The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-01-02
SERIOUSCRARGES.
MURDER. PlLLAGE, RAPE REIGN
INTaE CONGO STATE.
"Flaggant Inhumanityn Is Unbridled
Say Prominent Authorities In
Letter to Secretary Elihu Boot.

Say Prominent Authorities IN
Letter to Secretary Elihu Boot.
a letter signed by J. Pierpont
Morgan. Dr.. LYMAN Abbott and
other prominent citizens OF New
York, was addressed to Secretary Of
State Elihu Root, directing his atten.
tion to conditions in the Congo Free
State, where it Is asserted 'lsgrant
inhumanity exists" And urging
him, on behalf OF the American peo'
pie, to use the moral support OF the
United States government to correos
the abuses the Congo natives are
a,,.eged to be sufferingtrom."
The communication follows:
"OVer year has passed since the
report Of the commissioners chosen
by she chief executive and virtual
owner OF the Congo to investigate
conditions in that state was publish
ed. In spite of their natural desire
to give all possible credit to their
sovereign, the commissioners felt con
strained to report the existence OF
measure and practices OF 1sgrant IN.
humanity. Among these measures
and practices are the following:
First, The exaction Of labor tax
so oppressive that many laborers on
whom it falls have little, II any, free.
dom.
''Secoud, Appropriation Of land to
such an extent that the. natives are
practically prisoners within their
own territory.
Third, The employment under
the authority Of the government as
sentriss Of e:uel, british blacks,
chosen from hostile tribes, who mur.
der, pillsge and rape the people for
whose protection the government Is
avowedly esta blished,
Fourth, The abuse Of the natives
by white representatives Of officially
rscog ognized companies.
Fifth. The binding Of little chill
dHen to years OF labor at uncertain
wages by contracts they do not un-
dsrstand and even more serious NAL
treatment of children supposedly
under the immediate care Of the
government.
Sixth, Great Injustice in the ad.
ministrstion OF the courts, 80 that
the natives dread the place Of Bona,
the place where the judicial system
is centralized.
Seventh, The sending out OF punt-
tive expeditions, not for the purpose
Of establishing peace and order, but
for the purpose OF terrifying the Ms
tives into psying a tax which, IS ad.
ministered, even the. commissioners
regsri as inhunan.
1T is to be remembered that these
are not charges brought against the
Congo government, but findings OF
the commission appointed by the
chief executive OF the government to
investigate and report on the facts.
Acting upon these findings, q
second commission. also appointed by
the king, has recommended measures
Of reform. No steps have been. taken
to adopt them. There is no evidence
that the Congo government Is under
taking seriously to remedy these evils
The powers whinh created the Congo
government have clearly right to
call that government to occount.
'Inasnucy as the United States
gave It's moral support to the estab
lishment Of the congo government,
so it is justified in giving it's moral
support to any undertaking to secure
conditions in the Congo that will not
disgracs. We wish to assure you that
for any MEASURE you may adopt In Or
der to give the powers such moral
support Of the United States. you will
have our hearty ani urgent sp.
prevail"
The letter is signed by the Rev.
Messrs. Lyman Abbott, Henry Mot.
tet, Wiltord L. Robbins, Gsorge vii.
liam Knox, Charles e. Parkhurst,
John P, Peters, Wm. Richards, An.
son P. Hstserbury, Percy S. Grant
and Messrs VIM. Jay Schiefelin.
VIM. 81. Douglass, Charles A. Schie'
fen, Spencer Trssk, George Haven
Putnam. Everett P. Wheeler, Robert
G. Ogden, J. Pierpont Morgan, D.
Willis James, r. Fulton Cutting, J..
Cleveland Csdy and W. ]. Havemeyer.
The letter of J. Pierpont Morgan,
DR.. Lyman Abbot and others, ad
dressed to Secretary Root, urging him
to uss the moral support OF the United
States in the direction Of correcting
abuses ssid to exist In the Congo re-
gioc, 1t ws sstated at the department
to-day, would be taken into considera.
tion along with other similar ocmmu.
nicstions on the subject. Secretary
Root, in speaking Of the matter and
Of the recent statement in the Belgian
parliament that the purpose OF Bel
GUM In annexing the Congo Free
State was In order to enable that
country to deal with the subjects in q
more effective way, and that all this
country could do was to politely urge
Belgium to greater activity.
urrsSe by Negro Soldiers.