The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-27
TROUBLE IN ASHANTEE
Money Taxes at the Root of TIA b
sence of Golden Stool.

The little war which Great Britain has
on its hands in West Africa is likely. ac-
cording to the latest dispatches from the
Gold Coast, to give some trouble before II
is over. The immediate cause of the diff
ficulty with the natives is incidental to
the transition through winch they are
passing from a condition in which taxes
We're paid and trade was carried on in
kind and with cowries to that of a mon
eyusng community. The taxes since
the British administration has taken ov
er the country, have been vigorously ex-
acted in money, especially the obnoxious
hut-money. which has been the cause of
nearly all the risings against British au-
thority in Africa. The present Ashantee
trouble has its origin in this cause
though the Golden Stool plays a part in
the matter. The Ashantee contention an
pears to be that taxes are only leviable
by an occupant of the Golden StooE hut
this is only another way of saying that
they refuse to recognize the authority of
the British Governor to demand or re-
ceive taxes. The plea of the absence of
the Golden Stool is simply a subterfuge
The real point is that besides being part
ly unable and partly unwilling to nav
the taxes imposed by the British author
tiles, the Ashantees are still loyal to ...e
old native dynasty, cruel though it's ex-
erclse OF power was; and they may have
thought after hearing of the British de-
feats in South Africa, that an opportu-
nifty presented itself for throwing off the
British rule.
| They have also not forgotten the
causes that led to the great war of 1873
] IA and its results. the trouu.e then
arose out transfer by the Dutch
/ of their rights to Elmina and the sur
rounding territory, which they held I'M
der lease from the King of Ashantee.
dating back to the last century TO the
I British in exchange for the settlement
of Acheen in Sumatra, held by the Brit
/ lsh under similar conditions from the
Sultan of that country. Under the trea-
/ ty of lease the Dutch were Pledged, if
/ ever they gave up the Elmina settlement
/ on the Gold Coast to hand it back to the
/ King of Ashantee but those who made
the transfer to England in 1872 We're
either ignorant of the existence of this
stipulation or dlsregarded it. and when
the then King protested against the
breach of the agreement he was referred
TO the British Government Receiving
no satisfaction from it he took the ma
ter into his own hands, and with an ar
my estimated al 1000 men marched into
the disputed territory to maintain his
| right of access to the sea. But small
poX and the British Snider rife aided by
{
and allied tribes, endeu his power of re-
sistance and treaty of peace was sign
ed in 1874 which brought the country yir-
tually under British control. 1t was not
however, until 1856 that the British Gov
eminent finally accomplished its pur-
pose of abolishing the neutrality-suspicious.
of the country and turning it into a
/ Crown colony. King Prempeh, the last
OF the Ashantee Kings, is now a british
political prisoner, but the emblem of SOW
ereignty, the Golden Stool, has not pass
ed to his British successor, which gives
the astute leaders of the present revolt
against British rule the justification for
disputing the legality of its acts.
Some of the Ashantees are armed with
Npdern rifles, and they are said to have
seNSal machine guns Their want of
trainfa&, however, renders these last of
doubtfuNZalue in their hands, and the
French GoNrnment, through whose ter
rltory arms AM ammunition We're being
struggled into Nshantee, has prohibited
! the trade in arms>Sp their coast during
the continuance of tI~ Ibles. The re-
lieving force, which has been sent up
from the coast to raise the siege of Ku-
massi, has by last reports met with a
check. which will encourage those tribes
! that have hitherto held aloof to join in
against the British. 1t is, however on
ly question of time how soon the ris-
ing Will be put down, though the rainy
/ season, when military operations will be
exceedingly difficult, is at hand A suffi-
cient force of Haussas, the best materi-
al for soldiers in West Africa, with a
stiffening of bluejackets, and the West
Indian troops will no doubt soon be on
/ the ground and marching to the relief
of the besieged Governor and garrison.
The great difficulty at present is the
/ transport of supplies, but this is being
overcome by the employment of women
carriers Meanwhile, orders have gone
out from England to hurry on the pro-
longation of the railway that now runs
from Sekondi on the coast to the gold
mines at Tarkwa to Kumassi, total dis
lance of 141 miles, and the sum of S25, 900
per mile has been provided to cover the
cost of it's construction.