The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-15
STORM Of REBELLION
Against Turkey Is Ready to
Burst in Bulgaria.
HUMANITYAND MACEDONIA
Are the Joint Motives lmpel-
ling to Re volt.
HUMANITYAND MACEDONIA

| les were settled by the arrangement IN re-
gard to Crete ana Thessaly after the
Turc-Grecian war, find themselves recalled
from the Far East, which for the moment
had superseded the near East as a burn
ing question in diplomacy. to the same
troublesome affair that has turned the
hairs of scores Of diplomats gray during
the present century.
Bulgaria, nearly as important as Greece
as a power and with a greater population,
a stronger army, and in better financial
condition, although a dependency under
| the suzerainty of the Sultan believes that
it can repeat the feat that Greece perform
ed Greece went to war with Turkey to
protect Greek Christians in Crete; Bull
garia is willing to go to war with Turkey
to protect Bulgarian Chrictians in Mace
doaia.
Greece was forbidden by the powers to
engage in the struggle; Bulgaria has been
| forbidden. Greece went to war and lost,
! but reaped the fruits of victory, inasmuch
| as a Greek prince is now encouragement
of Crete and the island is autonomous.
| Bulgarians believe that they can go to war
with Turkey and even if they lost the
! Christian powers would be forced to pro-
! tect the Macedonian Christians. 1t is
| this that led to the resignation of the
| Bulgarian cabinet, which was laboring for
| Macedonian autonomy, but was not will
| ing to risk war in defiance of the pow
ers, in order to secure the country that
was the birthplace ofAlexander the Great,
and from which he went forth to conquer
the world.
There is ample justification for the in
| reference of Bulgaria on humanitarian
| and religious grounds. To name the afro
cities committed by the Moham-
medan population of Macedonia on the
Christians would be merely TO repeat the
story of the Armenian atrocities. substi-
| tuting the name of one province for that
] Of the other.
Injustice torture, outrage and murder
! are just as rife in Macedonia as they are
in Armenia or anywhere else where the
| Turks are in power over the Christians. 1t
is the same story Of oppression and mis-
| government of the Turks in Macedonia as
| in Armenia, and as in the days of Mo-
manned II. and Omar, placing their trust
in the doctrine that might is right, and
that infiedls should be driven off the face
Of the earth. They never reason or argue
with their subjects; they simply command,
compel and condemn.
| Against this arbitrary course the Mace
domains have no relief for there is no ap-
peal against the outrageS of the men,
whose crimes are such that the cannot be
| mentioned in a newspaper. Christian mer-
chants may open shops and deal in goods
| but the Turks take the goods without pay
ment. Christian merchants may til the
| fertile districts. such as the PelagOnian
| Plain, but when the time of harvest comes
the Turk appears and takes the crops.
There is no question as to whether the
| true believer or the Christian dog is in
the right. The case is prejudged before it
reaches the magistrate.
Hence the bulk of the population consists
of mere farm laborers, who have nothing
they can call their own, and to whom
money and meat are alike almost IN
| known. They dwell in a den provided by
their masters. and must eat refuse that
the prodigal son would have scorned just
before he returned to eat the fatted ca-f
They live the life of beasts Of burden, and
masters can fog, wound or kill them, or
do the same or worse to their wives and
daughters without fear of punishment.
Such is the condition to which the Mace
domains have sunk. 1t may be asked why
tey do not emgrate, buc the answer is
! easy. Turkish law prevents their emigra-
ton unless they are free from debt. and
possessing no money, and owing all to the
Turks, they are never free from debt. Thus
3 IN Il,
work which he himself scorns to do. Their
only recourse is to become outlaws, and
that is what many of them have become
" hich has caused frequent battles between
them and the sultans irregular troops.
Taxation of the Christians has been made
an art by the Turkish officials The pei
capita tax on Christians for exemption
from military service is levied upon every
male from the year of his birth, although
the law expressly states that 1t is required
only for those of militady age. And the
dead and those who are removed are also
taxed as if present in the village. 1t mus
De paid by the Christian neighbors if tn,
other Christians are dead or have not tht
money
one example OF the way in which justic,
is administered in Macedonia is found il
the system of 1.-THE collecting. The tith,
farmer Is forced 70 pay heavily in ad
vance for the privilege. and he is unre
sJricted in MS enforcement. A dispas
sicnaate description Of the ordinary cours.
Of procedure Invested of the frequent de
tails Of outrage is thus given by write
in the Contemporary Review who ha
made a study of the conditions in that sec
ton OF Turkey:
The 1.-THE collectors come 70 a viliag,
and begin by quartering themselves on tn
inhabitants. Then they set ont TO ex
anime the fields. suppose the crops ar
IA from satisfactory. owing 10 dr0ugh;
hail, or abundant rains: some one',or tw0
acres are always pretty sure 10 form al
exception 10 the rule. and taking the hes
sheats from these. they have then
threshed. This Is the basis on which IN
valuation IS then made. II the farmer
accept il. we'll AMI good; they are only de
priving their wives and children OF por
ton Of their daily bread. II they refus
10 accept that ruinous standard. the Of
fciaIs depart. Meanwhile the corn mus
remain untouched. nor viii they return
until il has rotJed on the stalk unless tina
peasant sends an entreaty al paws th5n
70 come back on their own terms. which q,
that time viii have grown more exorbi
tant than they were before This perio
Of 1.-THE collecting is a veritsble saturnali
for the coarse, sensual. bestia- scoundrel
VINO are inJrusted with the task Of despoil
ing men. women, and children. The mer
aspect OF whom would touch a hear, o
stone
The inhabitants OF Macedonia who hav