The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-01-13

more treasure-trove within his empire
than exists elewhere on the worlds sur
face
Tenthly, he has busted himself very much
about the reorganization OF the judicial
administration. 1t is probable than the
sultan means to do the best he can. He
has certainly taken no end of trouble about
it, Eleventhly, he has paid some attention
to the construction of railways, the making
of roads. and the supply of the necessary
appliances of civilization to the cities of
mis- empire. 1t is true that ali there are
but mere fragmentary trifles. Still. such
as they are, they must be taken into ac-
count
What He Has Done of Ill.
II these be the good deeds of Abdul
Hamid, what his evil deeds? From
the point of view of the house of Ottoman
his evil deeds are two, neither of which
count for much with his most acrimonious
critics. and both of which can be explained
and excused as the natural result of the
circumstances under which he came to
the throne.
His Neglect of the Fleet
First and foremost, and worst of all. he
has neglected his fleet He imperled his
empire I'm order to prevent it passing into
the hands of the Russians. lie has al
lowed it to perish of red rust and decay.
The ironclads are still anchored In the
Bosphorus. but they can neither fight nor
steam. when the Kiel canal was opened
sembled in honor of the new International
highway, the sultan found that in all his
navy there was only one ironclad whose
boilers could be trusted to hold out for so
long a voyage as that from Constanunople
TO Kiel and back. AS the result of this
neglect of the navy, his capital ~ today
al the mercy of the car. The Russian
Black Sea fleet could any night force
the entrance to the Bosphorus, and place
Constantinople under fire of their guns
Constantinople is now to all intents and
purposes the fief OF Russia. The sultan,
as the Russians say, Is the cars dvornik
or concierge, the keeper OF the back door
~ the Russian empire. The sultan has
10 nav Russia for seventy years to come
n tr butte of c3j0O00 per annum. Whenever
he fails to pay up Russia can levy execu-
ton; nor is there an iroaclad In the Turk
fish fleet to say the Russians nay. Even
Greece Is able nowadays 70 hold her own
AGAINST the once puissant ottoman. Turkey
once one of the greatest Of sea powers
has now ceased TO be power at all, oven
i'm her own waters. 10 allow the hCet
10 molder down 10 rusty ruin, that Is the
worst offense 10 he alleged against the
sultan from the point Of vsw of an otto
man.
Paralysis from Decentralization.
The second great fault Of Ahdui Hamlh
has been the paralysis of his adrlinlstri'-
ton due 10 the congested centraE1alloh VI
his empire. As he persists in doing exery-
thing himself things don't get done. ihcte
ia a vast accumulation of arrears OF WORK
always before him 1T used to ne sala OF
our lords Of the admiralty that 'itS -
kept so busy signing paper az Vtiy ~ ~
had no time left i'm which to thiIk OF w
ncet at all. So fl is with the sultan NIX
Shaw Lefevrc says ,..;.,, 90
his government 80 small or trivial that y
docs not come before him pc5so''tt. ~. ~
Eis approval ana signature ne 't ~:
Emha aSadOr "a an Illustration pA t'''7'
told mo that he could not set ms steam
launch repaired IN the TurlSh upchSdL
m his own expense. without the matter go
tIan tagrl
Another ex-ambassador said that IN q"
interview Mt the palace the sultan com
pla'u'd Of overwork; and ponI.u 10 ~
hrap Of papers on his table on Whlch bla
decision was required. The aHDaS-atIul;
CHANGING his eye at the papers. observer
thnt the first Of thcm consisted or rtoncS,u
ro..rlIat io0s for n cafe chantant in Fora
The result IS paralysis nothing y Nv
tended 10 in the right time. and everything
gets out of joint.
Poverty OF the Peasants.
Tho financial condition OF the empire ~
much improved from the point OF view or
mo etaclg exchange. But there is reason 20
fear that tho Improvement h ottoman
credit has been achieved ~ leFNihG l'1N"9
wi n a severity which SIS dritd "p iile
sources of the prosperity OF IN, trsas S ~
lntrz~hati,3ral cor-v. -. tat a-tne public
ucbt. reported a.. tia4y' ~ - ISL th'1
the condition OF things 40 INC pIoN-L~''
was growing desperate -
1.-THE peasant I'M the Interior mas r'hu'tt
his wants 70 their Simplest t&pr'-s."il, '1,t
signs are to hand which show HIM 10 "e
less and less able to purchase the rev
nccassarjes no requires. For instance IL
few wears ago I'm any decent peasant house
hold COPPER cooking utensils were 20 "
seen Now they are scarcely 10 pc iouAn'
and they have been sold 70 fO"ct ute pres
ing needs Of The moment Nhctr place mas
been taken by clay utensils; and, N NE
case Of the more atiiuenr by IRON ! ~"
no5s,.r,t's chief expenses lie IN his women
foI:. who require print stuGs for their
dresses ard linen FOR their uuderciotnIiI|-
but OF these ne gets as little as pCsslhle
since. as often as not. he cannot pay lor
them. This smalncss of margins IS one
Of the reasons why The amount of ifnpor-
tations increases so slowly. The peasant
hardly ever pays for his purchases IN cash;
what little he has goes in taxes. lie eitccts
his purchases by barter. Another signihcAnt
sian is the increase of brgandage which
mas taken place. Now bands Of brgands
are continually spriuging up; reports from
tho interior are ever bringing 70 our knowl-
edge some fresh acts of violent ROBBERY.
Tyhis Simply means that men desperately
poor, and refusing to staive' take 10