The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1893-11-05
MADA6ASCAR SLAVERY.
FANAMFoANA * GIGANTIC.
HYDRA@HEADED Evil.
50 Woven In thy Life Of sis People IL
Gan Not B~ Dsaloaged-Hor.
ribIe ConditIons Astend-
ant ON TlAs System.

Francisco Examiner but also is thers
still more gigantic evil aad on,
which is still more surely crushing the
manhood and sitting the life of that ou-
rlous and beautiful country.
'Fanampoana, " or forced labor. has
a protean shape 1t may be best un-
derstood by describing it as partakiug
OF the nature of the .corvee; it is also
applied to conscription. to all kinds OF
| government service; it is part of the
feudal system. and it even sometimes
takes the shape of logging bee :"
IL would be unjust to the astute' old
man who presides over the destinies
OF the people of that country if it were
not stated that he has more than once
| considered plan by which it might
be modified and reformed. But the
system is too deeply woven into the
. inner life OF the nation to be dealt
with except by a master hand, and
then only with the assistance of out
side and friendly financial support.
For instance it is one of the main
characteristics 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 a
triHing percentage received by some
OF the governors of districts) is paid
or even fed by the state. The queen
honors them by employing thera, " SO
the official euphuemism runs, and thew
must feed and clOthe themselves. But
when loyalty takes the shapes as is
constantly the case of carrying vast
weights of wood iron or stone on raw
and bleeding shoulders along goat
tracks for roads there are none),
through swamps and forests up and
down hills 5000 feet high, then the
additional stimulus of shack.es and |
leglrons Is needed to persuade the |
poor captured peasant that on the |
whole he had better accept the ..hon- |
ors. half starved though he must be.
If he runs away he brings punishment
on his family and becomes a fugitive |
and a bushranger; the numerous rob- |
Der bands are mainly recruited from
such runaways. Hundreds of instances
could be cited. especially within the
last twelve months. to show that
this tyranny is becoming more and
more unsupportable.
In the first place all the land in
with comparatively few
exceptions belongs nominally to the
queen. but actually to the govern
ment At the present moment and
for many years past the government
IS and has been completely centered
in and despotically ruled by the prime
minister, Rainilaiarivorny. who, be-
sides 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 as vigorous. In the Sakalava
out OF tens of thousands
Of peasants who were summoned. as
Sembled and even partially drilled
the country, only about
two thousand could be actually laid
hold Of and a few months of fever and
numerous desertions quickly reduced
his number. Similarly in the alluvial
gold fields, which are being worked by
orced labor upon the enormous nom.
nal royalty of 55 per cent to the gov
ernment (45 per cent is divided among
he foreign shareholders, directors
and superintendents) immense ex-
ertions have to be constantly made to
zeep up the supply of forced labor.
Thus it comes about that this most
branch OF the national
wealth is not developed. Here. as
elsewhere. serfdom spells poverty.
Again. in the case of craftsmen and
artiticers. Madagascar possesses and
could produce plenty OF men whose
alent would compare fayorably with
hat of almost any people in the
world. But the moment they show
in their art. they are
fanampoaned. that is. they are
lonored by being employed by the
or by some powerful Off
;ial. without wage and without food
clever craftsman. from whom YOU
,uy work of art in whatever metal
'egs fou not to say from whom you
purchased it. solely for fear OF the
honor" which would be in store for
i'm. So if you want good tinsmith.
arpenter. or jeweler you must not
earch for him among the tradesmen ,
4 his own craft; but the clever jeweler ,
5 found among the washermen and I
o on. in an amusing ''bo-peep" of
Industry.
The queen honors .Raini-be'' or |
.Bootoo" by taking him away from
is rice fields just at the season when )
lis labor and supervision are most
equired for his crop. So the unfor-
unate freeman, who is not allowed
o send his slave as his substitute
mark the grandeur of the distinction ,
onferred upon him-is remorselessly
lied, even to his penultimate dollar if / ,
le desires to procure exemption rom I
he honoH
Caught a Fly.
OF the father of the present king OF !