davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-04-19
Church Ab0Iishes
Eternal Torment.

Chicago, April 16.-Forty-three
Presbyterian churches OF Northern
Indiana have decided that the words
eternal torment" which have stood
IN the Presbyterian creed for $50
years, be stricken out.
The ministers who were present IA
vored the substitution OF the word
destruction" for eternal torment, !"
declaring the latter phrase to be I'M.
authorized by the Bible, and that It's
use retards the growth Of the church.
This revolutionary action was
taken at the meeting Of presbytery
at Valparaiso, Ind.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-04-19
1000 Russian Soldiers Arrive.

New York, April 16 -EthAlbert
Watts, United States Counsel. Ganer-
alat St. Petersburg, was q passenger
on the steamer Pennsylvania, arriv-
ing from Hamburg. He said that
heis the bearer Of q letter from Count
Witte to President Roosevelt.
Among the steerage passengers
ven 1900 men, al registS1sd = IN.
mArrisd and nearly AL Of them Rus
slAns. who said they had served -
soldiers n the war against Japan,
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-04-19
NATURE POINTS THE WAY.

The showers that bring forth blossoms
End make nature more beautiful often
cause untold misery to mankind in whose
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-04-19

evening train.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

from the covering boat. and a responsive
banging Of overloaded muskets from the
shore.
Only once was I badly hurt when recruit
ing. l had visited a rather big village, but
could not secure a single recruit, and l had
told h officer to put OF, as it was no
use wasting our time. got into the boa
and was STOPPING down to get a drink from
the water breaker, when a sudden rusIlIAde
Of muskets and arrows was opened upon US
from three sides, and I was struck on the
right side of the neck by a round iron bullet,
which travelled round just under the skin,
and stopped under my left ear.
Some Of the crew were badly hit, one man
having his wrist broken by a bullet, and an
other received a heavy lead bullet in the
stomach and three bamboo arrows in his
chest, thigh and shoulder. He was more
afraid Of the arrows than the really oan-
gerous wound in his stomach, for he thought
they were poisoned, and that he would die
Of l~ockjaw-like the lamented Commodore
Goodenough. who was shot to death with
poisoned arrows at Nukupu in the Santa
Cruz group.
The skipper nickel out the bullet in my
neck with his penknife. and beyond two
very unsightly scars on each side Of my
neck I have nothing Of which to complain
and much to be thankful for, for had I been
in ever so little more erect a position the ball
would ave broken my neck-and some
Competitors in printing establishments
would have earned a little lees money.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
BLACKBIRDING In THE PACIFIC.
TIE KANAKA LABOR TRAFFIC
IN THE SOUTH SEAS
Described BY One VINO Has Taken Part in
u-Cruelty Marked Its Beginning IN
1855 British Attempt 10 Regulate II
Methods OF Recruiting she Natives.
BY LOUIS BECKE.

Auhor Of By Rect and Pain" &c.
The Kanaka labor traffic, generally termed
blackbirding, began about 1868, when
sugar and cotton planters found that natives
Of the South Sea Islands could be secured at
q much less cost than Chinese or Indian
coolies. The ge nesis Of the traffic was a
tragedy, and filed the world with horror.
Three Peruvian armed ships, manned by
Gangs Of cutthroats, appeared in the South
Pacific and seized more h a 900 unfortunate
natives in the old African slave trading
fashion, and carried hen away 10 work
the guano deposits Of the Chincha Islands.
Not a score Of them returned to their island
bomes-the rest persisted under the lash
Of their cruel taskmasters.
Toward 1870 the demand for South Sea
Islanders became very great. They were
wanted in the Sandwich Islands, in Tahiti
and Samoa: for. ouriously enough, the
natives OF these islands do not like planta-
ton work. or. IL employed, demand a high
rate Ct pay,
:hsn, too, the Queensland sugar planters
Joined in the quest, and at one time there
we're more than fifty vessels engaged in Sc
ciring Kanakas from the Gilbert Islands,
the Solomon and New Hebrides groups, and
the great islands near New Guinea.
At that time there was no Cover nment
super, ision Of traffic. Any man could At
out a ship and bring a cargo of human
beings into p'rt, obtained nv means fair
or f3C!, and rr questions wr-~ asked.
Ve.g --.@ ...ne the neGs "a sas .lA1eHs
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

