The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-31
THE NEGRO IN JAMAICA.
A Striking view of the Consequences OF tho
British Policy in That Island.

A Striking View of the Consequences OF tho
| British Policy in That Island.
To THE EpIron OF The Sun = Sir: The eco
| nomio conditions In Jamaica, growing pro-
excessively worse. have at last brought the peo-
pie face to face with the question OF surrehuer-
! ing their Constitution and the negro 10 to nR-
ure probably as the deciding factor In thht
important issue. unless tho Imperial author-
tiles alter their intentions. joseph Cham per
lain. England's Secretary OF state Tor the COZ,
onies. has declared that popular opinion VIII
! be copsnIted and that means that the Jamaica
. blacks will be heard Tho Imperial policy oil
Cancellation OF the negro has been carried 30
| far in the island. the consideration shown the
blacks has boen so marked In tho priVileges
| which have been granted them. and In which
the colonial administration has protected
| them. that they speak In no wavering tone NJ
every opportunity.
! That they will do 40 when II IL proposed TO
| curtail their privileges is certain. Such an
outcry might have boon expected even II II
| had not been indicated by the experience OF
| last spring. when they practically thwarted an
| attempt by the Governor to secure absolute
| administrative control OF tho colony They
| have come to regard themselves as owners OF
their island and ownership means TO them a
liberty that knows such limit as the right OF
| ones neighbor. That Is only recognized. as
RUE, dIJ6T a dispute tndJ may moio'J
| to voluble aquabbe or may attain the dignity
| OF an Issue at law. The British administrative
! authorities have given encouragement to this
| attitude through the operation OF the courts.
OF which the Negro Is very fond since
| he learned OF his good standing In them.
| 1t seems to cursory observation that the
black man in judicial cognizance 10 pro-
| sumed to be- always entitled to the favorable
conside ra ton OF the Court. in q case against a
white. even the traditional presumption OF In
nocence until guilt be shown being curiousy
modified. unless the white mans life Is in
volved Experience Of the safety OF self-asssr-
ton, carried even to the point Of oppression In
| the personal relation. has made the blacks
| assortivs to the degree almost OF dictation in
the face OF radical political innovations which
they choose to hold obnoxious.
| A comparative study Of the demeanor Of the
blacks in tho British and the Danish West In
dies shows to the casual traveller at glance
| the effect Of British tolerance on the aptitude
| OF the half-educated negro for the assumption
| Of an appare Mt but Fictitious importance. In
| the Danish islands the blacks behave pretty
much as In Northern cities. 90 far as their rela
| tions with the whites 20. while In Kingston.
for instance. where there are eight negroes to
one white. It Is no uncommon thing to see
white man or woman step to the side Of the
walk or into the street to get around obtru-
sive blacks OF either sex. who will become at
| once offensive II any effort Is made to force
them to yield due share OF the way.
or course. the white colonists and especially
visitors chafe under this condition OF affairs.
but they accept it rather than invite turmoil.
The usual comment OF an American visitor 10
that tho English have made a mistake in CIV
ing so much power to the black people. They
will no longer work. except Just enough to get
sufficient to live on. That Is one OF the causes
OF the colony's present financial difficulties
Following upon absentee owsrshIp partly due
to the same cause, It helped along the ruin OF
the plantations. which. under an ambitious.
industrious and we'll ordered population. would
be profitable still in marketable produce not
withstandinR the Cuban competition In sugar.
Some Intelligent negroes themselves Ques-
ton whether the high degree Of political lib
erty enjoyed by the Jamaica blacks has been
wholly desirable for them. Ono such negro,
who has had an extensive experience with
them and spent considerable time in the
United States also. and whose attainmsnts
have enabled him to obtain masters certin-
cate In the English merchant shipping service.
has expressed very decided views as to tho ad-
Visibility OF permitting them to be individual
sovereigns. AS an indication OF his own
energy IL may be mentioned that when Cuban
liberators were operating from Jamaica, he
landed successfully on the Cuban coast thirty
four out OF thirty fllibustsring expeditions
for the insurgent Juuta at Kingston. He had al
ready given up the sea as vocation. finding his
talents Of greater avail on land. where. among
other occupations he was engaged In securing
negro laborers for employers In different parts
OF the island OF Jamaica. He was known all
about as the man who could successfully run a
drive" OF the indolent but needy laborers to
the place where work awaited them. When
they engaged with him to go to work. he
saw to 1t that they fulfilled their con-
tracts-a performance very uncertain with
out the offices OF such q man. His opin-
ion OF the necessary government OF that
population 10 summed up In this way:
Il tell you, to rule the negro. you have first
got to show him that you are his physical mas
ter. Until then he will neither learn nor be
governed; nor will no earn his living II he
thinks the Government or the community will
see that he doesn't starve. He can't be made
to carry on business until then. unless It Is a
most easy one. As soon as he learns to figure
he thinks he knows too much to work. Too
much freedom is not good for him
Those here could not understand that
got along only because I worked. and that
when they wanted to make progress and
agreed to work with me. they must do the
work undertaken. whether they felt lazy or
found plenty OF angoes that day ornot They |
understand now I have been here four years. |
and you see how from the north to the south |
OF the island they salute me. call pleasantly to |
me and seem glad to see me. They are glad to |
see me now. 1t took three years. during which |
paid $50 In fines for assault, when my en- |
deavors were entirely for their own good. to |
convince them that work meant work and that
prosperity came only by orderly EN- ployment."
The race problem has still to be settled in
Jamaica. as It has yet to be solved in the South,
where Government administration and the
feeling OF the white population follow other
lines G.
NEW YoRK. Aug. 80.
Tho Pnthos of Sir f. Arnold.