New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-12
TROPICAL AMERICA.
A VALUABLE BOOK.

il beset with temptations which do not az rule
assai men OF less cngroSsing occupation. Educated
N CRASH the currents of affairs, keen to observe
and note every now development in politics, social
usagcs and civilization generally. the difficulty
with such writer really is to restrain himself.
and to confne his observations to comparatively
small list Of subjects. Mr.. Fords interesting vol
unic is in some respects an illustration OF THIS.
In his passage through tropical America his attcn-
ton was momcntarily arrested by the international
aspects of whatever affairs presented Themselves,
by their bearing upon American trade and COM
mcrce by their relations to craftsmanship in what
ever form. And his intense alerness and eager
ness to solve all these problems and il possible to
get at the future of the countries he was visiting
has resulted in the accumulation OF mass OF in
formation calculated TO be Of the greatest ser
vice in clearing away mistakes and helping for
ward the growth and expansion of our foreign
commerce; and which might well have filled not
one but several volumes.
lie was afforded somc special openings ard OPP
portunties for observation during his wand"rnCS
Thus in Brazil his visit happened to coincide with
the overthrow of the Empire, an event when,
however unattended with bloodshed, was poor
return for the best form Of government the country
had known and which has not rs yet resulted in
any marked change for the better in the state 81
the people But Mr.. FOrd's observations in Brazil
and Chilli, and Mexico and Venezuela. and Para
quay and other of the Latin-American countries,
must We imagine have eventually left him in a
good deal Of doubt as TO what form OF government
offers any dependence in thos" volcanic regions
The old story Of the Irishman who declared him
self fornnSt tho Government on general prin IL
pies without in the least knowing what the SAD
government was. seems TO apply only too foiclbly
to tropical America. The people who exert them
selves actively in politics have. of course. their
own axes to grind. and most Of them look for per-
sonal profit in some way. As TO the masses. they
as a rule only ask to br let alone. They have had
more than enough experience of tyranny and srrvi-
tudc II seems to them that whoever is on top
plumbers them And il is difficult for them TO
simulate real interest in thr constant intricurs
and revolutionary efforts which are being made
Mr.. Fords itinerary led him from Brazil across
the Argentine and through the Andes 10 Lima
Guayaqu and the Isthmus. Cartagena and Cara
cas-. Jamaica and the Bahamas Cuba. Mexico AMI
Central America II was a comprehensive and
highly interesting route. but our br>t-mindcd frav-
elcr was vexed by the too frequent evidences OF
lack of Anne rican enterprise Of the steady push OF
European commerce; Of the curious neglect mctrd
ont 10 their neighbors who should BIZ bound 40
closely 20 ns by at least commercial bonds. Wher.
ever Americans have fixed their feet they nave
made their mark. But as vet they have been too
few. and they have not been properly backed mp
by their Government
Mfr. ,For.l's visit 10 the West Indies cond only
confirm him i'm the belief that hos' fertile islands
are undergoing change which must cvcntnaiiv
rp plunge them into the night OF barb1rism lHe
white settlements are simply dying ont. nor can
England, with all her power and experience. ma
Al. -, I.n, It1at IN
Of the British West Indies which has occurred dur
ing the past generation. has almost completely de-
stroyed the white sovereignty. while the decline OF
the staplo sugar trade upon the development Of
letter markets has removed III" main incentive TO
renewed effort The negroes Of the West Indies
are favorable specimens Of their race, but they do
not civilizc rapidly and they 90 exhibit noted
tendency like those of Cuba. 10 relapse into saw
agcry Mr. Ford had no opportunity TO explore
the interior Of Cuba or he might have foId US
something about the alleged horrors which Mr.. ~.
John declares have been introduced there under
negro domination. It indeed seems only too proba-
bio that whatever tropical islands In any OF these
seas fall once entirely into the hands oil the
blacks will be lost 10 commerce, production and
civilized intercourse with other countries. That
is perhaps the worst which has TO be feared. and
that implies and involves a very serious and bad
state OF things In the end. OF course, SOME power
or powers-the United States. or France. or Eng
land-wi find way again TO getting possession
Of the richer islands, and then the old story Will
be Como over again. But in the mean time there Is
likely to he great loss Of time and possibly waste
of life and property.
or course in tropical America the traveller was
struck by the dilatory habits and customs Of the
people There. like the lotos lands are lands where
"a. offo whore p0thinD IL done
to-day, but everything is TO he put of TO mana
ma :, where the very first impulse of every native
is to avoid doing whatever is asked Of him where
cxcrtion for any other purpose than obtaining
enough to eat is regarded with abhorrence; and
where the climate seems to have fixed its canon
against hard work throughout society. Pip. in
" Great Expectations was led 10 entertain the be-
lief that the Romans were so fierce because they
could not help irritating one another with their
noses But the Mcxicans and Brazilians and Vcne-
zuelans and all the rest of our tropical neighbors
are wholly exempt from such influences They 20
en- from year toryear in blissfal repOse. and tile
crooked stick with which they scratch the earth
still serves to them better tool than any Ameri-
can workshop can turn out
Changes are, Of course, occurring IN all these
States and provinces. On the coast there IL an
appearance Of modcrnity which seems TO held out
hope of better things though it must be said that
what Mr.. Ford has TO tell about the new canals
does not promise very highly for the immediate
future Panama Is not the only place where there
has been apparent waste and carcessness. and the
natives who are naturally and by training cynical,
cannot have gained from their observations OF
foreigners very high opinion OF foreign integrity
All the numerous revolutions touched upon in these
pages. and the like Of which have been and are
still taking place. are punctuated with fraud and
plumber That goes as a matter Of course. no
matter who wins. and the poor people naturally
grow to care very little which dog is on top know
ing we'll that their turn will come TO be worried
in either case
Mr.. Ford has given his readers rich panoramic
Wow OF the unsettled. half-developcd region
through which he took his course. and he has been
w fnlI and careful in all his statisfcs and state