ever, always kept handy in a harmless
looking canvas bag, which also contained
some tobacco, cut up in small pieces, to
throw to the women and children, to put
them in a good temper.
The recruiter opens his trade box and
then asks il there is any man or woman
who desires to become rich in three years
by working on a plantation in FIJI, Queens
land or Samoa. II he can speak the Ian
guage and does not lose his nerve by being
surrounded by hundreds of ferocious and
armed savages and knowing that at my
instant he may be cut down from behind
by a tomahawk or speared or dubbed
he will get along all right, and soon find
men willing to recruit.
Especially is this 50 il he is a map per-
sonally known to the natives and has a
good reputation for treating his black
birds well on board the ship. The ship
and her captain. too, enter largely into the
matter of a native making up his mind
TO recruit or refuse TO do 30.
Sometimes there may be among the
crowd Of natives several who nave already
been to Queensland or elsewhere and de-
sire to return. These may be desirable
recruits or on the other hand may be the
reverse and have bad records.
usually tried 10 shunt these fellows
from again recruiting. as they often made
mischief On board, would plan TO capture
the ship and such other diversions, but
always found them useful as touts in gam
ing me new recruits by Offering them a
present for each man they brought mo.
always made it q practice never to re-
cr1Iit n married man unleas hiR wife IA ma
with him, nor would take them IL they
had young c~hildren-whO would simply be
made slaves in their absence.
1t required the utmost tact and discre-
ton to get at the truth in many cases. and
very often on going on board after a day
Of toll and danger and I would be sound
asleep a young couple would swim of
lovers who had eloped-and beg mo To
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

send them of to the ship and continue on
my way.
At sunset l would return on board, the
boats would be hoisted up and the ship
either anchor or hesve TO for the night.
On this particular trip the boats we're only
twice fred at, and not one mar Of my crews
was hit.
The boats are wn as landing and cover
ing boats. The former, in command Of an
officer and the ~recruiter, carries five hands
(all armed, and also the box OF trade goods,
TO be exhibited to the natives as specimens
Of the rest OF the goods on board, or per-
haps some will be Immediately handed over
as an advance to anynative willing to recruit
az a laborer in Queensland, or elsewhere,
for three years at the magnificent wage OF
60 per annum, generally paid in rubbishy
articles worth about 80 shillings.
The covering boat il in charge OF an,
officer or a reliable seaman She follows
the landing boat at a short distance, and
her dutyi is to cover her retreat, II the natives
should attack by at once opening fire and
giving those in hat boat a chance OF pushing
of, and getting out of danger; and, also,
she sometimes receives on board the recruits
as they are engaged by the recruiter.
On nearing the beach, where the natives
are awaiting. the officer in the landing boat
swings her around with mis- steering oar, and
the crew back her in. stern first, on to the
beach. The recruiter then steps out, and
the crew carry the trade chest on shore,
: Then the boat pushes on a little, just enough
10 keep ahoat, and obstrusive natives
who may mean treachery are not allowed
to come too near the oars or take hold Of
the gunwale.
Meanwhile the covering boat has drawn
in close to the first boat, and the crew, with
their hands on their rites, keep a keen
watch on the landing boat and the r~ecruiter.
The recruiter, II he Is a wise man. will not
display any arms openly. It makes the
savage natives either sulky or afraid, and
l never let them zee mine. which l, how
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
already shown himself to be a man Of fore
and originality.

