The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30
WHERE BLACK MEN RULE.
RetTOgTeSSiOn Of Haiti UBdeT NEGRO
Domination.

"AoAo man AAche Is vie Stories
fcannfbalism.
Fannie 3. Ward, in Philadelphia Record.
Port au Prince, Haiti. Dec. 1o.-If you
aspire TO be absolutsly correct in the
pronunciation Of the various names Of
this island, you must first unIearn that
which the school teachers drilled into
your youthful brain. They 1.-THE teachers)
conscientlously followed the American
Biographies, every one OF which Is away
or in the matter Neither "Hayti" nor
San Domingo" is correct. Columbus
christened the island Espanola-pro-
nounced Es-pan-yo-lah meanins Little
Spain" The name Santo mot sam Do
mongo-Do-meen-go he gave TO the city
founded by his brother, Bartholomew;
and it is now applied to all the Spanish
speaking half of the island Haiti is the
French attempt at spelling the original
Indian name which is supposed to have
some reference in the Carib language
to its sky-piercing mountains. II should
be spelled Ha-i-ti. with double dot over
the /. TO show that the al IL not blended.
but each letter sounded. Hence the prop
er rendition is not Hay-u. as Americans
call 1t, but Haw-ee-tee; though many peo-
pie hereabOuts adopt the Spanish prouun-
citation, dropping the p, and calling It
Eye-tee.
We We're strongly advised not to visit
the Black Republic at all, but to give 1t
as wide birth as possible. An ex-consul
of the United States, who resided several
years in Haiti. assured us that to enter
any OF its nlthy. fever-haunted cities is
like taking ones life in ones hand, by
reason of dirt-engendered diseases, and
the perils of perpetual revolutions. not
TO mention the prevalence of private muir
der and robbery. He declared that every
desirable element of civilization is almost
wiped out in the decadence of the island
under negro rule, am that the vast ina
jority Of the swarming black population
are sunk in barbarism deeper than that
of the aboriginal tribes of Central Africa.
Haiti has 100000 population, double that
of Santo Domingo, though with much
less area, and fully seven-eighths of the
people are pure blacks the rest Except an
inhnitesimal number OF foreigners) being
"Creoles," so-called. in reality, mulat-
toes. Nevertheless, the historic interest
of the island is very great; and so is its
study as u political experiment in The way
of negro self-government. Espanola was
the pride OF Columbus heart. He looked
upon it as the Ophir of Solomon, and Eden
without blemish, the fairest and richest
of all the lands he had discovered. and
truly, there is no spot on earth more beau
tiful than this garden of the golden ocean.
The glimmering domes Of it's mountains
rise to the clouds IN an atmosphere Of
living light, like the tabled palaces of
the gods, and the rivers descend through
wales of wondrous beauty TO the suyery
sands of palm bordered coVes; nature IS
at once colossal ana prodigal and dazzling
brightness is everywhere. IL was the seat
of the first Spanish colony in the new
world, the objective point of all the adven-
turous spirits of those days Of maritime
emulation; and its soil has been bathed
in European blood as we'll as that of the
aboriginal Inhabitants. For more than 600
years it was the arena Of fierce struggles
between the French, Spanish and Eng
lish; passing alternately under the doml-
nation of each Of these powers; until
finally, near the beginning Of the present
century, it achieved Independence.
To-day YOU may search the wide world
over to find such paradise, given over
to so vile and worthless a population.
Philanthropists to the contrary notwith-
standing, the experiment Of African self
rule has been a signal failure even here
where the race has enjoyed unparalleled
advantages Since the year 1904 the
black man has had things all his own
way Ill Etdllis anu HAS DCtu ulOffB uNtl
lord of the country, unhampered by pol
itical disabilities, prejudices or degrad-
ing memories. This is the only country
in the Western hemisphere where the
negroes are the rulers. legislators, judges,
generals authors, artists-and where the
white man is indebted TO The black for
liberty TO live. BY the Haitian constitu-
ton the white race has no legal rights
which anybody is bound to respect. They
cannot own real estate nor hold mort
ga ges for longer than nine years, nor
become citizens, consequently can neither
vote nor attain political position. Even
if they marry Haitian women, they can
not inherit their landed property, but
only the proceeds of il when sold at pub
lie auction. They are not allowed TO
engage in the retail trade, and are not
eligible to the bar. the bench. military
honors nor any civil distinction what
ever They may be mechanics, teachers,
clerks, engineers, lessees Of estate, or
servants in any capacity to the black
lords of the island. They may be whole
sale merchants Qor that requires more
money, learning and enterprise than be-
longs to the native Haiten) and all
the foreign trade is in the hands Of for
eigners. chiefly English, French ana a
few Americans. Some of them would
roll up colossal fortunes in few years
time, if they were permitted to set away
lust as the merchant has accumulated
a competence. an incendiary fire sweeps
his warehouses out of existence, or his
goods are plundered by q band of So
called ''revouuonists' and he has to
give up the ship. or begin the weary
death-in-life all over again. Exemplary
conduct on the part, OF the whites en-
a bles them to somewhat live down" the
disadvantages attached to their unfortu-
nate color-or the lack. of it---so as TO
meet with courteous treatment. and in
isolated cases almost social equality with
their dark-skined superiors. It is indeed
refreshing to find one spot I'm Republican
America where the shoe is on the other
foot in the matter Of color, and It is a
pity that all our abolition friends cannot
come down and enjoy it. The Haitian /
flag is significant. 1t is the old french [
flag with the colcrs reversed and the /
white entirely stricken out the red ana
the blue placed horizontally.
But the result of almost q century Of I
negro rule is not encouraging to advo-
Gates of the theory that all men are ere |
ated equal Every trace Of the tine old !
civilization of the ancient regime" under I
the polished French planters-whens the /
capital was appropriately called the Paris /
OF the West Indies'-has vanished, and /
rho lovely island has retro2raded from E