Evening star., 1909-04-25
TURKISH CONSTITUTION TRlUMPHS

witness that he was not demented.
When he died the sultan's emissary broke
his tibia with hammer in order that
there could be no mistake about his
death. adding the additional precaution
of beating the head of the corpse against
the wall. His funeral ceremonies were
unattended except by five or six soldiers
and an officer"
reforms contemplated by the Young Turks
he replied: Financial in the first place.
The reign Of deSpotism has created un-
numbered abuses impossible to reform at
once. Every one robbed and pillaged.
Backsheesh and graft were institutions"
tinople who claimed an enormous sum
from the water supply company and who
said: '1f you don't give me what I ask
the report will be circulated that a pig
was found dead in your reservoir and no
one will drink again your water The
gravity of this threat will be manifest
to all who understand the repugnance
with which pork inspires all Moslems.
A story is told about the boat in which
the sultan went every year to the point
of the Seraglio to kiss
Sultan's the mantle of the proph-
Roa+ ct. Interested persons
persuaded Abdul Hamid
that the boat was old and decayed
and that he ran great danger in u.s.
ing it. The sultan ordered that a new
one should be purchased in England.
1t proved to be an old tub which was
purchased for $4,000. for which the
palace paid $4,000. 1t is no excuse that
transactions equally shameful are made
in other countries besides Turkey Tur-
key is not the only country of graft and
the parliaments of all countries now and
then resound with the complaints of the
victims.
The representative of the Young Turks
however. made no such recrimination.
but was intent only in showing up the
weak points of Sultan Abdul Hamid.
THE sultan" he said, 'is the chief rob-
ber OF the empire. We have forced him
to disgorge and give back property of
the value of 100, 100000 francs which he
had appropriated. He appropriated also
100000 francs. for which his nephew
is now demanding payment. We know"
added the speaker. that the sultan pos
sesses a fortune Of 9OO.OOO,O00 francs in
vested in Europe. money which he has
amassed by appropriating it from the
public revenues"
The speaker told of reforms instituted
by the Young Turks at the palace, from
which $50 cooks were dismissed. also an
army of spies. also diminution in the
vast number OF servants in the Seraglio.
DuTlnS n single month Oh Rdma0an the
kitchens of Yildiz cost the sum Of $40O,
600. The sultan's civil list amounted to
$2.OOOOOO. He was paid three years in
advance. We said to him, Live on your
money; you will not be paid again for
three years. twithstanding, the sultan
his personal use. 1t was necessary to
diminish the number of officers of the
navy-for four ships there were twenty
admirals.''
In the matter of customs 1t was for
merly necessary to have a special per-
nit to import printing Ink. automobiles.
etc. The telephone. electric tramways.
ETC.. were interdicted; now all these are
being installed. passports are abolished
and the shameful reign OF backsheesh is
over. The sultan has cultivated hatred
of the foreigner: now students have al
ready been sent to European schools to
counteract this sentiment, which has been
a reproach to the Turk.
The education Of women will not be for
gotten. Turkish women are far better
than they are reputed to
Turkish be. They worked for the
wo,., revolution and conducted
themselves admirably dur
ing the period of conspiracy. They
aided the propaganda in carrying danger
Gus papers under their wells, which are
inviolable and cannot be touched. In Bull
garian matters the Young Turks were
simply splendid and stood still with a
complacency that is not characteristic
when assailed. War would have given
the sultan popularity and reaction would
have followed in it's train. The war of
1877, 1t is recalled, was made the pretext
for the abolition Of the constitution Of
1876.
The Young Turks have engaged expert
enced men in their work Of reformation.
France has lent aid in finance, England
in the matter of the navy. Germany in
the reorganization of the army.
There is no industry or commerce In
Turkey. country which is rich and a
people which is Industrious. Agriculture
is in it's infancy. With an ordinary
quantum of sense and with order and
liberty prosperity will soon spread over
the land. Such in substance was what
the patriot Turk replied to his questioner
There was another question to be asked
ment toward western civilization? Are
there not many fanatics? There still re-
main Armenians to massacre" The
representative of the committee Of prog
ress and union protested.
1.-The Turk is not what is generally
thought, brutal and fanatic. He Is mild
creature, honest, patient, loyal, simple
indeed, and naif. very much attached to
his country, and paSS1Onately fond OF
individual liberty, but ignorant, not fan
atical.
1.-The sultan today has found that out.
The massacres everywhere were organ
ized by the palace band. aided by police
disguised as Kurds. The proof of that
is found in the fact that at the first
.communique' Of the government the
massacres ceased at once. Had 1t been
a popular movemen! no such thing had
happened"
Constantfnople was in a state of
popular delirium for fifteen days after
the proclamation Of the
Excellent constitution. During that
Record. .lme 'here was no ROD
berry, no violence, no
crime. Where in all the world, may 1t
not be asked. is there a better people-a
people of such natural goodness as the
Turk?
The committee Of union and progress
has understood the Importance to Europe
and to itself that 1t shall make no mis-
takes, and that 1t must be strong, so
that it may meet any emergency. They
were surprised and beaten, but they have
recovered almost magically. Their power
is in the army, without which they were
powerless. The army began the revolu-
ton of July, 1908. and it is the army
which will dictate the peace at Con-
stantinople and guarantee the future
maintenance Of law and order in Turkey,