Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-01-04

next dealt with. The commission fully
approves the system in principle, but
condemns the powers delegated by the
central authority in respect of the la
hor tax. The agents should not be in
terested parties in the collection of
the rubber, and still less should they
have the power of enforcing il on their
own responsibility. The local police
is insufficient to point out individual
abuses, and there is laxity of inquiry
into cases reported. The state should
exercise a closer supervision and can
eel the charter of any company in de-
fault
The four remaining subjects do not
call for detailed examination, and are
subsidiary to those already noticed.
In regard to depopulation, full value is
given to the explanations hostile to
the state which are put forward by
certain missionaries; but other causes
of a different nature-e. g., the prohi-
bition of slave traffic, sleeping sick
ness and other epidemics-are shown
to have been at work. In the bring
ing up of foundlings the excessive
term of tutelage is criticised and the
| detention of orphans in the Catholic
missions is questioned on legal
grounds. The final chapter is devoted
to examining the judicial organiza-
ton, and this is criticised on a three
fold ground-the composition of tri.
/ bunals, the insufficiency of their num-
! Der, and the dependence of judges up
on the administrative authority.
Various recommendation are made
for the prompter administration of
justice.
| Having dealt with the various
criticisms made by the commission, it
! is more pleasant to turn to the other
side of the picture, as set forth in the
following extract from the report:
We all thoght our mission was to in
Quire into acts of violence against
natives, or, in other words, to seek out
the evil This would not prevent us
from placing on record what seemed
to us good. Let us say at the outset
that when one travels in the Congo
and compares the present with the
past, the impression is one of admira'
ton and establishment. In these
regions which twenty-five years ago
were stepped in the lowest barbarism
where white man carried his life in
his hand, here whole tribes were
decimated by Arab raids, where traf-
fickers in human flesh marked the
choicest morsels on the living victim
where attrocious massacres were OF
constant occurrence, in this dark and
mysterious continent state has
arisen which has introduced the bene
Africa. Today security reigns in this
immense territory, the slave traue has
disappeared, cannibalism scarcely
exists, human sacrifices are rare. Vii
lages recalling European seaside
towns stud the river banks of the
Lower Congo. Leopoldville, with its
busy traffic, reminds one of the in
dustrial cities Of the world. These
railway systems both on the Lower
and Upper Congo, these eighty steam
ers which navigate the main river
and it's tributaries, these 1200-miles OF
telegraph, these hospitals and schools
which sprang up as if by magic, give
the traveller the impression, not OF
crossing continent unknown twenty
five years ago, but country long set
tied under the sway of European civ
llization. The impression is height
! n n
with which the administrative machine
works throughout the young state
Bona is in touch with the. most dis
tant stations, ami is the center of au-
| thority, which radiates thence to the
extreme limit of King Leopold's terri
tory
In spite Of it's many shortcomings, 1t
{, is difficult to pass a sweeping condem-
nation on work which can inspire
such an appreciation by body of men
whose honesty is above suspicion. 1t
is unfortunately the fact that in every
| country the early annals of COLOMBIA
! ton are more or less stained with acts
such as those of which complaint is
now made. King Leopold has signi-
fed tc me personally on more than
enc occasion his desire that the whole
truth and nothing but the truth should
be made known. It is significant
that to the report itself is appended a
royal proclamation nominating a COM
mission to report as to the best means
of carrying out the recommendations
| Contained This nroYf, MT N acc
in action is not only tribute to the
three members of the commissioner.
Edmond Janssens, Baroh Nisco and M.
4 de Schumacher-but it is also evil
dence of King Leopold's desire that
any stigma resting on his work in cen
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