already shown himself TO be a mar Of force
n originality.
THE CONSERVATIVE LEADER.
Count Heyden Is the leader OF the con-
servative element, il there is a conservative
element in the Duma. Perhaps it would be
more accurate to describe him as the spokee-
man for the least radical group, for all Of
the members Of the Duma are reformers,
differing only as TO the extent Of changes and
the speed with which they shalt be made.
: He was once considered radical, but he
has not moved as rapidly as public senti-
ment. Count Heyden bears quite a re-
semblance to Uncle Sam as he is pictured
in the newspapers.
| nave spoken somewhat at length OF
the leaders in order to show hat while the
grievances OF the peasants and laborers
are at the bottom Of the movement, all
classes are enlisted in the effort to establish
constitutional government.
The afternoon sessions are generally
lively, for it is at this time that the Ministers
make their reports, offer their messages
and answer the questions p~ropounded by
the members. The session which we at
tended was no exception to the rule.
The house was full. the galleries crowded
and the newspapers fully represented.
There were more than forty Russian writer's
in their corner and not less than fifty Of the
foreign press.
When the representative OF the War De-
partment. replying to a question concern
ing some recent military executions. de-
clared that the Minister of War was power
less to override the Gene rails, there we're
shouts OF Murderer -Assass'n!' Dog"
and other equa ly uncomplimentary cpl
thets.
MEASURES BEFORE THE DUMA
One of the demands made by the Duma
ia for the abolition of the death penalty.
This might seem a very radical measure to
us. but the conditions are quite different In
Russia.
Here there is no assurance Of an impartial
trial. and torture is resorted to to force an
admission Of guilt. Only recently three
persons were found to be innocent after
they had been tortured and executed.
The members Of the Duma feel that the
only security TO the people is in the entire
abolition Of the death penalty. for while
those who are falsely accused still live.
there is a chanc to rescue them. In this
respect, exile. hateful IA it is. has its ad-
vantages, and | met a member Of the Duma
who was returned from exile by the Gov
eminent upon the demand of the Duma.
In the torturing Of prisoners for the pur-
pose Of extorting a confession Russia is
even behind China. bad as China is. for in
the latter nation it has been abolished ex-
cept where one ia charged with murder, and
is only permitted then after the guilt Of the
accused has been established by other evil
dence.
There are a number Of important meas
ures which are very little discussed in the
Duma because they are certain to receive
the approval Of the Government; one Of
these provides for universal education.
The programme OF the Duma also includes
legislation guaranteeing freedom Of speech.
freedom of the press. protection for the
Jews and local self-government for the
Polish portion Of Russia.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

a them away in the ship. This / would
never do until l had seen he local chief
and was assured that no objection would
be made to their leaving.
When I was recruiting black labor for
the French and German planters in Samoa
and Tahiti was, OF course, sailing In ships
Of those nationalities, and had no Govern
ment agent to harsss and hinder me by his
interference, for only ships under British
colors we're compelled to carry Govern
ment agents.
But 1 must return TO the r~ecruiter stand
ing on the beach, surrounded by a wd
Of savages, exercising his patience and
brains.
Perhaps at the end Of an hour or 40 eight
or ten.men are recruited, and told to either
get into one Of the boats OF go of to the ship
in canoes. The business on shore is then
finished, the recruiter wipes his ~perspirinR
brow, says farewell 10 the people, closes his
trade chest and steps into the boat.
The officer cries 10 the crew: Give way,
lads" and of goes the boat. Then the COW
ering boat comes into position astern Of the
landing boat, for one never knew the mo-
ment that some enrage1 native on shore
might, for having beer elected az unde-
sirable, take a snipe shot at one Of the boats
Only W men pull the GOV ering boat
ther rest OF the crew sit on the thwarts with
their rifles ready facing aft until the boats
are out Of range.
That is what is the ordinary days work
among the Solomon, New Hebrides and
other island groups Of the western Pacific.
But very often it was, AMI is now, very
diff
The recruiter may be at work when he Is
struck down treacherously from behind and
hundreds Of concealed savages rush out.
bent on slaughter. Perhaps the eye Of some
ever wHtchful man in the covering boat has
seen c~rouching figures in the dense under
growth OF the shores Of the bay, and at once
fires, and tho ~recruiter jumps for his boat,
and then there 10 . cracking Of Winchesters
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

which there are usually four on ordinary
sized vessels. They are w~haleboats, speci-
ally adapted for surf work.
The boats crews are invariably natives
Rotumah men, Samoans or savage islanders.
The ships working crew also are natives,
and the captain and officers are, of course,
white men.
The tween decks are fitted 10 accom-
modate so many ~blackbirds and at the
present day British labor ships are models
of cleanliness, for the Government super
vision is very rigid; but in former days
the hold of a blackbirder often presented
a horrid spectacle-the unfortunate re-
cruits being packed 20 closely together,
and at night time the odor from their
steaming bodies was absolutely revolving
"a it assembled from the open hatch, over
which stood two sentries on the alert, for
sometimes the blackbirds would rise and
attempt to murder the ships company.
In many cases they did 80 successfully
especially when the blackbirds came from
the same island or group Of islands and spoke
the same language. When there were, say,
100 or 200 recruits from various Islands,
dissimiIar in their language and customs,
there was no fear Of such an event and
the captain and officers went to sleep with
a feeling Of security.
Let us now suppose that a blackbirder
from Samoa, Fiji, or Queensland has reached
one Of the New Hebrides or Solomon Islands.
Possibly she may anchor If there is an
anchorage, but most likely she will lie OF
and on, and send away her boats Ia tho
various villages.
On one occasion I worked tho erti-e
length OF one side Of the great island OF
San Cristovsl. visiting nearly every village
from Cape Recherche to Cape Surville.
This took nearly three weeks, the ship
following the boats along the coast.
We would leave the ship at daylight and
pull in shore, landing wherever we Jaw
a smoke signal or a village. When I had
engaged, say, half a dozen recruits I would
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

