Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-15
TIE FRENCH FAILED
Colonial Experiments in Mar
Unique Not Very Satisfactory
Distance a Drawback.
Manhood Suffrage Results in
Subsection Of Whites by the
Blacks.
Dense Formulation But Sta9nant
Dense Population But Stagnant
Industry-British View Re-
suits With Favor.

| Martinique, the scene of the recent
! awful disaster, have not. according to
the publication of the treasury bureau
OF statistics, Colonial Administration
been altogether satisfactory While
many of the French colonies have been
successful and prosperous, those of
the West Indies, by reason of their
| small area and distance from the
mother country, have proved not only
a burden financially but somewhat UNI
satisfactory in the demands which
| their representatives have made and
continue to make upon the mother
country. France has tried the expert
ment, as did Spain, of giving to certain
of her colonies representation in the
| legislative body of the home govern
ment and, according to quotation
made In the bureau of statistics pub
location from NJ. Leroy Beauiieu, that
experiment has been unsatisfactory
The French colonies in America, as is
we'll known, consist of Martinique and
Guadeloupe with their adjacent islands
forming q part of the chain OF sinai
islands which stretches in semicircle
enthusiastically from Porto Rico al
most to the coast Of South America.
on the mainland of South America,
near the southern terminus OF THIS
senicircle of islands just mentioned is
another colony of France. French
Guiana. while further north just off the
southern coast of Newfoundland is the
remainder of French colonial America,
the islands of st. Pierre and Mlqueion
Martinique has an area of ISL square
miles and population of about lso,oop
Of which number about 5000 are lab
orers brought from India and over
5000 laborers from Africa; also about
500 Chinese immigrants. The re-
mainder of the population is largely
native negroes, the white population
numbering in all about 10000. A large
share of the interior of the island has
never been brought under cultivation,
altho 1t has been occupied by the
French almost constantly since 1856,
a period of 267 years, the only inter-
ruption in French control being the
period from 1894 to 1902, when the
island was held by the British. Slav-
cry existed until 1S4S, when 1t waa
abolished in this as we'll as other
French colonies. notwithstanding the
fact that a large, part of its. interior
has never been brought under cultixaS-
ton. the island is described by Rec
lus as zone Of the most densely popu-
lated spots on the globe; on the arabic
lands people are packed as closely as
in such industrial centers as Lam
cashire, Flanders or SaSony.
The government of Martinique con-
sists of a local legislative body COM
posed of natives which has the power
to pass laws applicable to the exercise !
of political rights, the regulation of
contracts, matters relating to wills,
legacies and SUGGESTIONS, the institu-
ton of juries, criminal procedure, rel
crufting for naval and military forces,
and the methods of electing local otfic-
ers in the cities and towns. The gov
ernor and other officers are appointed
by the French government, which also
makes the tariff laws of the island, as
is the case with reference to the other
This and the other American |
colonies of France have, as already
indicated, a much larger share of self
government than any other of her col
onies, and are each represented by q, /
senator and two deputies in the French I
legislative body corresponding to the +
of the United States. These /
large powers of government and
of participation in national legislation I
are the subject of open criticism by /
the French economic writer's, Leroy
Beaulieu, perhaps the most diSting-
uished Of French writer's of the present
day upon economic subjects, in his
colonization chez les Peoples Mod
ernes," says: LAS regards politics, we
have introduced French liberty into our
colonies; we give them civil governors,
admit their representatives into our
parliament, and while all these re- h
forms are excellent in themselves. it
Is unfortunately to be feared that they !.
will in practice result in abuses, and
that unless the mother country is very
those very powers which she
has granted to her colonies will be-
come powers of oppression. The dep,
uties whom Martinique sent to our
serve only to represent the
malice, prejudice and ignorance of the
blacks The weak executive power III
France allows itself to be intimidated
by these deputies and sends out to the
colonies cowardly and incapable gov.
errors whose indecision of character
feeds the more or less barbarous hopea
Of the native population of the island"
Sir Charles Dixie, the well known
British legislator and writer upon CO.
lonial governments, does not join In
the pessimistic views which the French
ments which the French have made in
the encouragement of local self-gov-
in their West Indian colonies.
In his Problems Of Great Britain he
says: Some who think the negro I'M
fitted for self-government point to
Hayti; but they might reflect that in
The French islands of Martinique and
Guadeloupe power is in the hands Of
the colored people while the islands
prosper The experience indeed of
those islands in which the negroes and
people have been entrusted
With a large share in government and
he use which they make of represent
ltive institutions seems to show thar ;
heir detractors are in the wrong The
friends of the negro are now able to
point to the progress effected by the
he spread of education, to the UNI !
rise in the standard of com
'ort, and to the prominent place al
-eady taken by individuals of the Afri-
IAN race. The example of Martinious !