Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-02-01
ANOTHER BLUE BOOK.

A British blue book has recently
been issued, which gives, among other
things, the mortality statistics of the
Recommendation camps of Lord kitch'
ener in South Africa for the month of
December.
From this it appears that the non
combatants-w women and children, al
most entirely, gathered in these places
amount to 117,O17. The deaths among
these inmates, for the month, were
1880, Of which 1857 were children.
This entire mortality rate, it will be
seen, reaches something over two
per cent for the month,-figures which
mean the extinction of the race In a
little over four years. The per centage
of deaths among the children, is even
more frightful, as 1t amounts to more
than one and half for the month,
or total extirpetion in something
like five and half years--this being
the mortality among children with all
the natural expectancies of life before
them under normal conditions. And
when one considers that the month
IN which this high carnival of death
was held is the South African sum
mer, corresponding TO our June. that
the Victims of 1t belonged to "A hardy
race, used to outdoor life and in II
climate in which they have always
lived, and that no pestilence prevailed,
the query of whether We do indeed
live in Christian age, or If we do,
what sort OF Christianity Is it that
sees this slaughter of the innocents
90 on, without rebukc, without pro.
test, without prayer for its abate-
ment, or at least, without passing
around the hat In Christian churches
to raise fund to despatch missIonar-
les for the conversion OF the King
whose servants and soldiers are doing
this unholy thing, instead of nccredit-
ing ambassadors to assist ut his coro.
nation.
The omnlpotence of public opinion
Is the perfection of free government,
and 10 this we profess TO have attain
cd. That the great heart of the Amer.
ican people would be eloquent with
fearful sympathy for the doleful in.
mates of these South African Ander.
sonvilles, and vocal with reprobation
of their oppressors, If it but had con
troll Of the organs OF public expression,
admits OF no doubt. But the oracles
Of the popular voice are silent. The
press, the pulpit, the platform, the
halls OF legislation, with here and
there an obscure, because poor, ex.
csption, are rccreant 10 the mission OF
humanity hhu ihiSc 10 What ousnt
to be their vocation OF pleading for the
miserable and succoring the distressed.
That they are so comes largely from
the settled policy OF our national ad-
ministration which has been resolutely
against any expression OF moral or
material support TO the cause OF the
Beers, and to which all these agencies
whose Office Ia to mold and direct pub.
lie sentiment, bow In abjcct ser
Witty.
The purported reason upon which
our government has thus falsihed our
professions, turned its back upon our
historic traditions and stlfled the will
OF our people, is that IN our war-if
such II can he called, with Spain,
Great Britain kept Off from us tho
other powers OF Europe. The subter.
fuge would be wholly insufficient, II
II were true in fact But II In not
even that. Claims TO that ef.
feet recently put forward in England,
have been concluslvely refuted by the
continental powers, and II appears
that none Of them except Austria was
hostile TO ny ln 1898.
The real reason is that we have nj
the head of our State department a
man whose long residence In Eng
land and new riches at home have
made him the obsequious lackcy of the
British aristocracy, And 30 he looks
complacently on a condition of need
less suffering without It's fellow IN
modern times, aud approyingly on 4
policy beside which that Of Wcylel
In Cuba was beneficent, and that o
Alva in the Netherlands comparatlvel,
humane and almost respectable.
This man, john Hay by name. was