story Of the brig Carl and her iendish owner.
a DIR. Murray, who with half a dozen other
scoundrels committed the most awful
crimes-shooting down in cold blood scores
Of natives who refused to be coerced into
recruiting. Some Of these ~rufians went
to the scaifold. and from that time the
British Government set to work to effect
some sort Of supervision Of British ships
employed in the blackbirding trade.
A feet Of Ave small gunboats Sailing
vessels) were built in Sydney and were
ordered TO overhaul and inspect every
b~lackbirder and ascertain II the blackbirds
were really willing recruits or had been
deported against their will and we're to be
sold as slaves. Many atrocious deeds came
to light, with the result hat "a far as
Queensland was concerned every labor ship
had to carry a Government agent, who was
supposed TO zee that no abuses occurred.
Some OF these Government agents were
conscientious men and did their duty;
others were mere tools OF the greedy
planters and lent themselves to all sorts
Of villainies TO obtain recruits and get an
in camera bonus Of E20 for every native they
could entice on board.
Owing to my knowledge Of Polynesian
and Malanesian dialects / was frequently
employed as recruiter on many black
birders-French vessels from Noumea in
New Caledonia, Hawaiian vessels from
Honolulu, and German and English vessels
sailing from Samoa and Fiji, and in no in
stance did I ever AVE any serious trouble
with my blackbirds after they wero once
on board the ship Of which, was ~recruiter.
Let me now describe an ordinary cruise
Of q ~blackbirder vessel-an honest ship
with an honest skipper and crew. and above
all, an honest recruiter-a mar who takes
his life in his hands whom he steps out. un-
armed. from his boat and seeks for re-
imaginable.
Labor ships carry q double crsw-ons to
work the ahip. The othN 4 man The boats, Of
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

given up to speeches on the land question,
more than a third of the members having
expressed a desire TO be heard on this sub
iect. The speeches are usually short and
often read from manuscript.
Handspring is allowed, and there was
always applause at the close of the speeches.
Occasionally the president announced that
some speaker on the list surrendered his
time, and this statement also brought forth
applause, the discussion of the subject
having by this time become tiresome.
OF THE
BY the courtesy Of our Ambassador, Mr..
Meyer, we were admitted to the diplomatic
gallery, from which we could survey the
entire body. There is probably no assem-
bly, like it n either hemisphere.
1t is made up of all classes and represents
every shade of opinion. There are members
Of the nobility who have cast in their lot
with the people; lawyers who have tenn
porarily left their practice to devote them
selves to the larger interests of the public;
professors fresh from the universities.
business men from the cities, laboring men
from the factories and there are. more
numerous still. peasants from the farms.
Some Of the membeTs are near the end OF
life and command attention by their years
as well as by their words, and there ia a
sprinkling Of young men who nave become
the spokesman Of their communities; but
the majority are middle aged men who
have years Of experience behind them and
are yet strong for the battle. .
In garb there is also a great variety; the
black frock coat. the business suit. the belted
blouse and the clerical robe are all to be
seen. The smooth face seems To be at a
discount in Russia; one would suppose,
so plentiful are whiskers. that the BARRIERS
were on a strike. There are many heavy
heads Of hair, too. sometimes the locks
falling to the shoulders, sometimes cut
square about the ears.
PAGES THAT TELL HISTORY.
The lobby ia a better place than the gal
lery to study features; sitting on one Of the
visitors seats in this commodious hall we
WatC1 ! the members passing to and fro
and were introduced to a number Of them
by the American newspaper men who are
reporting the proceedings for the press Of
our country. There are also a number OF
Americans here studying the Russian situa-
ton as a preparation for university work at
home; a son Of the late DR.. Harper of Chicago
being one Of these.
| shall send with this article a number
of photographs of the more prominent
members, but | regret that l cannot bring
before my readers some Of the faces that
We observed in the lobby-faces which
seemed to present an epitome Of Russian
history-strong, firm. unyielding faces
which plainly tell Of the stern resolve that
lies behind the peasant movement.
They may protest, like Mark Antony,
that they have neither wit nor words nor
worth, action. nor utterance nor the power
Of speech to stir mems blood" but they
can put a tongue in every wound" Of their
countrymen that will almost move the
stones to rise and mutiny."
DIVISIONS IN THE DUMA.
This is the first Duma,' and il has not
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

