Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-07-25
NO MORE
SLAVERY
In SIAM
The King Issues Decree That
Will Ultimately Abolish
the System

olaih, VINO - one or the most en1ght
ened and progressive Of Asiatic mon
archs, and whose decree abolshing le
galized gambling in Siam aroused wide
interest in this country and Europe a
few months ago, has taken another for.
ward step and by a decree has abol.
isked slavery within his dominions
Tho Presbyterian board Of foreign
missions, which conducts most Of the
missionary work done in Siam, has
just received at its Offices in this city
a copy of the kings decree. In sub
stance IL is as follows:
Although slavery on our realm is
very different from slavery as IL has
existed in many other countries-m
slaves being persons who have become
so voluntarily and not by force, and
the powers Of the master over the
slave being strictly limited--yet we
have always considered that the insti-
tuition even in this modified form is an
impediment TO the progress of our
country. We have, therefore,, from the
commencement Of our reign taken
steps, by the enactment Of laws of
Pee Chau Corresponding to the year
1874 Of the Christian era.)
We now deem IL time TO take moro
sweeping measures, which will gradu-
ally result in the entire disappearance
of slavery from Siam, and to that end
we are pleased TO decree as follows;
/. This law shall be known as the
law for the abolition Of slavery.
2. This law shall come into force
the lrst OF April throughout the king
dom except in the monthons Of Bayap
and Buraph, where we have already
enacted special laws on the subject,
and also except in the monthon Of Sal.
buri and in Kelantan and Tringganu,
where the laws OF the religion of the
people are still in force.
.. All children born Of parents who
are slaves shall be free without the ex-
ecution Of the condition stated in the
law OF Zee Chau.
4. No person now free can be made
a slave. II any person now slave
shall hereafter become free, he cannot
thereafter become a slave.
8. Wherever a person Is now held
debt slave, the master shall credit
upon the principal Of the debt for
which he is held slave the sum Of
four (4) ticals (about $3.50 U. 8. eur
reney) for each month after the 6rst
of April, providing that no credit shall
be allowed for any time during which
the slave shall desert his master.
8. II slave changes his master,
no increase shall be made in the debt
for which he is actually held; that is
TO say. when the slave is transferred |
from one master 20 another he can be
held by the new master only for the
amount of the debt actually due the
old master at the time OF the trans
fer.
While slavery in siam Is said by
those who have visited that country
TO have nothing like bad effects asso-
ciated with the practice in other eOun.
tries, yet this decree of the siamese
king is taken as another evidence Of
his desire to make OF Siam the model
Asiatic country, not even 10 be ex.
ceeded by japan. The king carefully
studies conditions in other lands. and
is quick 20 adopt new customs that
seem likely to improve the condition
Of the people OF his own country, and
is also ready to abolish long standing
customs when he is convinced that they
are detriments 10 Slams progress.