The Portland daily press., 1898-10-25
THE MAROoNs OF JAMAICA.
Some Interesting History and It's Rela-
tion to Present Conditions of Island.

Correspondence of the Associated Press
Kingston, Ja., October 1S-For the last
two or three weeks the attention of the
outside world has been specially directed
to this island by the incipient condition
of rebellion said to have been reached by
the alleged Maroon tribesmen, who in
habit the mountain fastnesses OF the
eastern and western ends Of the islands.
The formidable mountain tribesmen of
Jamaica are nothing but mythical sur
vival OF an historic people that practical
ly ceased to exist generation ago.
After the suppression In 1876 of the
Maroon rebellion the Maroons were rs
simulated with the other inha itants of
the island, the only difference being that
they were to be held on reservations for
the purpose of restraint. Retiring to their
reservations and keeping themselves
aloof the "common negroes" the Maroous
became.in time almost forgotten peO
pie. The elders ..clung together; but the
younger assimilated by degrees with the
surrounding populations. In this way the
Maroons were gradually mixing with the
people of the inland when the negro re-
beliion broke out in 1868. This brought
them again to the front They assisted the
governnen5 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 and red riot, pill
lage 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 1858, the last survivors OF the
original, pure Maroon stock, have died
out. The younger generation while inner
iting the tribal characteristics are essen
TALLY only ordinary Jamaican peasant
proprietors and citizens without shadow
of special privilege. But traditions die
hard, and the tradition of the Maroon
tribe aided by few geographical names
and the concentration Of property has
survived the tribe and this not only in
the popular mind, but in the mind of
the government as we'll, so that IT. took
the government some time to realize the
exact facts of the case.
This brings matters up to the recent
trouble, which is no more or less than tho
old land question. raised to an acute
crisis by the deplorable industrial condi-
tion of the island. Owing to the successes
OF European bounty fed beet sugar in
killing the West Indian cane sugar in
dustry-for which Great Britain is clearly
responsi ble-nearly all the sugar estates
have been abandoned. Fruit cultivation
but this cannot support teemin2 popu-
lation of 700, 600 as the sugar industry did
and coul The result is that the island
is Soday overrun by thousands of unem-
ploysd and for the most part starving
hborers-negroes Of course.
1t is quite true that no one need starve
in this tropical paradise, where the lnnd
answers profusely to the mere tickling
but that pre-supposes pNssession of the
land, and just here the trouble come in.
The land-the available land at least
Is held by landlords and cannot be got by
the working people The peasant proprie-
tary form g comparatively small class OF
the population.
Many landlords will neither sell nor
rent their lands. Those who agree to do
so impose the condition that bananas are
not to be cultivated, as their cultivation
might glut the market where the land
lords now enjoy monopoly. And, az
nothing else that has q quick growth finds
a market in these days, the people decline
to take up land on such terms.
1t Is inevitable that such a condition of
affairs should create widespread popular
dissatisfaction. The landlords are held
Immediately responsible, the government
remotely SO. On the whole, therefore,
the leland is ripe for the old popular dis
turbanoes. But the ability to bring these
about is lacking, and so is the opportuni-
ty. at this crisis, in accordance with
the popular notion that the so-oalled
Maroons are sensitive on the subject of
their alleged rights and privileges, certain
ardent and irresponsible spirits have
taken advantage OF this position to stir
up the descendants of the Maroons to
mako prepostsrous claims and commit
trespasses in the hope of attaining some
personal gain.
Most Of the dissatisfied negroes are
only too glad to encourage these tactics in
the belief that possibly some material
benefit may result to themselves or that
at least an opportunity may arise to pill
lage the properties OF the hated landlords
and others.
This is what nearly happened at An
nette bay fortnight ago, when the
Would-be "Maroons'' raided Fyfe's pen
and actually resisted the police for time
successfully ANY prolonged success would
inevitably have precipitated a general
negro uprising but the appearance OF
strong reinforcement, backed up by white
troops, settled the matter.
The Irritating condition, however, re-
mains unaltered and there is little doubt
that the price of the maintenance of
peace and order in the island lor some
time to come-until the disturbed indus
trial conditions have quieted down-will
be constant vigilance and prompt action
on the part of the government.
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