The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-18
CONDITIONS
IN HAITI NOW
THE BLACK REPUBLIC IS AID.
MITTEDLY A FAILURE.
Exceptionally Rich in Natural Re-
sources, the Island Is Held Back
by Corrupt officials and Public Ig-
norance, and the Only Permanent
Solution Is Annexation to the
United States.

United States.
Writing from Port-au-Prince under
date of July 10 to the New York Times
katherine Prince says:
Haiti at this moment is in complete
anarchy. but anarchy of a sort un-
faithfully portrayed in the reports tina,
reach the outer world. The famous
revolution" that recently effected the
downfall of President Sam, and which
vet boils and bubbles about the selec-
tion of new president, has thus far
to answer for but six deaths through
out all Haiti. The sanguinary battles
described for the foreign press have
been, as matter of fact, as harmless
as battles of clowns in a pantomime
The elections now in progress are not
themselves more farcical than the dis
turbances that they cause.
The whole political situation beggars
comic opera for chaotic absurdity
Yet, taken all in all, 1t lays bare the
ruin of the country.
The mass of the best Haitian citizens
stand today us one man in open ac-
Acknowledgement of the impossiblity of a
successful or even of q decent "black
republic" Their racial hope and pride
can carry no further. Under self-gov-
ernment. they say, with frank despair.
Haiti must remain forever thing of
ridicule and shame, so that they look
forward with impatience as with cer-
tainty to the day when some outburst
of special fooery shall compel the Unit
cd States to lay hands upon the island
and make it her own. Nothing is more
striking than the force and the prevail
ence of this desire for annexation.
u within twelve years it must come, "
you hear on all sides, land then, within
twenty-four hours, the country will be
purged." $50 only" say the intelligent
Haitians, "shall we become reputable
people," so only" the resident for
eign merchants add with one accord,
'can the great riches of the country be
developed and preserved"
And both wait, with a faith some-
what hard to understand, for the reali-
cation of their dream.
Haitian Conditions.
The real nature of the Haitian admin
istration is perhaps little known
abroad. OF the whole Haitian people,
about one in twelve can read or write.
No white man can serve in the govern
ment. All men of color are regarded
by the blacks, who form the over
whelming majority, with jealousy and
distrust. And any black who has re-
ceived particular advantages of edu-
cation is looked upon somewhat ask
ance by his brothers in blood. Despite
their experience. the people wish to be
frnVorna1 1itora1l1 fhoir
ranks, and it is therefore from the
lowest class that the highest officers
of state are chosen.
AS to the presidents. each in turn
models his conduct more or less after
that of his predecessor. Once invested
with office. he shuts himself up in his
palace, where he proceeds, by the aid
of his new facilities, on the one hand
to ruin his health by riotous living and
on the other to fill his Golfers from the
public funds.
The palace is always guarded by
troops in force, and his eXcellency or
dinarily makes but one sortie a week
on Sunday mornings, when he drives to
church to hear mass, his carriage hid
den by guard of 600 men. The rea-
son of his seclusion is his fear of as
sassination, and the reason of his fear
is his knowledge of his just deserts.
The salary of the president is about
$4,000 a year, sum very inadequate
for the eXtravagances in which he in
dulges. Yet most presidents have
quilted Office possessed of large for
tunes. The example of the chief execu-
tive is repeated down the official SCALE
each man according to his skill and his
opportunities. And the sources from
which the profits come are apparent on
every hand.
tf Multiplied Taxes.
The population pays taxes for all
manner of public works, their erection
and maintenance. Yet public works
can hardly be said to exist. The popu-
lation pays taxes for the proper paw
ing. cleaning, and lighting of the capi-
tai. Yet the streets of Port-auPrince
remain from year to year exactly as
accidents wear. and the undisturbed
accumulation Of unbelievable filth COM
pound. The population pays taxes for
the support of a relatively large force
of volunteer troops. Yet of that force
but fraction really exists, while the
fraction itself sees little or nothing of
the money that is it's due.
With the regular troops the same
methods are observed. For the pay of
the enlisted men of the garrison of any
district that you may choose to name,
the government approprates certain
sum weekly. This sum passes first into
e. the hands of the general commanding
the district who appropriates about so
per cent. of the whole and gives over
the residue to his second in command.
The second abstracts perhaps 40 per
cent. of what he receives before COM
mitting the funds to his subordinate;
and so, in the end, the enlisted man
gets, If he is in luck, about 10 per cent.
of his theoretical wages. lie never
complains, because TO complain is to
court punishment and discharge. And
no parsonage of authority ever inter-
feres in his behalf, because no person.
age of authority lacks sympathy with
the general commanding.
Easily Satisfied.
The system naturally breeds some dis
content, but the people are very ignor-
ant, and a few long words, a little
cloud of grandiloquence and mystifica-
Z tion, will always suffice to befog and
confuse their minds. Whatever means
one demagogue may take to oust an
other, he Is always careful not really
to awaken the common dupes to their
wrongs, and so to close the doors upon
\his own paradise. Yet as the period of
4 elections draws on tha long, slI fferinp