The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-16

The trial or the missionary, Rev.
DIR. Sheppard, n Dopoldville Congo
Free state. for caIummious denuncia-
ton Of the Kasai Rubber company, has
resulted in a verdict for the defendant.
This company is rubber trust, 1t rep
.resents the Belgian government which
holds half tn stock and appoints tho
principal officials The trial was there
fore to determine whether the charges
current against the Belgian govern
ment. for cruelty and oppression In the
Congo Free States, can be substantial
ed In a court OF law. The verdict there
fore is a cond smnation of the Belgian
government in Africa, and particularly
the. damming of the infamous old lech-
err King Leopold
The circumstances of the trial made
a verdict for the defendant very very
difficult The trial was held 1000 miles
away from DIR. Sneppard's field OF
work so that it was all but impossible
for him to bring witnesses. Since the
court is Belgian, verdict Tor DIT.
Sheppard, whose offense is the pub
fishing to the world of Belgian ctro-
cities In the Congo, means Belgian
confession of Belgian crime. The IN
evitable result of such verdict must
be reform Of the administration, root
and branch The ADMINISTRATION OF the
Belgians is subject to the interference
of the great powers, which may now
be expected to assert the right of the
natives, with a Belgian court de sion
to proceed upon. The trial therefore
takes it's rank among the most import
ant court cases of the time. Up on ~
depends in a large measure the re-
| lease from chattel slavery of multi
tudes Of people the crushing OF an IN
famous commercial monopoly which
| has exploited the helpless natives oI
Africa with savage cruility, and the
opening OF vast areas to civlllzlng ana
| christianizing influences.
The character and personality OF the
defendant. so completely vlndicatea'
adds great interest to the trial. He -
an American citizen fact that alded
! in the securing of Justice lie ~
negro man of splendid educatlon
and high culture, and member 81
that class which ranks highest IN con-
Temporary history, the intellecutuai
and moral aristocrocy of christian mis-
sionaries. His work In the Congo
covers ten years OF successful work ~
developing character, practical educa-
ton in Industrial lives, and the found
| ing Of christian civilization on per-
manent basis, The trial has conn
| neled him to suspend his work and has
| brought upon him severest hardships
Tn lawyer VINO volunteered to defend
1 him ii M Emile vanderveide, one O
the leaders OF the Belgian bar, 9 mem
her Of the Belgian house of represen-
i tatives and one Of the foremost agita-
| tors against misrule i'm equatorial
1 Africa. His triumph in winning tbs
case brings him to q fame comparable
to that OF Maitre Labori, the legal de.
i fender of Dreifus.
This verdict against Leopold, the IN
famous, Ii the condemnation OF th'
ii commercialisrn which 10 the darkea
i sir. of the time, not only In Americt
but all over the world. 1t was for tn
sake De greed that Leopold and htI
Il associates have tortured and slain mul
N titudes of people In the Congo, ans
nave reduced the whole region +
abject misery. The same spirit IL y
the nonopolists OF the United States