The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
Hollands Rule In the East Indies
w.LBrysa Describes the Dutch Plan Of Colonial
Government

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the Opium farm, nambiiae farm and arfach
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lsh reason fog opposina ne boyeott 81
American aSods In chat 10 would deprive
him ~ American cigarettes, u which no
waa very foad.
The Dutch traders followed the Porsus
guess Into the East Indies and In time sup
planted them. Holland then chartered the
Hast India Trading Company and AmstsF-
dam beoame the spice centre from which
all Europe drew its supplies.
THE sPioE MONOPOLY.
The Dutch Trading Company was manned
by q thrifty crew, and Il was not long before
they conceived Of ~monopoli2inR the worlds
spice market. and they accomplished this
by destroying groves and prohibiting COM
.-.i.I-- - 80. ..tsE A. ~.Nissom HIN8
are also charged with destroying spice
by tho ton in Amsterdam In order 10 main
tain the price. One apologist for this al
most universally condemned practice Of
the Dutch says
when the Dutch established their In
fuence In these seas and relieved the native
princes from their Portuguese oppressors
they saw that the easiest way to repay
themselves would be to get this spice trade
into their own hands.
For this purpose they adopted the wise
principle Of concentrating the culture OF
these valuable products In those spots OF
which they could have complete control.
To do this effectually II was necessary to
abolish the culture and trade in all other
places, which they succeeded In doing BY
treaty with the native rulers.
these agreed to nave all the spice trees
in their possessions destroyed. They gave
up large though huctuating revenues, but
they gained In return a fixed subsidy, free
dom from the constant attacks and harsh
oppression OF the Portuguese. and a con-
t~inuance Of their regal power and exclusive
authority over their own subjects. which 10
maintained in all the islands except Ter
nate to this day.
at IL no doubt supposed by most English
men, who have been accustomed to look
upon this act OF the Dutch with vague hor-
ror, as something utterly unprincipled and
barbarous, that the native population suf-
fered grievously by this destruction Of such
valuable property, But 1t is certain that
this Is not the case
BRYAN's REPLY TO WALLACE.
He then proceeds to charge that the native
sultans had q rigid monopoly Of the spioe
trade before the Dutch arrived, and that
the latter, by prohibiting the cultivation Of
~spioes. left the natives more time for the
production Of food and other salable things,
and concluded:
81 believe, therefore, that this abolition Of
the spice trade In the Moluocas was actually
beneficial to the inhabitants and that 1t was
an act both wise In iteeR and morally and
politically ~justifable.'
1t will be noticed that In a very brief
space he employs the arguments mainly
relied upon to support monopoly wherever Il
has appeared, and also for oolonialism In
its worst form.
In the first place, the Dutch had to "re-
pay themselves for having relic we'd
the native princes from their Portuguese
oppressors'-that IL, they had to ool-
| leot pay for their phihnthrophy; second,
as the sultans were doing the same thing.
the Dutch might as well do it-that Is the
very familiar argument, IF we don't do 1t,
somebody clss will and third, 1t was q good
thing for tho natives-lt Is never difficult
to prove this to the nan who profits by the
system.
But nothing is said as to the eject OF the
monopoly upon consumers Of spicesthrough.
out the world. 1t does not seem to OCCUR to
the writer above quoted CWallaoe) that
they are to be considered.
The point Of view from which he looks at
the whole matter can be Judged from his ad-
be too much afraid OF the ory Of despotism
and slavery" II they are TO improve their
rude subjects and raise them toward
their own level.
At the beginning Of the nineteenth cen
fury the Dutch East India Company be-
came involved and turned It's possessions
over to the Crown Of Holland. since which
time Netherlands India has been a Crown
colony. There was a brief interim Of British
rule (Isl1 to 1870, but at the close OF the
Napoleonio wars the Dutch regained their
possessions by treaty. and the English
congratulated themselves that they had
been relieved Of a burden.
THE DUTCH SYSTEM.
The Dutch have governed Java through
the natives, q resident acting as elder
brother to the Jsvanese ruler. While the
native Government has not been disturbed,
and while the native ruler 10 protected from
rival claimants. he is really q prisoner In
his own castle and cannot leave the prem-
ises without permission.
However, as these native rulers receive
good salaries and are allowed to exact
homage from their subjects, they seem
quite content with their lot, and the people,
naturally docile. yield obedience to the
chiefs OF their OWL race.
Tha oulture svstem. aside from the in.