Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-16
Judge Ide on Samoan Affairs.

Hon. Henry G. lde OF St. JohnSbury, ex-
Chief Justice of Samoa, contributed to the
New York Independent of February Cd, an
instructive article on Samoa. After re-
citing the salient facts in the Samoan Is
lands since the advent Of Christian mis-
sionares in 1890; and the conflicts
of the contending factions among
the natives, he notes the forma-
ton of the Berlin treaty of June
1859, entered into by Samoa, Germany,
England and the United States, whereby
the independence of Samoa was guaran-
teed, Malictoa Laupepa restored as king
and two foreign officials, a chief justice
and the president of the municipality of
Apia, were TO be appointed to aid, or prac-
tically direct, the native government
while certain duties likewise rested upon
the three Consuls. The weak point Of the
treaty says Judge Idc, has always been
its complicated character a wheel within
wheel native government theoretical
~ autonomous, a resident to advise it, and
try to control it, chief justice, to recon-
mend legislation to the native government
and to be the final legislator in the NUM-
resort, and three consuls with i'll defined
boundaries of power Thus instead of one
king there were six. With such a subdi-
vision Of authority it has been extremely
difficult to locate responsibility and for
any one to secure efficient and progressive
action without finding some fatal clog or
brake in another part of the machine"
T.ln
asserts that the treaty has given to Sa-
moa better government than ever exist
ed there before. 1t also "perfects to the
United States our invaluable rights in
Page Page harbor, and gives to us a foot
hold from which we can not be shaken in
the only independent group in the South Pa
cine, lying in the pathway of all commerce
between our Pacific coast and the great
Republican empire growing up in Austria
| liza, at which, doubtless, the Pacific cables
will find one of their resting places, sure
to become Of transcendent importance
when the Nicaragua canal is constructed
Thus with Hawaii in our possession, and
with the Philippines under our control
our country will be in position to take its
|
velopment now in progress in the Pacific
Ocean, its islands and encompassinG
lands"
Under the Berlin Treaty one of the rival
Samoan cheftains, Malietoa Laupepa, was
in 1850 installed as king. In 1898 his chief
rival Mataafa stirred up rebellion, bu,
was defeated and deported to the Mar
shall Islands, where he was under Ger
man custodians who treated him very
kindly and secured considerable influence
over him, few months ago he was al
lowed to return to Samoa upon promise
to make no trouble. About that time
King Maletoa died, ana by common ac
claim Mataafa was put forward by the ISL
anders as his successor. Judge Ide praise
Mataafa highly, saying that he is "a mar
of commanding presence, a rulers quail
ties, gracious manners. and fitted to b'
king OF his people,
We quote the conclusion of his articl.
, as follows: zone of the rival candidate
was Tamasese, son of the old German
puppet King Tamasese, He withdrew hi
claims, so far as he had any, In favor o
Maletoa Tanu, the remaining competitor
Malietoa Laupepa, and Is u mere boy, still
= I'm school, under missionary control ut
terly incapable of steering the native ca
noe of State through the turbulent water
= of Samoan politics, The treaty provide
= that In case of disputed election to tn
! throne, the chief justice shall decide II
decided in favor of MalietOa Tanu, holdinI
Mataafa to be disqualified under treaty
3 As the treaty makes no such disquali
= fication, the decision was probably base
= upon some remarks in the protocols indi
6 eating that in 1859, when the negotiation
were going on, Germany objected to Ma
D taafa, and instead consented to the re
A turn of Malietoa. The Chief Justice, Hor
= W. l. Chambers, who Is an upright an
fair man, perhaps misapplied things sal
: years ago, but now applicable and not /
the treaty. But there was the d.
< cision rendered on the last da
T of December. and the court ha
jurisdiction. But before New Year
day was done. Maletoa Tanu was in hid
y ing. Tamasese in boat lying under tn
5 sides OF the British warship "Porpoise,