The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-01
HAITPS PRESIDENT is A
FULL-BLOODED ETHIOPIAN
Terre Haute Dentists Reminis-
cences of Two Years Stay at
POrt-au-Prince.
SOLDIERS WHO SCRUB

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Dec. 31.-Dis-
patches from Porto Rico. saying a revolu-
ton in Haiti is imminent and that President
Nord is charged with maladministration,
are of great interest TO DR.. Frank Paddock,
of this city, who spent two years in Port
au-Prince in the practice of dentistry. He
was there at the time the notorious Presi-
dent Sam abdicated and absconded with
millions. For several months the Parlia-
ment was in a deadlock trying to elect a
successor to the presidency. General Nord,
who was elected as a compromise candi-
date, is trying to punish some of Sans
accomplices.
General Nord is a full-blooded Ethio-
pian," said DR.. Paddock. He is not of
the type commonly associated with revo-
lutions in Haiti. He was a planter on the
north side of the island, and had little in
common with the politicians and schemers
on the south side about Port-au-Prince,
which is the capital of the republic. And
he would not have been a candidate, prob
ably, had it not been the ambition of his
old wife TO get even with some of the
women at the capital who in years gone by
had snubbed her. The old man-fOr he is
past eighty years of age-had fought in
several revolutions, and as he was a man
of some influence in the agricultural popu-
latiOn in the north ne was regarded as good
material for a compromise candidate. No
one has any other expectation than that
the successive Presidents take the office for
the money they can get out of ii. There is
no regular and orderly succession to the
presidency. The m has to be turned
out to let in q successor. The revolutions
are farces as to fatalities in battle. The
Germans are the dominating influence in
Haiti in its finances and concessions OBJ
tained from the government"
DIR. Paddock gives an amusing description
of a Haitian revolution, such as the one
which overthrow President Sam. For three
Port-au-Prince In those three days all
that noncombatants did was to remain in
their houses and pass the time reading or
playing games, utterly without fear of in
jury. The firing in the streets reminded
Americans of a Fourth of July celebation.
Toward the end of the revolution the sound
of firing was desultOry, as it is when the
boys have mostly shot off their firecrackers.
No one was killed, and, so far as could be
learned, there had been no serious purpose
to kill any one. A few soldiers would make
their appearance in a street, fire a few
rounds, apparently at random, and retire.
Haitian soldiers are nOndescripts, and
when a revolution is not in active operation
they are ready to do odd jobs for a few
cents pay. IF you want your office or
store scrubbed" says DR.. Paddock, you
go to the door and wait for a soldier to
der, come in here and clean this office.
You pay him what is equivalent to a few
cents in our money. He buys a stalk or
two Of sugar cane, or perhaps a mess of
their peculiarly prepared rice, and, with
either the sugar or rice for one full meal, is
contented."
General Nord presented his photograph to
DR.. Paddock as an evidence of esteem.