Evening journal., 1898-01-13
HAYrrs eILRER1IAN ARMY.
Nearly as Many Omcers as Privntes
In the BLACK Republic.

In the black RepubIic.
The army Of "the free and independ-
ent republic Of Hayti" is unique in that
it provides chairs for the use of its
sentries, lest they should get tired of
standing, like our young lady shop as
sistants. But then one cannot expect a
man, especially if he be a free and inde-
pendent republican, to work desperate
" hard for two shillings a week when
on duty, and one shilling when off, par
ticularly when he does not get it, and
has to provide his own uniform of rags
and tatters into the bargain. But, on
the other hand, there is always good
prospect of promotion in an army
which, in 1867, required $500 generals
and staff officers and 1000 regimental
officers to command 6,ooO privates, and
which more recently contained 1900
generals of division" in 10000 men.
Indeed, did not President Salnave
once convert penniless day laborer
into a general by a mere word? Enc
mics of the republic may argue that 1t
is also true that the same general was
shortly after caught in the act of steal-
ing a uniform from tailor's shop and
forthwith paraded round the capital on
O donkey by an indignant police
There areno class prejudices in Hayti
and even the least can hope to become
the greatest. For did not Capt. Sou
louque, of the Life guards, buy brand
new crown for $4,000 in 1862 and turn
himself into his imperial majesty, EN-
peror Faustin I. and dazzle all Eu-
rope by the magnifcence of his court,
with its 80 dukes and marquises and
earls innumerable? Even his very Sc
rene highness my lord the president
Christopher, afterward his imperial
majesty, Emperor Henry, with his
140 chamberlains and court calendar
''vying with our own" was once q mere
soldier.
True, not even every general can hope
to become an emperor or even a mere
president. Four republics andone king
dom at one and the same time in a
country the size Of Scotland are as
many as even Hayi has ever yet been
able to find room for hitherto, though
there may be better things in store for
her in the future. In the meantime, as
there are not republics and empires
enough TO go round, the 1900 generals
have to content themselves with G 140
year and gold lace ad libitum. Still,
a Haytian general need not do so badly,
even as things are, for who has better
right to act as paymaster to his soldiers
than their genreal? And if soldiers do
not come and ask for their pay who has
better right to It than that same gen
eral, while if they do have the impu.
dence to ask for it instead of patiently
waiting until it is given TO them what
officer Haytian) worthy of the name
would not fine them at least six weeks
pay for such an unheard-of breach oi
disciplined
There are not so many patriots il
Hayti but what It is sometimes littl'
difficult TO keep battalion up to it.
full strength, which is, perhaps, th'
reason why one recently paraded onl,
numbered ten officers, 13 men and 81,
drummers. But an enterprising colone
viii find an easy way out of that difi
Guilty by periodically senffng his men
armed with clubs, Into tbs streste {,
seize volunteers" No one is ever com
PEELED to do anything in the free an'
independent republic Of Hayti.
SO when parliament meets the signif
canoe Of the gaps in rows of member
is readily understood, and Mr.. Blacl
Rod sent off to the various barracks t
inspect the bleeding and tattered re
cruits and liberate the NJ. p
among them. The remainin;
volunteers may choose betwee.
serving their country for thei
love of it and paying the colonel s
much a week to be exempt. AS tn
colcneTs pay is c 40 year, he think
that the less love Of their country ther
is among his volunteers the better, an
perhaps this is the reason why tn
party ain" and the party "out" are in
porting alien soldiers to decide whic
shall be Gin" and which ''out. ."-Londo
Mail.