The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-02
Natives Robbed by Government
Officials, High and Low. Find
Refuge Only in Protection of
Foreign Governments.

earth was iron; all over the fiat,
thirsty land the heat was quivering
Visibly. Sacred hawks and pigeons
fiuttered round the walls of the farm,
and seemed to be the only living things
that retained their native energy. Even
the Maalem was content to call the
mules Sons of Jews and Christians"
when they celebrated the removal OF
their packs by rolling on the sandy
ground.
The surrounding lands were rather
poorly cultivated, though they made up
in beauty for what they lacked In
worth. Late irises were enjoying their
last Towering days; convolvulus ana
poppy sprawled and famed in all di-
rections defying the heat. Carelessly
noted, the scene was Chanting enough;
more carefully studied. it was impossf-
bic to overlook the poverty of land and
people AS is usual in Morocco. a
small crowd of idlers had gathered
round, and one man. rather dist1n-
guished Moor, left the others and en-
tered into conversation.
"My land is good" he said quietly.
81 have corn and sheep and some cat
tie. two mules of pace. and two horses.
Half of them are for you if you will
give me protection"
l thanked him for the generous offer,
explained that I was no more than
sojourner in the land. and could not
protect Ulln IL WOulu. 1AcL dShCo
him where his trouble lay.
The Protection System.
The protection system practiced
throughout Morocco needs few words
here Any of the powers represented
in the country can confer protection on
a Moor, and when Moor is protected
he is safe from the rapacity of his Ba-
sha, or Kaid, and is almost a subject
of the protecting power. In the past
some powers, through INSCRIPTIONS
consuls. have sold protection to rich
Moors in the interests of their traders
settled in the country, and some OF
these citizens have been vile enough to
sell the Moor back to his government
when they have squeezed from him as
much as he would yield. Protection
being the only refuge against native
extortion many a Moor will endure
much ill-treatment at the hands OF
his European protector rather than
complain. British protection is very
seldom granted. Sidi Blu Bekr, of Mar
rakesh, and Mulai ell Hadj. of Tam
Sluoght, two of the most powerful and
wealthy Moors in Southern Morocco
enjoy full British protection, but the
ordinary form is a partnership certifi-
cate, which enables British and Moor
to trade together. More than this is
not readily given.
Other powers do not share the Brit
ish scruples in the matter of granting
protection, and the results of the in
discriminate distribution were told
very simply by the farmer. while his
friends and neighbors, gathering conf
dence from him, joined our little party,
and testified gravely to the truth of
the speakers words.
''All round me- he began, "there are
protected men, and it is hard for us to
live. They have many flocks. their
CT r.
dens are full of fruit. Allah has en-
1arged them. but they are not content
l am not protected, there are others
like me, and from all of us the pro-
tected take what pleases them. Our
Kaid is a man, his hand is strong, and
his khalifa is crafty beyond the I'M
derstanding of common folk. But what
the llaid spares and the khalifa for
gets the protected ones remember"
rs there no redress?" l asked him.
ST have tried replied the farmer.
'I took money in my hand and went to
the basha l told him we were eaten
up; / asked him for help. He replied to
me, Co. foolish farmer. shall I interfere
with these accused Moors who have
taken protection from the Nazarenes
Shall I do more for you than our mas
ter the sultan, would do?' And he
drove me from his presence with cur
SEES"
EVERY Tuesday market is full of
disorder" continued the farmer. 1.-THE
protected come down and make mock
of u.s. If our cattle please them they
take them from us; even our household
is not protected
A Moor is ever reluctant to speak of
his wives and children, but this farmer
in his own fashion gave me to under
stand that the protected MoorS did not
stop at abduction. Asked whether he
had heard of the northern rising, he
said that men from that neighborhood
had been. impressed for service. and
then, pointing to the plain far away
on the right, added, Look. and you
shall see some of them"
I turned my glasses onto a little body
of some twenty-four Moors riding
along the stony track between the
flower fields.
For two days they have been sought
for" said the farmer. 'They are to
have twenty bilyoons (silver pieces of
the nominal value of twopence half
penny every day, and food for their
horses. For us. who can care whether
the sultan stays on the throne? We
would welcome Christian sultan if he
would leave us in peace"
Here there is genuine grievance,
one that troubles the country more
deeply than Blu Hamara can hope to.
Yet the thought uppermost in the
farmers mind was to get protection
for himself. He did not want to see
justice SO much as he desired to be as
well situated as his neighbors, and if l
do not greatly misjudge the Moors,
he or any other prosecuted man among
them would have been delighted with
the chance of Furnishing the rest of the
unprotected as they themselves had
been punished. Here is a problem that
may not be overlooked. Collectively the
Moors may declare they want reform;
individually they want power; they
wish to join the ranks of strong men
and levy tribute on every side. The
moral aspect of the case they never
pause to consider.
consoled the farmer as well as I
could by giving him some of the cata-
logues of guns that had been used to
pack round the sporting cartridges I
had brought with me- and when turn
ed for last look the prosecuted one
sat among his sorrowing friends and the
catalogue was being passed reyerently
from hand to hand.
On the edges of the Rahamna ca1ln-