Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-12

production Of sugar, an industry which
was gradually becoming less aud less pro-
iltable through the competition OF the
bounty fod sugar Of Germany and the OK
haustion OF the soil. The conservatism OK
the British planters In sticking TO the
crops which their ancestors had planted
bid fair TO reduce tho island to bankrupt.
ey' aud repeated appeals were made 70
the imperial government for aid In the
shape OF bounties or preferential duties,
These appeals were consistently turned
down, and strong party favorlng annex
alton TO the United States aprang up. The
growth OF the new. fruit trade with the
United States added TO the arguments on
the side OF annexation Then came the
Spanish war and the American occupation
Of Cuba and Porto Rico, The boom which
followed American rule TO these former
misgOyerned Spanish provinces caught the
Jealous eyes OF jamaica and II was OPP
emily demanded OF Secretary Chamberlain
In public meetings why the British West
iugs.
The prostratlon OF the island resulting
from the hurricane will give new Inn
pulse TO the anneXutiOnst propaganda,
for while the planters might have waited
patiently under ordinary conditions for
the outcome Of the colonial secretary'a
campaign for an imperial zollvereln they
cannot be expected to show much patience
while they are starving, The readiness
which the American government has al
ways tlloNn 10 come 10 lnt rescue OF
stricken community OF its own and even
90 extend It's assistance 10 foreign COM
munitics which have been visited by great
caamitles. while the British government
has been 80 slow at such times OF dis
tress IN her colonies, gives one more rea-
son for dissatisfaction with the present
form Of government
IL ia not generally known that nearly
~ years ago Jamaica practically seeded
from the British empire. the Jamaica
n ~
naNatlon 10 the United States or the conn
pleto independence OF the island IN conso-
quenca Of The attempt Of the governor, tho
Duke of Manchester, at the command Of
the British government TO force through
the assembly the emancipation OF the ne
gro slaves. Jamaica then sent represent
tauVes TO the United States 10 see what
that courry was prepared o do. The prop
oMuon received little consideration In
Washington.
The abolition OF slavery was finally pro-
claimed I'M 1874. The planters were paid
about SS0Jl0M0 for their slaves, and an
apprentice system TO take the place OF
slavery was adopted II proved failure
and was dropped two years later. with
the freeing Of the slaves the island de-
generated industrlnlly. The white elc-
ment was so small that 1t was almost
swallowed up by the negroes, but i'm time
the education OF the freed slaves bettered
conditions, and when the slaves IN the
United States Were liberated by President
Lincoln without the payment ~ "a cent 10
their owners the white Jamalcans de.
clded that they had not been SO badly
treated after all ana abandoned their
attitude OF sullen discomfort.
Even now the white population OF tho
Island Is inhnittSimal compared with that
Of the blacks. or q total estimated popu.
lation of 10000 hut 2)000 are white. How
ever much it would benefit jamaica to
Join the United States it may be doubted
that the government at Washington
wants any more race problems than Il
already has.