Evening star., 1909-03-12

guaranteed by property surrendered by
| the sultan since the new regime.
In addition to these loans new sources
| OF revenue must be provided. Rates of
duties charged upon imported goods can
not be changed without the consent OF
! the European powers, which seriously
complicates the situation.
Instead of trying to solve these prob
lens the members Of parliament are vast
| ing their time In oratory.
Sultan Ever in Fear.
The once all-powerful autocrat lives In
daily terror Of being dethroned and as
sassinated. He has become mere figure
| head. Even the outward evidences OF
| his sovereignty have been taken away, or
greatly reduced.
| His staff of 400 secretaries and aids
| de-camp, ranging from field marshals and
| admirals down to captains. has been re-
duced to about thirty. Several hundred
| cooks anr servants have been sent away.
An equal number of musicians and other
artists and attaches have been dismissed.
The imperial guard. formerly one-half
OF the first army corps. has now dwindied
| down to a few battalions. Yildfz Palace.
for thirty years the busiest and most
populous spot in the empire, is quiet and
deserted as village churchyard.
Besides having his civil list reduced
and his authority taken from him. the
| sultan has been forced to surrender more
than $jOOOO.O0O worth of real estate and
| d1sgorge part of his private fortune.
which renders him helpless so far as
financial influence is concerned.
The fact that the authority he once ex-
| ercised with such a cruel and relentless
| hand is now intrusted to officials whom
| he banished or imprisoned must cause
the unhappy man to pass many anxious
| moments and sleepless nights.
Demands for Sultan's Head.
| large percentage of the population
| continually demand that Abdul Hamid
shall be dethroned Many insist that he
shall be put to death. These are con-
vinced he is a perpetual menace to con-
stitutional government.
| He gives no outward evidence of any
| intention to break his oath to support the
| constitution. Many think he is merely
biding his time and awaiting a favorable
opportunity for coup d'etat.
On the other hand the wisest leaders
of the Young Turkey party regard him
as their most valuable asset. AS long
| as he occupies the throne their harmony
| will not be distracted by rivalry over
the succession.
They are satisfied that no one will trust
him on account of his past record. He
gave no protection to his most loyal sup
porters when the crisis came. All his
tools and creatures are either in prison
or in exile.
proved of every recommendation made
by the liberal cabinet, but has conducted
himself properly as a constitutional SOW
ereign. He has even surrendered rights
and prerOgatives that are guaranteed him
by the constitution.
Every man holding a prominent posi-
ton under the government has been his
enemy and has been punished by him at
one time Or another Hence he recog-
nizes the eXpediency of complying strictly
to the new regime,
Courts in Bad Shape.
The courts Of Turkey are still in a de-
plorable state. Parliament has done
nothing to reform them.
RefiX Bey one Of the most active MEM
bers of the Young Turks committee
which managed the revolution has re-
Gently been appointed minister of Justice.
Although he realizes the Importance of
reforms. 1t will take a generation to
make them.
The police department is in even worse
conditlon. The officials are inexperienced
and do not know whom to trust The
criminal class, kept well cowed under the
Old regime. has neither fear of nor re-
spect for the new officials.
Consequently crime is greatly increased !
Neither life nor property is as safe a $ it |
was under the old despotic government. |
The public has been exposed to the dep |
relations of thousands Of criminals who |
We're released under the general procla-
government was proclaimed.
Local government Is demoralized |
throughout the entire empire There is
no central authority at Constantnople to |
control and direct 1t, as under the old |
regime New officials in almost every |
case are entirely without experience
important questions sent up from gov |
ernors and mayors receive no attention at |
Constantinople, because officials there are |
all busy with matters of great imnort ance
In some vilayets the local authorities |
are at the mercy of mobs. The people |
have entirely misconceived the meaning
or liberty and the privileges to which they
are entitled under a liberal government
The fantastic conceptions of freedom
which prevail throughout the empire were
recently illustrated at the American Col
lege at Beirut. A number of students
made the foolish mistake Of swearing an
awful oath that they would neither at
leave college.
Ihls extraordinary act produced a sit
uatlon that might have been dangerous
II the faculty had made false Or hasty
step. For fear of exciting the prejudice
of the bigoted MOslems outside they per-
mitted the mutinous students all the Iib-
erty they desired and proceeded with the
college exercises as If nothing had hap
pened
After a few days Of anxious tension the
themselves in a ridiculous position. BY
refusing to attend recitations they were
not gaining any dignity or Importance,
but were simply depriving themselves of
the advantages for which they had come
to college.
1t was critical situation. however, be-
cause II the mutiny had been sustained
by majority of the students it would
have been a deadly blow to every Chris
tlan ana missionary enterprise in the OF.