The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-06
Julian hawthorne Says Would
be But to Annex
ANOTHER RACE PROBtEM
Savagery viii Sweep the Is
land ere Many Years.


lows:
'sThe Island OF jamaica Is anxious to
come under our flag, and England Il not
making any serious protest against her
doing so: these facts ere enough to put
us on our guard. But when 1t Is irti-
mated that we may be asked not only to
ACCEPT Jamaica. but to give England
something in exchange for tia Pnilip-
pine or two. for example-then It Is time
to get seriously alarmed. Who ever ac-
cepts Jamaica should not be required to
give anything In exchange for 1t; but
should, on the contrary. receive with II
q bonus of the most tempting and hera-
tive sort; .nr there Is not an island IN the
GRID, oran area Of any sort OF equal
extent, nnore worthless from the COM
mercial ana Industrial point OF view than
Is Jamaica today; and not only Is II
passsvely worthless. but 1t Is also ac-
lively detrimental to whomsoever is IN
fortunate enough to be responsible for 1t.
viii tell you why.
SLAVERY ceased in Jamaica about sew
enty years ago. The Jamaican planters
had not treated their slaves so well as
we used to treat ours; they were severe
and unsympathetic. to say the least. and
the slaves had no love for them. They
have not learned to love the whites since
their emancipation, and of late have de-
veloped a sauciness and STIFFNESS OF de-
meanor which has caused considerable
anxiety, not without reason. They are
intensely surerstitious and easily led by
witch doctors and Obeah men, who are
able to excite crowds of them to an es-
tent hardly believable: and were a really
able man to arise among them. he could.
using these means. lead them 20 the most
desperate eacesses.
when lived at Mona House. IN 1926.
thousands of negroes. men and women.
pssse1 once or twice Il week to the banks
OF Hope River. close by. where they
were harangued by the witch doctor of
the hour. and then. stripping OF their
clothes plunged into the water. men and
women. together. and ascene ensued
which was certainly curious to look at.
but which II would never do 20 describe.
The water. having been blessed by the
doctor. was supposed to heal all dis
eases. and the people would carry bottles
Of the sacred fluid home with them. This
wenton for some months. until the doc
tor began to mingle political diatrtbes
with his mystic harangues. finally utg-
ing direct revolt against the Government.
Then Sir Henry Blake. who was keeping
his eyes open. but who hever made noun
tains out Of molelIills. quietly arrested
the doctor and the disorders gradually
ceased; but a little more would have
brought on the great massacre which ali
Jamaicans have been looking for for two
or three generations past. 1t would De
a massacre as blind and obJectiess a. a
stampede of cattle on a Texas prairie.
but 1t would wipe out all the whites all
the same
How many negroes do you suppose
there are IN Jamaica? The island h one
hundred and forty miles in length-a lit
tie longer. therefore. than our own Long
IslaHd, but 1t Is mountainous from end
60 end; the mountains soar right up sky
ward from the coast. and are sleeper
and more cut up with headlOng ravines
and shuddering preciplces than are any
other mountains Of my acquaintance.
This topography prevents all but frac-
ton of the island from being habitable:
wherefore the area suitable for occupa-
ton Is much less in Jamaica than In Long
Island. Yet in Jamaica there are today.
as estimate conservatively. not less
than eight hundred thousand negroes.
multiplying at a monstrous rate each
year, while the whites. who are gradu-
ally. but not slowly. diminishing in
numbers, are a good deal less than ten
thousand. all told-white regiments. civil
servants. old inhabitants and visitors.
There Is absolutely no room forany more.
and year by year the mere mechanical
pressure OF the black population will
shove the whites into the sea The ne
groes are fast realizing what this fart
means: and II need not be said that he
knowledge does not improve their demea-
nor In truth. the island Is no longer
safe for whites to go about In alone: they
must be armed and travel In parties. sbd
even those precautions viii not avail
much longer.
The negroes are almost wholly worth
less as laborers. At best they Will work
las they call I'D four days a week. ac-
conpsisl1ing about as much in that time
as many Irish hands would dispose Of In
half day. But you are as likely as not
20 be deserted By your whole force Of
Isborers at any moment. for no reason
whatever that you will ever discover;
they were not inclined 20 work any more.
that's ALL You have no recourse. No
contract you can draw NJ is worth the
paper Il IL writyten On. You may hire
CoolIe iaobrers. imported on a five yea
contract from India; but between those
people and the negroes subsists a vehs-
ment enmity. and the future massacre L.
rs Likely 10 begin from friction through
this cause as from any other.
The negro women are far better an
more dsligeut workers than the men: g
as they who built the railroai Bun
even these ebony charmers have tire fol
bic other sex-vs rum 81 nutabile ssrs-
yer: they are independent and Ickie. and
yon can't bull upan industry with chem.
They will leave yoT In the Iu.ch at the
crucical moment In addition to aOS
working. the negroes deface the scsnery
and exhaust the sol oy frst burning ~
enough :'nrter Cor their little garden
spots on the hIllsides. and thea throwing
their yano and other staples upoA Il.
without any attempt 20 repair the loss
with manurzs- IN I've or thrc@ -ears
:i.ey 5gia cut anothsrPiot and move 90
that. leaving an area % exhausted soil
behind them- Multiply this practice By
Ss6ege. and the caieivabie surface % Iis-
tie jamaica win not last long
lyon can grow three crops On the BIZ
and-s1gAr. coffee and bananas. The
sugar no longer pays. asd The eorner
plau-sftons are run % waste The COFFEE
n excellent. buf there II tao mech comic
tttsoa 30 rsndsr 81 prOfisahas- ne sanss
may BE szsd a. the banazzs: there are
TOO u.auv bananas Imported 20 Aenerfea