Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-06
NAVASSAx ISLAND
Reports of More Trouble There Have
Been Received.
THE EXTENSIVE REVOLT IN 1889
Conclusions of "a Board Of Naval
Officers.
p r o B A B LE A G L 1 0 n

Reports have been received of more
trouble on the Navassa Island. 1t Is pos
sible that the aid of the federal authori-
ties may be invoked to restore peace and
good order The Island of Navassa is
one of the very few of the West Indian
group under the Jurisdiction CT the United
States. 1t contains guano deposits, and
is owned and operated by the. Navassa
Phosphate Company Its Inhabitants are
almost exclusively employees of that COM
pany, and their Internal rows and dis
sensions have called for the frequent in
tervention of this government.
The Revolt I'm 1850.
A revolt among the laborers occurred In
September. 1881. resulting in the killing or
some of the agents of the company, caus-
ed. as the laborers claimed. by cruel treat
ment. These men were arrested and tried
in the United States court at Baltimore,
undei section 1916 Of the statute referred
to, as if the offenSes had been committed
on beard a merchant vessel of the United
States en- the high seas. There appeared
on the trial such evidences of the bad
treatment of the en- that, in conSldera-
ton of this and of the fact that the men
had no access to any public officer or tri-
bunal for protcctiol or the redress OF their
Wrongs, President Harrison committed the
death sentences thlt had been passed by
the court upon three of them. In April,
1891. the Presidents attention was again
called to this lSlanI, and to the unregu-
lated condition of things there, by q letter
from cofored laborer, who complained
that he was wrongfUlly detained upon the
island by the phosphate company after the
expiration of his contract of service.
Results of "a Naval Board of Inquiry.
naval vessel was sent to examine into
the case of this man and generally into
the condition of things on the island. 1t
was found that the laborer referred to had
been detained beyond the contract limit
and that condition Of revolt again en-
listed among the laborers. A board of naval
officers reported, among other things, as
follows:
We would desire to state further that
the discipline maintained on the island
seems TO he that Of a convict establish
ment, without its comforts and cleanliness.
and that, until more attention is paid TO
the shipping OF laborers, by placing ii I'M
der gov erBment supervision to prevent mis-
understanding and, Misrepresentation, and
until some ameliora tfon is shown in the
treatment of the laborers these disorders
Will be of constant occurrence"
The Presidents ton.
In his message to Congress the President
referred to this su6jeSt and recommended
legislation that would place labor contracts
upon this and other islands having the ;e-
lation that Navassal has to the United
States under the SUPERVISION of a court
commissioner, and thai should provide. at
the expense of the, owners, an officer TO
reside upon the iGlaEds, with power TO
judge and adjust Disputes and to enforce n
Just and humane treatment of the en-
ployes. a,., ...
III is inexcusahle,"'t said. that Amer
lean labvrers should he left within our
own Jurisdiction Rithtrr Access to any gov
ernment officer or ltr.bunal for their pro
lection and the rSlrcs,,of their wrongs.
In view of this record IL is believed that
the present ADMINISTRATION will rot lend a
deaf ear to the appeals for assistance in
the present troubles.