Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-07-28


,ernAl Attempts at Reform.
Nd intelligent man can study the
history Of the Turkish empire with
Eont being struck by the fact that as
soon as the Turks ceased to be con.
querors. and 10 live upon the booty
won and upon the tribute wrung
from srbjugated peoples, their
power began to decay and crunnble.
They proved themselves utterly un.
able to keep pace with the mental
progress and the industrial develop
ment of Europe, and wholly devoid
OF any administrative capacity The
population Of the Turkish empire re-
mains divided substantially into only
three ciasses-the officers and en-
pioyes Of the government, military
and civil; the merchants, large and
small; and the agriculturtsts-with
slight sprinkling of handicrafts-
men. The civil officers, excepting
the highest, have always been very
poorly salaried, having to exc out
their living by corrupt practices and
extortions, The administration is
so rotten that q large part Of the
heavy taxes levied never reaches the
government, and that large por-
ton Of the money actually turned in
IS never applied to public purposes.
The Mussulmans. the ruling class,
have remained ruthless fanatics Of
their religious faith, never sincerely
believing that the "infidei dogs"
were entitled to any rfghts at all,
and the many millions Of Christians
living under the Turkish scepter
have always been the victims OF more
or less cruel and rapacious oppres-
sion. So it has been since the be-
ginning Of the Turkish empire. and
so it is now.
The Armenian maSsacres, which
at present are arousing the indigna-
ton of Christendom, are therefore
only a returning outbreak OF a
chronic condition, differing perhaps
from former outbreaks in degree,
but not in kind. Similar occurrences
the Bulgarian atrocities" are
well remembered by the present
generation-have repeatedly called
for interference by European powers.
On such occasions the sultan would
always promise thorough reforms,
but the promises have uniformly re-
NAMED unfulflled. The treaty of
Berlin, which followed the Turco-
Russian war of 1878, contained
solemn engagements on the part Of
the sublime porte to protect the
Armenians against the Kurds and
Circassians, and to guarantee to all
religions equal freedom, opening to
all Turkish subjects, irrespective Of
belief, access to public Office. What
has become of these engagements
the world knows. 1t is true there Is
among the Moslems themselves a
progressive element endeavoring to
accomplish thorough reform Of the
government Of the empire. Twenty
years ago this element succeeded in
bringing about the calling Of par
liamentary assembly with view to
the establishment of representative
institutions. But this project did
not survive the first trial, and things
quickly relapsed into their former
state Of stagnation and rottenness.
Recently the so-called Young Turk
ish" party has set on foot a vigorous
agitation for similar purposes, and
gained considerable following. The
most prominent and popular Of its
leaders, Izzed Pasha, was arrested
and promptly died in PRISONS
rumor has it, tortured to death tc
extort further confessions from him
Many members Of the Young Turk
ish party were thrown into dun
geons, and, as the cable reported
so, who had taken part in TIT
Armenian instruction, put in sack
} and drowned in the Bosphorus. =
Harper's Weekly.