proceeded far enough 10 develop fully the
permanent leaders, but II l may use the
smile, as a basket OF pebbles ia shaken by
debate. the large ones are gradually rising
to the top.
The President of the Duma ia Prof. Serge
MurOmtseT of Moscow. whose learning and
judicial temperament combined to make
him the choice OF several parties, no one
Of which can claim a majority.
The Constitutional Democrats have the
largest membership and are the best or
ganize1. They also have the advantage
Of occupying the middle ground between
the Radicals and the Conservatives.
Having about $50 member on their rolls
and some thirty more acting with them,
they can count upon enough votes from
the more conservative elements to defeat
the extreme Radicals, and they can rely
upon enough Radical votes to carry out
their programme.
The floor leader OF this party is Vladimir
ID. Nabukoff Of st. Petersburg, a member
Of q prominent family, and himself until
quite recently an instructor in the national
law school. lie is about SO years of age,
intelligent and alert, and has the confidence
of his party.
PRoMINE FIGURES.
The orator OF the Constitutional Demo-
Gratis is Theodore /. Roditcheff. a scholarly
looking man Of 20. He is polished In man
ner and persuasive in speech.
One OF the most Influential OF the Con-
stitutional Democrats is Mr.. Maxim Wilma
wer. a Jewish lawyer OF the capital. He is
sometimes described as he brains OF
the party. and is credited with drafting
the Dumas reply to the address from he
throne. 't'
He is one OF the ablest civil lawyers in
the empire, and his election from st. Peters
burg, where there are but 5000 Jewish
voters out of a total vote Of 90 900, and his
elevation to the e~-presidency of the
national organization Of his party, would
seem to answer the charge that there is
widespread hostility 10 the Jews among
the people.
Nabukoff, Roditcheff and Winawer are
me b of the Duma and are, therefore,
prominently before the public at this time,
but in popularity they have a rival in the
person OF Paul /. Niliukoff, editor OF the
Reich. The Government would probably
put a"w" before the &" and give the word
its English meaning. but in Russian the
word reich means speech.
Mr.. Miliukof, it will be remembered,
was one OF the candidates OF his party in
st. Petersburg, but the Government COM
PEELED the substitution Of another name
because he was awaiting trial for an alleged
violation OF the press laws. He was ac-
Quilted soon afterward and is one OF the
moving spirits in the present parliamentary
struggle.
He speaks excellent English and has lee
tured in the United States. No one need
despair OF reform in Russia while such a
man az Miliukoff devotes his great ability
to journalism. >
Next TO the Constitutional Democrats,
the members Of the Group Of Toll form the
largest party. There are about a hundred
Of these, and Alexis G. Aladdin is their leader.
He is even younger than Nabukor, but has
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
Bees ROut DaII Players.

From the ORR GdseHf.
The First Baptist Church sunday school
held It's annual picnic yesterday at Brooksids
Park. A baseball game was broken MP by
q number Of bumblebees. which attacke Ell
the players 50 iercely as to leave fond re-
membranes.
A nest located in the vicinity OF shortstop
was not discovered until late in the game.
and then one Of the players InOlested the
were stunR.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
BRYAN ON RUSSIA
The Present Situation and
the Outlook.
DUMA A REMARKABLE BODY.
Gar Held 10 Be More Liberal
Than Ms Advisers.

Ehe Duma the Result OF the I.abOrs OF
Thousands OF Russian RefOrmers-
Men Among the Leaders-The Land
Question Paramount at Present Hard
ships the Peasants Have Long Suffered
MIR. Bryan Believes the VIII OF the
People as Expressed by the Duma
Must Eventually Prevail Over the
Bureaucracy. and Looks Forward TO
a Great Future for Free Russia.