The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-25
RIPE FOR REVOLUTION
DESCENDANTS OF MAROONS MAKING
TROUBLE IN JAMAICA.
Impoverished by Greedy Landlords,
They Threaten to Retaliate by
Robbing Their OppressOrs.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

| Correspondence of the Associated Press.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct 1S-For the
last two or three weeks the attention of the
! outside world has been specially directed
| to this island by the condition of incipient
! rebellion said to have been reached by the
alleged Maroon tribesmen, who inhabit the
mountain Businesses from the eastern to
the western end of the province. The for
midable mountain tribesmen of Jamaica are,
after all. nothing but "a myth. The Maroons
practically ceased to exist. a. generation ago.
After their subjugation in 1898 the Maroons
were assimilated with the other Inhabitants
of the island. the only difference being that
they were held on reservations for the pur-
pose of restraint
Retiring to their respective reservations,
the Maroons became I'M time, almost for
gotten people, The elders chung together,
but the younger assimilated by degrees with
the surrounding population. In this way
the Maroons were gradually mixing with the
people of the island when the negro rebel
lion of 1863 broke out This brought them
again to the front. They assisted the gov
eminent forces and saved the day for them.
For weeks these people, the last of the
Maroons, stood between law and order on
the one hand, red riot, pillage and carnage
on the other until the English troops could
be got into action For this service some
additional grants of land were made to the
tribe Since 1863 the last survivors of the
original, pure Maroon stock have died out.
The younger generation, while inheriting
the tribal characteristics, are essentially
only ordinary Jamaican peasants, pro-
prietors and citizens, without a shadow or
special privilege. But traditions die hard,
and the tradition of the Maroon tribe. aided
by few geographical names and the con-
centration of property, has survived the
tribe, not only in the popular mind, but in
the mind of the government as WELL so that
it took the government some time to realize
the exact facts of the case.
The recent trouble is the old land question,
raised TO an acute crisis by the deplOrable
industrial condition OF the island. Owing
to the success OF European bounty-pald
beet sugar in killing the West Indian cane
sugar INDUSTRY, for which Great Britain is
clearly responsible, nearly all the sugar es-
tates have been abandoned. Fruit cuitiva-
ton has been substituted to large extent,
but this cannot support a teemng populd-
ton of 100000 as the sugar industry qid ana
could The result is that the island IS To-
day overrun by thousands or unemployed
and for the most part starving negro LABOR
erS
1t is quite true that no one need starve
in this tropical paradise where the land
answers profusely to the mere ticking. Bu5
that presupposes possession OF land, ana
here is where the trouble comes IN Inc
land is held by landlords and cannot be
got by the working people. The peasant
proprietary form a comparatively small
class of the population. Many Landlords VIII
neither sell nor rent their lands. Those
who agree TO do so impose the conuitlon
that bananas are not to be cultivated, as
their cultivation might glut the market
where the landlords now enjoy monopoly.
AS nothing else that has q quick growth
can find a market in these days, the people
decline to take up lands on such terms. 1t
&c hrtp
create widespread dissa tisfactlon. Tine land
lords are held Immediately responsible, the
government remotely so. On the Whole,
Therefore the island is ripe for the out
break of popular. disturbances but the
ability to bring these about is lacking ana
so is the opportunity.
At this crisis, in accordance with the pop
ular notion that so-called sMaroons are
sensitive on the subject Of their alleged
rights and privileges, certain ardent ana
irresponsible spirits have taken advantage
of this disposition TO stir up the descendants
of the Maroons TO make preposterouS claims
and commit trespass in the nope OIL attain
ing some personal gain. Most OF the as
satisfied negroes are only too glad to listen,
believing some material benent may result
to themselves or that the opportunity may
arise to pillage the properties of the mated
landlords and others This IS what nearly
happened at Annette bay fortnight ago
when the woud-be MaroOns ralded Fyfes
Pen and actually resisted the police for
time successfully Any prolonged success
would inevitably have precipitated general
negro uprising. but the appearance OF a
strong reinforcement, backed up by white
troops settled the matter The irritating
conditions. however, remain unaltered, and
there is little doubt that the price of the
maintenance of peace and of order on the
island for some time TO come will be con-
! slant vigilance and prompt action on the
part of the government.
Meanwhile the country and the govern
ment have TO face the interesting situa-
| ton which led 10 feverish popular fear
| and the actual calling out of imperial
| troops TO meet a fierce and threatening
@rf1> ~ mo "a w
! disappeared from the pages of history a
| quarter of a century ago.
Land Tb'c Act Upheld.