The sun., 1898-10-05
rHE BRrrTsH Wrsr rvDrra
An Old Resident of the Islands Sees Hope
Only in Annexation.

absorption or annexation by this country OF
the truth OF this 1 do not think there can be
| any doubt Recent events have rendered IL
| impossible that these islands can for long re-
main separated from their natural affinity.
and the distressful condition in which they are
economically is hasteninR the time when they
| will be compelled to seek shelter under the
Stars and Stripes or revert to barbarian.
The agony Of the sugar planters OF the
British West Indian Islands has been q long
one. Tho frst blow that struck them was the
emancipation OF their slaves in 1894 Al
| though large sum Of money was voted In
compensation by the British Parliament a
good proportion o! Il did not get as far as the
pockets OF the ex-slaveholders. but went in all
kinds OF legal expenses. commissions to tho
different islands ana in other ways. Tho
emancipation was followed by troubles with
the freed slaves, They had become imbued
with the idea that with their freedom they
were also entitled to plot OF ground on which
they could build hut and cultivate their yams
and sweet potatoes; and that idea still sur
wives in the minds Of their descendants. The
planters had great difficulty in procuring
steady labor. and in nearly all the islands
there were riots, burnlnRs Of fields and build
inRs and conflicts with the troops.
In Jamaica, previous to the emancipation.
there was the still remembered war with the
Maroons. the runaway slaves who had taken
refuge In the mountains and turned them into
an Alsatia for other escaped slaves and fugitives
from justice. In that war. which lasted several
years. many thousands Of British soldiers per-
ished Of disease and by bullets. and 1t was only
ended by the British Government agreeing to
recognize certain privileges demanded by the
Maroons on condition that they ceased to har-
Dor runaways. Nothing came Of this arrange
ment. the desertions Of slaves from the planta-
tions going on as before. Among the Maroons
were said to have been descendants OF the irish
and Scotch slaves, who were deported in the
early days OF the colonies before the African
slave trade was regularly established to supply
labor. It was the voice Of wiberforce and
the expense Of keeping up the labor supply
combined that eventually brought about the
emancipation.
The next blow the West Indian sugar plant
ers received was perhaps the severest Of all.
That was when the law was passed In the Brit
ish Parliament edualizinG the duties on free
grown and slave-grown sugar. 1t came on the
West Indies and the Mauritius like a stroke OF
paralysis from which they have never recov-
cred. The same act that brought ruin to the
British planter poured wealth into the pocket
Of the Spanish planter Of Cuba and Porto Rico
and the news Of 1t was celebrated at Havana
with illuminations and great rejoicing.
As the years passed the British planters
managed to worry along somehow. Not few
were utterly ruined and dropped out OF the
struggle. but others Of them. by dint OF econ
omy improved methods and personal superin-
tendence. were able to keep their heads above
water. The absentees. as q rule. went under.
and many estates on which advances had been
made. sometimes for two aud three years
crops ahead. passed out OF the hands Of
their owners With the spread OF educa-
tion among the negroes, labor became
moro difficult to control. and questionable
methods were sometimes resorted to to
compel the laborers to work for such wages
as the employers were able or willing to pay.
These measures were invariably followed by
riots and disturbances that had to be quelled
by armed force. as happened in st. Vincent,
Jamaica. and other islands during the last
thirty years. In st. Vincent the Council passed
an ordinance for the cutting down OF the bread
fruit trees. as during the fruiting season the
negroes could not be got to work. Tho riots
that followed this measure were promptly sup
pressed. but the Colonial Office disallowed the
act. The rising In 1885 under Gordon, In ia
maica. was demonstration to obtain by force
what the people had been unable to secure by
political methods. Gordon was illegally exc
cuted. and advantage was taken Of the rising
to deprive the island Of its constitutional privi-
ickeS uuu mdho IL again u cTOWu
Every form and device in the way of govern
ment has been tried by the British Colonial
Office on these unhappy islands. but the only
result has been to increase the expense Of gov
ernment without augmentinG the capacity Of
the people to pay their taxes. Labor and tax
riots have Of late years become almost normal
features OF life In the British West Indies. and
Dominica. st. Kits Montserrat and other
islands have within recent times been the
scenes Of trouble attended by loss OF life The
public debts Of the islands In 1Sa6-o7 aggre-
gated the very respectable sum of $17.745.140
settled on population of 1.350.0O0. the bulk
OF which is composed OF laborers engaged in
agriculture. The numbers Of high-salaried
officials holding their places under the patron
age OF the British Colonial Office Is abnor-
mally large for the needs Of government and
constitutes one OF the heaviest of the bur-
dens that have to be borne by an impoverished
people.
The conference that has met at Barbados
has been so far unable to do more than recite
grievances and utter querulous complaints of
the bad treatment received from the mother
country. oblvious or regardless OF the fact that
the mother country could not, in it's own inter-
est aot otherwise than 1t has, and that being
only colonies. they as the lesser, have been sac
rifced to the greater. The doles that are to be
dealt out TO the West Indian Islands are at the |
best only palliatives and makeshifts. They |
afford no cure for the ills inherent in the eco
nomic condition Of the islands or for the polti-
cal evils arising out OF it, The West Indiana
are suffering that the British people may enjoy
cheap sugar. That is plain description of the
situation, and the money voted for their relief
is given as aims, to keep them quiet. in the
hopes Of something turning up from the Cana
dian conference. or as the result of special
negotiations at Washington.
Before concluding. an incident that came
under my own observation In connection with
the disabilities under which the West Indian
planters labored seems worth mentioning. An
American sailing vessel. trading regularly to |
the West Indies. touched at one OF the islands |
for cargo, 1t was during the civil war; when |
prices ruled high in this country. but although |
the best offer was made. neither sugar rum |
nor molasses could be procured to load the |
ship. and she returned to New York in ballast.
The reason. briefly stated. was that the own |
H..