The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-02-02

doned Its opposition. ana the DIn was
paid
As a protector Of the common people
| Swettenham has had no equal In the
records of West Indian governorships.
He discovered on his arrival In British
Guiana that the cody immigrant wom-
en- were being made the victims of the
planters and the estate overseers. Sew
eral of the most prominent planters,
leaders In the society Of the colony,
We're guilty. He warned them by cir
cular and by public utterance. They
took no notice. Then he told them that
he would stop immigration, as he was
empowered to do under the agreement
with the Indian government II he had
cause to believe that the coolies were
being Ill treated. They laughed at him,
never dreaming that he would ever
dare to take such drastic measures, as
the maintenance of the estates depend
ed entirely on the yearly supply Of I'M
migrants.
They had not gauged their man. He
promptly took up the case Of one Of
the worst offenders, took every cody
away from the estate under this mans
management and notified the owners
and attorneys of the estate that the
coolies would not be allowed to 60
back as long as the manager remained
in charge. To keep the manager there
! meant ruin. He was suspended, and
the proprietors took the matter into
court. The courts upheld the governor,
and the proprietors appealed to the
colonial Office. While the appeal was
pending a deputation Of planters ap-
preached the governor and threatened
to make things SO hot for him If he did
not give way that he would be COM
PEELED to resign. He heard them out,
and then he turned on them aud said:
Gentlemen, l hold my commission
from the king. The king ordered me to
guard the interests of his subjects
| here. l am the guardian In the kings
name Of every cody man and woman
In this colony. You are committing a
crime against these people. l warned
you to desist. You have defed me.
| Now you threaten me. But I'll make
you all an example yet! Go home and
try and be men!'
The colonial Office upheld the action
Of the governor, declared that he had
acted In the interests Of the people
and, though they allowed the dis
missed manager to take up another
management, did SO on the clear un-
derstanding that the governor had the
right to act as he had done and that IL
second case occurred they would NOT
interfere. The lesson was taught, and
the planters were compelled by public
opinion to behave themselves.
Friend Of American Capital.
While thus guarding the rights of the
common people, he was not unmindful
Of the future Of the colony. The gold
| nelds were almost inaccessible. He
took oil possible steps to improve
means Of communication with the in
ierior and laughed at the foolish preju-
dice which had kept American capital
from coming In, while British capital
held off, afraid to venture. He encour-
aged American capitalists to invest
their money In the colony. He blew up
huge rocks In the falls and rapids
which rendered the passage up the
great rivers fraught with imminent
danger to life, restored many of the
old roads which had fallen into desue
tude and stirred up public opinion to q
firm belief In the colony's future. II
was solely due to his energy, his initia
tive and his broad and liberal policy
toward American investors that a
large company of New York capitalists
largest and finest equipped gold mine
In the three Guianas.
In Jamaica, which he has governed
for three years, Sir Alexander has re-
organized the financial resources of the
island, purged the local civil service Of
idlers, improved the educational system
and wakened the people up. He intro
duced a system of insurance for the
banana growers whereby they are in
sured against damage of their fruit by
hurricanes, a revolution In insurance
of crops which has done the fruit in
dustry world Of good by inducing
thousands of natives to take 1t up as a
livelihood.
In contrast to the above tribute to
Jamaica's governor the New York
Herald prints the following:
That Sir Alexander Swettenham, gov
ernor of Jamaica, Is not especially
friendly to America Is well understood
by those who have visited the island
winter resort since his appointment to
the West Indian colony. His senti-
ments were recently expressed by an
officer Of high rank Of the Second West
India regiment who is very close to the
governor and who said:
1--WE prefer being let alone, but II
you Americans must come down and
explore our island, talk and write
about us, all we can say Is make 1t as
brief as possible"
This is the attitude Of many OF the
English--not the creoles, as the native
white residents are called - toward
American visitors.
Little Known to Tourists.
Sir Alexander and Lady Swettenham
f-A-