these
days. He has ministers, but they are
merely his favorites for the time being,
and subject to his within. He has no laws
to bother him save his will, and no prece-
dents to respect or unpopular representa-
tives to fear. He, himself, is law and JUS
tice, and 5000, 600 people hold their lives
and property subject to his nod.
And yet his power is in many dlrec-
tions very narrowly Circumscrlbed. The
representatives Of foreign nations nave
very diligently cut his claws. They have
taken the natives under consular protec-
ton so freely that Emperor Muley Has
san must frequently have wondered
whether or no he has any subjects to pun
ish in that portion of his domains occu-
pied by the foreigners. That is a good
thing in its way, but a few years ago
there was an angry dispute when 1t was
found that, though there were only three
Americans in Morocco, our consul there,
had made nearly $50 American citizens
out of the natives, that he himself in
sisted upon being their Judge, and that
he was in the habit of thrusting into
prison anybody against whom they made
complaint. The emperor has been fright
ened out of his wits by these proceedings,
fearing that they might lead to the dis
memberment of his empire; and few
years ago he ordered his subjects i'm
plicitly to obey all foreigners and people
protected by them. Dark crimes against
person and property have been committed
under this sanction, and many of these
shrewd proteges. and not few consuls as
well, have grown rich from it,
A FRENCH CITIZEN.
The emperor tried to punish batch of
recalcitrant ministers a few years ago.
but found to his disgust that they had
all recently become foreign subjects. 1t
is more serious matter that the Shereef
of Wazan has become a French citizen,
for this dignitary-the first subject of the
Emperor-is virtually the head of the
church, a parsonage of great sanctity and
of mighty influence and through the ia
naticism of the Moors, he practically
shares sovereignty with the emperor.
And though the Moors have been nom
inal rulers of Morocco for 400 years, they
have never really been rulers of the
whole country The native Berbers were
driven to the mountains, and there they
have ever since remained, defiant and un-
conquered, and the emperors of Morocco
have been glad enough TO let them alone.
The Kabyles of the Riff coast, who re
Gently opposed the Spaniards at Melilla,
belong to this stock, and Muley Hassan
can in no way control them. They are a
far superior race to the Moors, who are,
in fact largely Arabs diluted with Span
ish and other blood.
SLAVERY FLOURIsHEs.
Besides Moors and Berbers there are in
Morocco many Jews and negroes, and
these are both the victims of the ruling
class Human slavery tlOurishes openly
and without hindranCe there, even in the
accessible cities, and almost within sight
of Gibraltar, while the poor Jews, almost
the only thrifty and peaceful element of
the urban population, are bled most UNI
mercifully. Morocco is a fertile country,
and rich IN copper and other minerals.
But the government will neither develop
these resources itself, nor allow anybody
else to do so. The MOors lack the fore
sight needful for agriculturists, and they
never plant or gather enough to carry
them through till the succeeding season,
so that one bad harvest means great
suffering.
The spirit of the Arabs is inherently an
tagonistic to Christian civilization, and
were it not so the government of Morocco
would make thrift and industry impossi-
BILE Fee might readily be brought into
direct communication with the world
by means of the Sebou river. Instead, it
was until very recent years almost an UNI
known city. There is not a highway
worthy of the name leading from it. In
deed, there are said to be only two wag-
ons in all Morocco. One is the coach pre-
sented by Queen Victoria to Muley Has
san few years ago He uses it, though
he makes the driver walk, since no man
must sit above the emperor The Young
Hessian prince, who fifty years ago took
the first carriage to Tangiers, was only
permitted to use it after he had taken off
its wheels.
There is no regular means for the dis
tribution of Justice and none for the col
lection of taxes. When the emperor
needs money he directs the pashas TO col
lect the tenth prescribed by the Koran.
The pashas add a tenth for themselves,
and the actual collectors put on another
lOr lutlE UTOuDlG. II DDOrG Is anN
suspicion that the man is not paying all
he ought. the torture is prompt and eff
ficacious way of increasing the pile The
Jews are favorite source of revenue for
taxgatherers. They are subjected to
atrocities which would chill the blood To
recite, and their wives and daughters are
the victims of the most wanton and
brutal assaults-often inflicted from the
mere delight of cruelty.
Justice is openly sold to the highest
bidder, and to be accused of an offense
against the government is to entail con
fiscation of all visible property. whether
found guilty or not 1t is not to be won
dered at. then, that the inhabitants of
Morocco live in squalor: that they bury
their money whenever they think they
can safely do so; that they wear di-
lapidated clothes and let their houses
go to decay. To show any evidence of
wealth is TO invite misery and perhaps
death.
Roasting, stretching, piuching. whip
ping, branding and mutilating are
familiar forms of punishment in Morocco.
Revolts are put down by wholesale
massacres. Slow beheading with butchers
knives and daggers in the public street
are of common occurrence Theft is
punished by cutting off the right hand :
eyes are torn out, ears and noses are cut
of for various offeuses, and the bodies of
the Door are mutilated in still more borri-
BILE ways. Nor does conviction ALWAYS
precede punishment. 1t is ordinarily
quite sufficient to have been accused, if