The Ordway new era., 1909-09-24
runs a| R4AHcE az NrkJ JoLrr 90

into office under uncertain conditions
which. during his term of occupancy.
underwent no change toward better
ment Two rival candidates for the
presidency there were. one Gen. Le'
gitime. the other Gen. Hyppolite. and
between them they made things warm
for Solomon. The latter fancied. VI
one may accept certain pronuncia.
mentos. that he was president Of Hay
Il for life. To further that ambition
he swept the mailed fist this way and
that. Meanwhile. Legitime and Hyp
polite were as active as hornets. From
this country went several expeditions
TO their aid. and they gave Washing
Bayard was at one time almost on the
point OF intervening and putting an
end to Haytian disorders.
Gen. Legitime eventually got TO
gether enough recruits to make o
brave show In front OF Port AL Prince
Solomon held out as long as his army
would remain with him. and then, like
Dominique and the others. he fed the
country. Whereupon Legitime crowned
Hopelul
ing in position for life.
Meanwhile In the north OF the coun
try. Gen. Hyppolite. disappointed be
cause he had not accomplished rs
much as Legitime. held on to his per
sonal following and set about to keey
up the disturbances. Legitime sur
rounded himself. but there were defec
tions from his ranks and In spite OF
the iron heel. Hyppolite gained favor
When the rebel army was almost with
in shouting distance of Port au Prince.
Legitime decided that he had better
be thinking of what his predecessors
had done. 1t all ended on his depar
ture and Hyppolite's assumption o,
chief authority on the island.
A stern rule was Hyppolites ther
for period OF seven years. He had
all sorts of Intrigue to deal with, bu,
with an experience of half a century
OF similar intrigue to aid him. he
managed somewhat better than the
usual Haytian executive. Moreover
he had the troops with him.
Characterized by his following as o
mild-mannered old man Hyppolite was
first-rate successor of Christophe,
Dominique. Soulouque. Salnave. He
was at the time OF the Corpus Christi
massacre man OF about 60 years,
coal black in color.
Withal he managed to make a pret.
ty able president OF the island For.
eign governments found him consider.
ably more tractable than his prede.
cessors or for that matter his imme.
diate successor Mr. Simon Sam. He
was particularly pleasant to Ameri.
cans. professed a strong faith in
American institutions. and often re-.
marked that he wished 1t were posi-.
BILE to give Hayu the same sort OF
freedom. The news OF his death in
1896 was received in governmental
circles at Washington with consider.
able regret.
T. Simon Sam. who had been minis.
ter Of war in Hyppolite's cabinet. then
went into office. He. too. began to
have troubles. He attempted to give
his country a peaceful reign, and got
along pretty we'll until his finances
became tangled. There was a loss of
over a million dollars. and the scan.
dal grew and grew until in 1902,
thanks to the energy OF Nord Alexis,
the government was forced to ac.
knowledge the deficit Sam fed the
country.
Nord Alexis brought into vogue
again the strong arm method OF dis.
pensing punishment. The fact that he
was an old man gave his enemies
more hope than otherwise they would
have had. Indeed. ever since he has
been sitting In the administration
building they have been Matching plots
to get rid Of him. Gen. simon's sue.
cessful coup was never prepared ON
the instant. Its foundation was laid
before Nord Alexis had been govern.
ing the island a half-dozen months.
Rather more cautious than some Of
the other Haytians Of ambition, Gen.
Simon kept his ambitions under cover
until he could be assured of suficient
disaffection and restlessness on the
part Of the army to enable him to
strike.
And that 10 the way things have
always gone IN the island between
Porto Rico and Cuba The usual pe.
riod which schemer for the presi.
dency can count upon is IS months.
A peaceable rule Of greater length ID
not to be dreamed Of There are min.
listers Of state and ministers Of war
especially the latter-to say nothins
Of exiled presidents and ministers Of
war. who must be given consideration
Something would Be radically WRONG
in things Haytaan II : revolution werc
mot in process Of fertilization ct lasse
Cncs : month q thereAbout, Here
- ~ Nod Alexis sven3 pfseaiAane.
e ne.9ses = z. 80 !. cet ! &. 3 '!I ass h .