The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-04-03

hold of the islands, the government
will satisfy its negro politicians at
home by sending down prominent blacks
to fill the island offices. No worse policy
could possibly be imagined, unless the
aim is to make second Liberia or Hal
tian republic; running the splendid OPP
portunity now offered for adding to the
value of the islands as a coaling and
naval station. by making them a popu-
lar winter resort and sanitarium. and
filing them with industrious and de-
slrable people. Although two color
ed men already figure in the Colonial
Council, they are natives of the island.
men of means and stability. who CON
slider themselves Danes. Alien negroes
would be quite another matter.
There are other and more personal
reasons for opposition to the transfer.
The Danes who are now holding Colo
NAL offices know that their salaries are
at issue: and there are certain monopo-
lies granted by the present government
which would be null and void when
King Christian has no more to say
about it. II is true that these islands
cost Denmark about sixty thousand
dollars every wear more than they Weld
her-the bill being mainly for soldiers
and office holders. and that therefore
Denmark will be glad to get rid of the
expensive encumbrance. 1t is equally
true that Denmark is a clog upon island
prosperity, a veritable Old Man OF the
Sea, who must be shaken off before
anything like prosperity can return.
Clearly, the something rotten in Den
mark is poverty and way behind-the
times conservatism. There are men
still living in Charlotte Amalia who re-
member seeing Spanish dollars wheeled
through the streets by the barrow load,
with the shipping of all countries, and
the warehouses were crowded with the
products of every cline. 1t seems in
credible that the present state of power
~ NoulI nave CCult dDOul, NItle lIC
sun shines all the time and everything
in the fruit and vegetable line grows to
perfection, if planted. One can live
cheaply enough here, even under pres
ent conditions, though the rich are
growing poorer every day and the poor
are, many of them, on the verge of
starvation. Gardens are few on St
Thomas, only few onions and other
vegetables being raised - not nearly
enough to supply the inhabitants. who
get nearly all they eat from the United
States-but canned goods of every sort
are cheap and plentiful, Clothing.
especially mems wear-made to order
from the finest imported woolens-costs
less than half the United States prices;
and wines and liquors are altogether
too cheap for the good of the people.
For six cents one can buy bottle of
native wine, half of which will make
you see more stars than were ever dis
covered in the heavens.
Nowhere more forcihly than here,
where seven-eighths of the people are
black, is the fact more strongly i'm
pressed upon you that the West Indies
are the negroes paradise, exactly suit
ed to his taste and lazy habits, because
the climate and the prodigality of ma
ture enables him to live without work
After emancipation, once tlourishing
plantations had to be abandoned for
lack of laborerS: and their owners have
mostly returned to Europe, leaving
swarms Of idle blacks to practically
possess the place. They pick the fruit
from trees the white men planted raise
a few easy growing vegetables, and lust
enough Guinea-grass to pasture their
goats.
Many of the negro women are decid
eddy good-looking, and are generally
superior to the men in all respects.
doing what little work is done in the
islands. The habit of carrying burdens
upon the head as soon as able to walk.
gives this class of females their notice
ably erect and graceful carriage. When
dressed to kill, )" their calico gowns are
in the most brilliant colors the dyer can
produce, their stockingless feet are shod
! with high-heeled boots of white or red
morocco, and their wool is bedecked
with gaudy ribbons, or for extraordi-
nary occasions with hats and, wells