The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-13
Sir Claude Mcdonald
Ideal empire Builder
How EnglandS Most Famous Colonial Governor Achieved
His Reputation Quick and lnciSive, But Still
Kindly-Cured Chinese Emperor.

thinks that a quick temper is an attri-
butte of woman. For one who shows il
he can have no respect This is a
weakness in both the Germans and
French colonial officers Englishmen
are lust the opposite. and take care
never to show temper in dealing with
the native African For this reason
the empire is highly thought of among
these savages- A negro under British
suzerairty will resent abuse by a con-
tractor or employer. You fog me-
one will often hear him say. mo. sir.
we are Englishmen. They stand by
this right as staunchly as st. Paul
claimed protection as a Roman citizen.
You never hear a negro boast of being
q German or a Frenchman-
To Act as Governor
With the natives of the Houssa dis
trict Mcdonald was held in alteration.
He was the first governor who did not
make an attempt TO abolish Mahomme-
danism, the followers OF which are nu-
merouS on the west coast. Inc
HousSa natives were allowed to build
mosques and not required to drill in the
early morning and evening, the best
time of the day for work in that coun-
try. This gave opportunity for the
prayers and Sir Claude's thoughtfulness
was so much appreciated that the
Houssa troops became the best and
most loyal on the coast.
He did not interfere with polygamy
either and with witchcraft only when
asked to. Witchcraft is practiced all
through Central and South Africa. and
the person accused of being a witch is
required to go through some ordeal to
disprove it, such as holding the hand
in boiling water. drinking poison and
being thrown in the river with the
hands tied. ,Oftentimes the accused
one, demanded such a trial and then
Sir Claude did not interfere. If APP
pealed to he gave protection.
In all his administration his aim was
to give the negro civilization only 50
fast as he could digest it. He did not
abolish slavery at a swoop. but made
laws whereby those in bondage could
gradually buy their freedom. He i'm
posed no custom duties on the native
to hamper trade. until they demanded
them. He made them observe no s5ni-
tary laws until the negroes took exam
pie from the cleanliness of the whites
and began to follow 1t. He did not
believe in missionaries spending thou
sands of dollars to establish schools,
but waited for the native to gradually
develop them himself as he saw their
advantage in the whites.
After Sir Claude had been at Ole
Calabar awhile a general tidying up
among the natives became evident.
They saw this man get up every MORN
ing bright and early. take a cold bath.
shave, put on clean suit of white
duck and appear each day as immacu-
late as though just out of a bandbox.
as the saying is. The example told
and had its effect in many a native
tribe.
Only one person that I saw could not
appreciate its results. remarked the
narrating surgeon, and this man. by
the way, was the only person L ever
saw whom Sir Claude could not quite
understand. The governor was leaving
Old Calabar and had mounted the deck
of a royal mail steamship. While
standing there he spoke harshly to "a
servant for not polishing his boots
more brightly.
An American who had not long had
his citizen papers thereupon made an
impudent and uncalled for remark, and
someone called him down.
do you know who that is?' he in
why. it's Sir, Claude. Mcdonald.
governor of West Africa
We'll" said the other in loud voice.
what do l care if he is a sir. or a lord.
or a duke. I'm an American. and in
our country we recognize no titles
Everyone is equal in America. Every
one is a king"
Mcdonald looked at the man in Won
derment for awhile. and then. lighting
a cigar, walked away seemingly mys-
titled. ALLEN SANGREE-