The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-08-14
Tho sultan's Related Reform.

The Bultan's Belated Reform.
Events must be awaited before 1t
VIII be known that the sultan Of Tur-
key acted In good faith and from q
hearty desire to reform his govern
ment when he restored the constitu-
ton and granted political amnesty.
Should he end by retracing his steps
1t would not be unlike Abdul Hamid.
Every measure Of reform wrung from
him during his reign was against his
traditional policy, for he Is by nature
q ~reactionary.
Not least among the thorns In the
side Of the gloomy and selfish OPP
pressor Of his people has been the
Young Turk party, to whose persist.
ent agitation is due the demand for
constitutional government. The sui
tan may yet be able to square ac-
counts with these disturbers Of his
peace by withdrawing any concessions
he has made the moment he can re-
duce them to impotency. It is little
wonder that the change from abso-
lutism Of the most oppressive kind to
a constitutional government for Tur-
key was regarded all over the world
with genuine skepticism. And there
is plenty of DON for skepticism yet.
It is said that the %sultan's- sudden
conversion has been due to fear, cou-
pied with a desire for revenge, which
he will take at the first chance. He
has a record Of lifelong treachery in
dealing with other powers, is not
known to have a single worthy i'm
pulse and is capable of every base
ness.
Perhaps the most amazing develop
ment Of the sultan's sudden transfer
nation was the invitation to Turkish
exiles to return home. These exiles,
as Is always the case, have been the
inspiration of the reyolutionists at
home. We know that the Fenian
movement in Ireland was financed by
the toiling exiles of Erin in America,
and the Cuban insurrectionists in both
great uprisings were stimulated and
aided financially by refugees on Unit
ed States soil. So the Syrians and
others who have been driven from the
ancient garden Of the world by OPP
preston have sent their money and
their blessings to the plotters and agi-
tatQrs in the fatherland. Their pa
triotism and liberality were shown in
the proposal to express their thanks
to the sultan for the amnesty offered
them by raising a fund to build a bat
tleship for the Turkish navy. -
It would be a stroke of statesman
ship If the sultan should put his re-
forms through. Under the banner Of
progress Turkey might regain its an
cient position in Europe and make the
phrase "sick man" a misnomer hence
forth. And the people, especially the
reformers, can help to this end by go
ing slow. Extreme radicalism pro
duced resentment and reaction in Rus
sia and in Persia, and constitutional
progress has been impeded If not per.
manently checked in those lands.
However much the people Of Turkey
may hate their sultan, they probably
need him now, for they are unftsto
rule themselves at this stage. Years
Of preliminary training in the essen
tials Of self government will be nee
essary before the Turks. with all their
ardent love Of liberty, a perfect the
work Of regeneration and take their
proper place in the world. Should
the people so long victims Of misrule
perform the essential preliminaries
and. transform and liberalize the an
cient empire without a reign Of terror
1t will be n Of the marvellous spec
tacles Of the century.