The record-union., 1894-02-15

! Turkish lads amuse themselves by
| tauntlug, tantaizing or beating Armeni-
ans going quietly about their business in
| the streets, and the Turkish police re-
main entirely oblivlous OF such lawless-
ness, unless the Armenian, goaded be-
You'd endurance, turns upon them, when
he is dragged OIL 10 prison.
Robbers Waylay and strip Armenians
! OF their Valuables in the most open man.
ner, with the c0nnivance of the police,
with whom they atterward divide the
spoil. Ii the person who is robbed
| brings complaint. he and his witnesses
are cast into prison TO await the trial and
are frequently poisoned.
II an Armenian shows exceptional
ability, especially in Constantinople, the
Turkish Government seeks him out and
gives him an Office; temptation is laid IN
his way; spies are sent to watch him, and
II he is caught in any derelictiOn, he is
imprisoned and there poisoned. Hagob
! Pasha was one of many who suffered this
! fate.
Your revolutionary fathers rebelled at
! the British stamp tax. Under Turkish
/ law, every copy OF every newspaper
! issued must bear the Government stamp;
but if this were all, or even q large part
OF the demands on them, Armenians
would consider themselves most happy,
and would pray Tor lie and happiness for
the Sultan; not engage III Sedluon against
him.
Here are few of the taxes which are
imposed upon them, not as citizens OF
Turkey, but as Christians; III fact, the
whole system of persecution which is
leveled against them is at their Christ
/ ianity, not at their ArmenianiSm. If they
would but give up their religion, they
might at once roll from their shoulders
the weight of wrongs which oppress
them, and become honored citizens of the
Moslem Empire, and hold high offices
/ under ii.
The 'Christian dogs' of Armenians
are not allowed TO serve as soldiers in the
army of the faithful. In lieu Of such
! prohibited service, however, they are
taxed in tho most unusual ways. Each
! individual tax is comparatively light; but,
IN the aggregate, they prove crushing
weight upon Armenian industry. Here
are some OF the impOStS to which they
are subjected:
Every male child born to Christian
family is taxed thirty piastres Isl 2O) per
! year, from birth till death.
| When he reaches the age of fifteen
/ years the law assumes that he is able to
earn 900 piastres per year, whether he
| actually is able to earn it or not, and an
additional thirty piastres is levied against
this supposittious income. This income
tax is increased year by year as be grows
older, and, presumably, able to earn
more.
II, by purchase or inheritance, he comes
into possession Of any land, he is taxed
thirty piastres per year upon each 1000
piasters in its value.
II he builds a house he is taxed 80
piastres per 900 OF its cost.
Ii he cultivates any ground he must
pay 30 piastres per year per 900 on the
| ,l,ro ,1tH,
per cent. OF the value of the crops.
Orchards and vineyards pay tax of 10
! per cent on the value OF the product,
which product is estimated from the bios
SONS in the spring and collected in the
fail on that basis, even though, on ac-
! count OF an untaVOrabIe season, no fruit
| is raised.
/ Cows, sheep and goats are taxed pias-
tres each.
l. Ii any two European nations 60 to war
special impOst OF from TO 800 piastres
each is levied upon the Christians for the
MOBILIZATION OF the Turkish army.
Every Armenian labOrer who owns an
|. implement, such as an ak, or pickaX, is
taxed plastres.
81 Day by day the taX-gatherers, accom-
panied by one or more gendarmes, go
from house TO house. The delinquent is
dragged UnceremOniously into the street
tby the coat-coIiar and the unpaid tax de-
tmandeG. Perhaps he is engaged in weav-
ling a piece Of cloth or rug, from the sale
tof which he expects to realize money to
Ipay the impost. In that case a few pias-
tires dropped into the palm of the official
will give him immunity for the time be-
ling. but if he has nothing with which to
IDay the tax or bribe the taX-gatherer,
| with what is known as tobacco money!"
| he is trotted Oft to prison. Confined there,
lhis wife. or other relatives, must feed
| him, for the Government will not, though
II he starVe. Not infrequentIy the children
must 90 hungry to save the father from
starving in prison. If the wife or other
Relatives cannot raise the amount of the
tax. then the officials enter the house and
carry away everything portable, even to
| the bedding and Kitchen utensils, ana sell
| them at auction for whatever they will
! bring.
Finally, at the end of the year, what
! ever part of the taxes remains unpaid is
returned as delinquent TO the elders OF
! the Christian church Of tho district, who
are compelled to assess the amount
against those Of the members who are
able to pay.
All of this, let it be remembered, is di-
rect taxing by the Turkish Government,
for which the Christians receive no return
no even protection from private plum
dering, rapine and murder.
For the support Of their schools and
churches, and for the improvement of
their cities, they must tax themselves.
! In the city OF ZaytoOn, in the province
! of Cilicia, the taxes were so inordinate
| that the inhab bitants offered TO surrender
| the land, with all Of the improvements
upon il, to the Government in payment
of the lmpoSt. AS matter of fact, the
taxes amounted to five times the value of
| the property and the Government refused
TO accept it. As the inhabitants could not
endure it they tried to rebel, and the Gov
ernnent sent six regiments Of soldiers
there. The people. driven by despera-
ton, defended themselves as best they
could being without firearms, and many
were killed before the so-called sedition
was put down.
Babig, young man of exceptional
! ability and Of great popul larity with his
countrymen, got together band OF
| twenty eight friends, armed themselves
as best they could with tlint-lock mus
kets and otDer antiquated weapons. and
! fled to the mountains which surround
! Laytoon. and, with a view to bringing the
! desperateness of the situation to the
| knowledge of the Government at Con-
stantinopIe, issued from their retreat from
time 10 time and attacked a Turk ish out
post.
Finding that Babig was not man to be
trifled with, the Government sent HIM a
special pardon for past oltenses and made
| him commander OF the mountain guard
for the protection Of caravans, in which
he did most efficient service. But the
! Turkish Government WAS not done with
him. lie was invited 10 the wedding OF the
| son of a retired Pasha, III the city of Mar
ash. and, in accordance With the custom OF
the country, gave presents to the servants
of the groom. The presents were quite
! lavish, and tie groom, protesting jeal-
/ ousy, hired a low character, who entered
! The banquet hail during the marriage
/ feast and assasSlnated the young Arne-
nian commander while sitting at the BAN
ouet table. The groom WAS not punished,
/ = I,nt insane