The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-29

l A "eFchn SiiAens" tho Islanders
 Wnl Make.
 Special Correspondence of the Jaurnal
 and Courier)
 Charlotte Amalia, St. Thomas Island
 Feb. 25, 1902
 It is easy for anybody in these islands
 to obtain q fair consensus of popular 1 opinion regarding their proposed trans
 fer to the United States-because it is
 the one subject of conversation among
 high and low. The thirty-four thou
 sand people, Cor thereabouts)), who are
 supposed to inhabit the one hundred
 and fifty square miles of land included l in the group, are gregacious lot, i croWdng the cities and leaving the best and most beautiful portions almost as i lonesome and unoccupied as Crusoe's ] island in the Pacific. It Is an actual | fact that this hot and unhealthy coast | town, Charlotte Amalia, has over twelve thousand of the thirteen thou sand which compose the population of St. Thomas; and on the larger island of St. CroiX, nine-tenths of the popula- | tion live in the two towns, Christian stad and Frederickstad So, with eve rybody talking on the one topic, the views of voX populi are not hard to get, There are two little daily newspapers published here, each about as large as sheet of foolscap, which faithfully re- fleet the two strongest factions One of them, "Lightbourne Mail Notes" is all for annexation. It's editor MT. John M, Lightbourne, has spent a good deal of his life in the United States and used to be on the New York Tribune in his young days, when Horace Greedy was fomenting his Heaven for Doughfaces' and telling the world what he knew about forming. He, of course, is ear nestly in favor of the transfer, believing that it spells the only hopeful future of the down-at-heel paradise. He says that the people of St. Thomas already depend upon the big republic for every advantage they possess; that they have spoken our language for half century, and their natural inclinations are toward our institutions.
 The other daily, the Bulletin" is published by an islander, MT. Le Roy Nolte, the son of an English father and Danish mother, who was born in Fred erickstad and always lived in the is- lands. He is an intelligent and educa- ted man, the leader of the opposition, and also issues a larger semi weekly sheet called the ''Tiende." While all ways asserting that if annexation be- comes an accomplished fact, the island CTS will be as loyal Americans as they are now loyal Danes, he opposes the project with all the force that is in him. He calls, upon the people to remember that their beautiful islands were of fered to the United States a few years ago for a song and refused, and ap- peals to their pride whether they desire to again go begging to be taken in and done for" He says that while their condition under Denmark is bad enough. they at least know what to eX- pect, and it would be as dangerous as unWise to fly to ills they know not of One of his recent editorials contains these words: This port (meaning Charlotte Amalia), is purely maritime port and it's prosperity depends upon it's a free port. We are cOmpar- atively sure that Denmark will not get into any international rows which will close St. Thomas to the ships of the world; but we could never be sure for q day that such would be the case under fighting Uncle Sam, just now elated by recent successes and ambitiously | branching out as a world-power. We | are not at all sure that the port of St, Thomas would remain neutral or free | under the United States. Then, again, l is the question of taxation, We island | CTS have never been directly taxed and | hardly know the meaning of the word. | Look at Porto Rico and the distress | there owing to American taxation. | Seven hundred natives have died in the | streets of San Juan Of starvation dur | ing the last year-a condition of things l much worse than ever under Spanish rule Native opposition to the methods of the neV masters is growing every lay and will culminate in revolution
 Danish property are unani- nous in the opinion that, for her own sake Denmark ought to keep these is ands at any cost. They admit that the money for the sale would be az a god send to the mother country, which has not had a revenue for many years with n half a million of expenditures. But hen, something may turn up in favor # King Christians bankrupt domain; and certainly King Edwards impecu- lious father in-law is in no condition Q throw away her one valuable pos session. At any rate, the Danish is anders think that they ought to have a yoice in the matter, and not be turned ,ver. like dumb cattle, to other mas CTS
 When the transfel was talked of a ago. the negroes, who com ,rise the bulk of the population of hese islands, were universally in favor If it, and, would doubtless have made IS good citizens of our republic as heir peculiar temperament will permit; ut now they are afraid, and with bundant reason. Having heard exag- erated accounts of frequent lynchings nd burnings at the stake of negroes in he southern portion of our so-called and of the Free and Home of the Brave, and threatened disfranchise 1ent of the colored race, despite the arce of equal rights ill-advisedy kept p-they naturally prefer any other ort of rule Should the matter come Q plebescite, one and all will vote painSt if. and if Virtuallv sold into | .