Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-01
Alistellaneuus Reaaing.
HAYTps STRANGE, AGED RULER
Nord Alexis Unlike Any Ohter Known
Potentate.

nora Alexis unlike ANY OnleT Nno"H
Potentate.
Port Au Prince, Hayti, April TO-
Possibly somewhere in the jungles OF
Africa or perhaps in the mystic east
or on the planet Mars there is a pres
!. ident, potentate, shah. rajah, sultan
or other sort of ruler who is as strange
land grotesquely impossible as Presi.
dent Nord Alexis Of Hayti, but GER
tainly there is none to compare with
him in this hemisphere. Castro OF
Venezuela, that monkey Of the An.
des." comes close. perhaps, but Cas-.
tro's style differs, and while he deties
the great powers of the earth he does
not approach in pure picturesqueness
the venerable old man who sits in the
presidential palace here and runs this
little black republic to suit himself.
Imagine typical Ethiopian be-
tween 90 and 100 years Of age. blood.
thirsty and apparently only half civil
lied, q dealer Of death to political en-
emies, a believer in voodooism, and
you have faint idea Of what he is
For anything more one must come tC
Hayti and see for himself
For one hundred and five Years thf
country has been under the same sor
Of rule as now. The natives gained
their independence from the French
and since that time the history Of the
country has been a record Of strife
and blOodshed.
Shut off from all the rest Of the
world, it has gone on downward path
until now it seems that nothing car
save it from utter ruin except inter.
vention by the powers. No steps have
recently been taken toward saving
what is left and building upon it, The
government robs the people, and the
people, thoroughly accustomed to this
procedure, don't seem to care much
Alexis rules with a hand Of iron
Some day a revolution against him vii
doubtless be successful. If he lives un-
til another may be organized, but fol
the present his will is law. a person.
al or political enemy is dealt with
summarily and harshly.
The shooting of twenty-Seven alleg-
ed cOnspiratOrs on March Is by order
Of Alexis is the most recent example
of his way of ruling, yet as time passe:
and the perspective is larger thai
slaughter will be but a mere detail ir
the history Of his regime. perhaps one
of the worst details, but not so very
much worse than many other thing:
which have been done and others
which will be done, no doubt, unless
foreigners take charge Of things.
The character Of Alexis is easly ac.
counted for. His father was social.
ed prince Of Cape Haytien, the north.
ernmost part of the country. Alexis
the elder held a high position in the
household of Emperor Henry Christie.
phe, barbarian, who left behind him
when he committed suicide in 1920 g
horrible trail of blood and deeds which
native historians pass over as many
unfortunate acts"
| llc VI SIll lSlOpiiC "CiC
ed down to Alexis, himself a page tc
the emperor. A mighty and brutal
man was Christophe, whose history as
told here is scarcely believable.
Once Christophe doubted the loyalty
of the chief Of police Of Port at
Prince, and thereupon he asked this
officer if he was really loyal. The chiet
naturally enough said he was. where
upon Christophe told him to prove II
by bringing the heads of his. the po-
lice chiefs, wife and daughter. which
the chief did, and Christophe was con.
vinced of his love and support.
At another time Christophe became
enraged with the French and issued
a decree that thereafter the official
language would be English, and that
if after twenty-fOur hours any one
spoke French in his presence he would
be executed. To complete the trans
formation he changed his own name
to Henry and has since been known a.
Christophe and Henry and sometime:
as Henri Christophe.
The traditions Of Christophe which
have been handed down from the last
century deal with nothing save blood
shed and the atrocities he committed
His own death was violent and also
somewhat on the heroic order.
In 1920 he was stricken with paraly'
sis. whereupon his political enemies
: started q revolution. He swore TO cure
himself Of his ailment and attempted
to do so with a bath in a solution OF
herbs and peppers. 1t gave him mo-
mentary relief. enough to permit him
to mount his horse and start for the
front.
The paralysis quickly took holt
again and Christophe was carried
back to his bed. His soldiers went
forth to battle with the rebels, Chris
tophe directing the campaign.
Then came the news of desertiOns
: from the government ranks and the
revolution was thus made successful
When the king received this informa'
ton he shot himself through the
heart. 1t is doubtful if any one
mourned the loss.
Having been imbued with this sort
: of rule, it is perhaps not surprising
that Alexis is the man he is, although
more than fourscOre years have gone
by since Alexis used to wait upon the
Emperor Christophe. Alexis came in.
to the presidency in 1902 by force, as
have all presidents of Hayti. He hao
made other efforts in previous years
but had never been successful.
Were it not for the earnestness dis
played the whole situation would
seem absurdly impossible. 1t is use.
less to call it opera bouffe, for from
: that point of view it is even more. The
most picturesque part of life here Is
the army with its scores of generals
=, and all 1t is extremely funny to q
; foreigner but the soldiers themselves
take it most seriously.
President Alexis on Il Sunday morn
granted an interview to the CORES.
| Of ho GIN Tho onIiannI