Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-04-29
NEGRO FAILS
To Establish Successful Govern.
ment in Liberia
AFTER GIVEN START

INC advancement of the Negro
Falls Hopelcssly Flat and Must
BE Taken I'm Charge.
Shouldering one more task of tho
White Mans burden, the Irpitod
states government will send tbrea
commissioners to Liberia next Sat
uruay with the object of ascertaininr
py what means and in what manner
'he little black republic on the west
coast OF Africa can be maintained In
"e' independence and the country no
hd'ion improved generally in tbe
administration of it's government tho
"eVeiopment of It's natural wealth
ana the elevation OF It's citizensb,,
me task is assumed by this gov
eIhment primarily for the reaso,
mat Liberia was established and cot
,' nio'ion as a independents renuh,,o
~ 'ne United States becanso 80
Congressional acts almost q cant,.
"so' ahectlng the slave trade ana
| so Immigration to Africa n, 80,
Instance of American coIonizo.i
societies. iohizatlon
me commission will Ioava ~ -,
ne" scout cruise squadron maao "o
VI the birmingham. Chester ana UP
an,, Voe"'iy placed in commission
"iu Az, IS expected to make the trin -
'"onioVla' the capital and sea nort
- Liberia by way OF the Azoro =,
'""us' lhe commission is schoa,.,,
~ remain in Africa about sIx
eish' weeks during which time tho'.
VIII confer with all the Iita,.ta.,
9''eriment officials, foreign ronro
9VutdtlVes and residents and ,r,, 8
INTO any and every thine .'
a",ent ASSIST them in formulating .
comprehensive report to their boro
government. "Oiiie
ne present step of the Amer,can
SoNerhment is viewed with H. -.
most satisfaction by both Creot pn,.
al" ana france who have possession,
on either side OF Liberia. ne tbov -,
IeVe they at last see an and of ~
porder disorders and the unsott.sa
tory condition generally wb,oh t
Nia'eu IN the republic for some wears
p'S'' 10 Great Britain especially is
'"e appointment of the commies;o,
accountable because 1t will undouhted
reIieVe her of taking possible dras-
.ic action in collecting the bonded
Indebtedness which a number of bor
cltlzens have coming to them from,
'he Llberian government. Probahlv
the only world power which m,obt
hnd some cause for dissatisfaction Il,
Germany. This country practically
'on'Fols me foreign trade Of Liberia.
owns perfect rubber monopolv and
runs Things commercially Just about
as she desires.
a great deal has been written and
said about Liberia since the MASSAGE
OF the act by Congress in the early
part or March providing for the an
| polntment of the commission and tho
appropriation of $4,000 to carry on
It's work at the instance of former
| secretary Root, and especially has
this been true Of the country's nat
ura mineral wealth and the vast
and valuable agricultural opportuni-
ties. both neglected by the inhabi-
tants primarily through sheer iazi-
ness and secondary because of the
lack of capital.
So rich was Liberia been said TO
he by those who are in a position TO
speak intelligcntly, that 1t Is esti-
mated the country could support
population OF 100000 persons and
at the same time sustain very
large export trade in coffee, tobacco.
cocoa, rubber, palm oil, palm kernels,
passave. mahogany, canwood and
other tropical products. At the pres
ent time Liberia has a population OF
about 100000 persons of which not
more than 10000 can be truly said
to be civilized, her foreign trade how
ers about 100000 annually. but
about which there is no absolute GER
tainty and the administration of her
officials about the weakest, most in
capable and irresponsible imagina-
BILE
Reports from the seventy odd white
persons in the country, including a
number OF missionaries. confirm the
statements of the absolute incompe-
tency or the courts, tnclT COII upIIph'
the corruption of the legislative
branches of the government. the GUS
tom officials and the chronic dread
of work from one end of the land to
the other. The schools. or rather the
few institutions which bear that
name are the worst possible excuses
for places of learning and the moral
ideas of the inhabitants seem to be
sinking to a lower and lower ebb
wear by year until in some localities
, thev are not far removed from those
of the aborigines with whom many
/ Of the Liberians have inter-married.
2 A comparison OF Liberia with the
British colony OF Sierra Leone and
= the French livery coast colony, its
= neighbors, is really pathetic because
, of their vast superiority In every
: respect, even though Liberia pos
: sesses the richest territory of teh
three. and is the source of humilia.
E ton to the small number OF mer