Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-27

EVentS must De awaited before IL
 will be known that the sultan of Fur
 key acted in good faith and from a
 hearty desire to reform his govern
 ment when he restored the eonstitu~
 tion and granted political amnesty.
 Should he end by retracing his steps
 it 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 a. reactionary, says
 one writer. Not least among the
 thorns in the side of the gloomy and
 selfish oppressor of his people has
 been the Young Turk party, to
 whose persistent agitation is due the
 demand for constitutional govern
 ment. The sultan may yet be able to square accounts with these dis, turbers of his peace by withdraw ing any concessions he has made the
 moment he can reduce them to im- potency. It is little wonder that the change from absolutism of the most oppressive kind to a constitu- tional government for Turkey was
 regarded all over the world with l genuine skepticism. And there is | plenty of room for skepticism yet. | It is said that the sultan's sudden | conversion has been due to fear, coupled with desire for revenge.
 which he will take at the first 1 chance. He has a record of life
 long treachery in dealing with othe> 1 powers, is not known to have sin gle worthy impulse and is capable
 of every baseness. Perhaps the most
 amazing development of the sul- tan's sudden transformation was
 the invitation to Turkish exiles to
 return home. These exiles, as is
 always the case, have been the in- spiration of the revolutionists at
 home. We know that the Fenian
 movement in Ireland was financed
 by the tolling exiles of Erin in America, and the Cuban insurrec-
 tionists in both great uprisings
 were stimulated and aided financial l ly by refugees on United States soil. 1 So the Syrians and others who have { hoar dri,ror fropo tba opo;opt oor 1 den of the world by oppression have , sent their money and their blessings
 to the plotters and agitators in the 1 fatherland. Their patriotism and | liberality were shown in the pro-
 posal to express their thanks to the sultan for the amnesty offered them
 by raising a fund to build a battle ship for the Turkish navy. It would be stroke of statesmanship if the
 sultan should put his reforms
 through. Under the banner of prog ress Turkey might regain its ancient position in Europe and make the l phrase sick man" misnomer henceforth. And the people, especial
 ly the reformers, can help to this end by going slow. Extreme radi-
 calism produced resentment and re- action in Russia and in Persia, and
 constitutional progress has been im- peded if not permanently checked
 in those lands. However much the
 people of Turkey may hate their sul-
 tan, they probably need him now. for they are unfit to rule themselves
 at this stage Years of preliminary
 training in the essentials of self
 government will be necessary before
 the Turks, with all their ardent love
 of liberty, can perfect the work of regeneration and take their proper
 place in the world. Should the peo- pie so long victims of misrule per form the essential preiiminaries
 and transform and liberalize the an-
 cient empire without a reign of ter
 TOT 1t will be one of the marvellous spectacles of the. century.