The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-30
A SAD PICTURE.
Negroes of the West India Islands
Said to be Drifting
BACK TO BARBARISM


White Man. Sad Sight at
Ruins OF st. Pierre.
have recently returned from g trir
to the West Indies and the Spanish
Main, in the course OF which 1 visited
most of the Windward as we'll as the
Leeward Islands of the group, writes
Lambert Tree, in the Chicago Trib-
une. We went within 10 minutes OF
the Equator, and found it hot down
there, with 80 to 95 degrees In the
shade.
i had summer seas and blue skies In
the tropics all the time, and the trip
was in many respects interesting. or
course saw our new colonial acqutsi.
tion, Porto Rico, and have no tears to
shed on account Of its being ours, al
belt wish the population was of a
higher grade, we cannot have every
thing in this world, Though, just as we
would like 1t, and besides II there were
not room for improvement in ihe peo
pie of the island, neither would there
be any room for progress.
They are in high feather down there
just now with the brilliant prospect OF
a large crop Of sugar, Oh which they
expect to realize net profit Of SO per
cent. On the whole, things are decid
edly looking up in the affairs Of the
island under American auspices.
One Of the saddest sights have ever
seen in my life Is the ruins OF the city
OF st. Pierre, Martinique, whose pop
ulatiop of 10000 was wiped out. 1T Is
said, in 20 seconds by poisonous gases,
which suddenly burst from the sides
of Mont Pelee at the time OF the erup-
tion three years ago. Only the walls
of the great ware houses along the
quay and of the cathedral, halls,
theatres, churches, business houses
3 and homes remain as silent witnesses
Ato testify that there was once an ac-
tive, gay and bustling French city
standing there.
zgs The streets are heaped 10 feet deep
with ashesf belched forth from the
crater. The trees, which cnce shaded
the streets and adorned its famous ho-
tanical gardens are leaflsss and ugly
monuments of its destruction. When
landed from the ship In q small boat
not soul survived to meet me and
tell the story of that fearful moment
All was the silence of death, and
there was not even the rustic of the
fer de lance among the pitiful ruins
that dread snake whose bite is certain
and speedy death, and which used to
lnfest the sides of Pelee and steal down
times, 1t Is said, into the gardens of
ST. Pierre. It, too, has been eliminat-
ed from the scene by the impartial
volcano. which spared neither sex, age,
color nor any living thing.
In our cruise we followed In part
the seme watery paths pun u ed by &C.
lumbuS more than four centuries ago,
and saw psrsonitied in some Of the is-
lands, If not paradiSes inhabited by
devils, at least gardens Of Eden, con-
trolled by populations, which were ap-
parently drifting back into that bar
barism, whence they were taken when
they were brought over by English,
French and Spanish slavers and els.
tributed among them.
The racial problem is being worked
out in the tropical West Indies, and
worked out, If not In favor Of the ne
gro, at least against the white man.
No rejecting person can visit these is.
lands without feeling, after what be
sees there, that the Almighty has fix
ed certain zones for the habitation Of
the white and black races respective
ly.
Everywhere in those Islands the evil
dence exists that the white man has
lost iE the struggle which he has been
maintaining for centuries there to
preserve his racial superiority even as
an inhabitant Of countries within the
tropical zone.
Gradually but surely he has deterio-
ated physically, morally and mentally.
OF all the emtgrauts, forced or volua.
tary, who have peopled those islands
since the ruthless slaughter Of the ma
tive Caribees by the soldiers and gov.
ernors from the highly civiliZ3d ma
tiona Of enlightened Europe, only the
negro from the Congo or the gold coast
of Africa, whose fOrebears were
brought there as slaves, has flourish.
ed.
Instead of deteriorating he has, con
Bidering him as an animal, phySicallJ
improved In stature and muscular pow.
6I. Liz ClludUc UcluR eQulVdlebu u
his OVID, all the rest Is doubtless the
result of more favorable physica
surrounding as to nature and lodg.
ment than he had been accustomed tt
in Africa in spite Of his condition OF
slavery. He has also multiplied rapid
ly until he has become In all OF the is
lands vastly dominant in numbers.
Naturally, therefore, the white
man who has grown all the time fee
bier, mentally and physically, and whl
each year dWindles In numbers, ha'
already lost his hold on some Of the is
lands, and is In fair way to 10 Q II
on the resnlt of them. Cubl excepted
and perhaps Porto Rico, "hore climat
ic conditions are much more faVorabl;
for him. AS the white man loses hi!
grip the black man tightens his, an
hence is perceived everywhere, sub
stantially, negro control.
The English islands OF Barbados
Trinidad and Jamaica are no exception
to this rule. For while governors will
fat salaries are still appointed by th,
imperial Government, the local offices
are filled by blacks the islands policet
by them, and their general political
social and moral tone given by them
What next? Tnat Is the question
vhio6 one constantly propounds t.
himself as he observes the facts ! hav