The state herald., 1912-08-09
oz37nWHolDE, PoREAVRNWoE

the government must borrow money
abroad, against which 1t has nothing
tangible to hypothecate but the Gus
toms and internal revenues, already
well pledged to pay for previous for
eign loans, the dissipation Of revolu-
ton. and the annual budget
"eraft" Deep Seated.
Another Of these difficulties is the
deep-seated institution of graft" In
Haitian politics. II is hardly necessary
TO observe that this development of
popular government is not confined to
Haiti. but there its prevalence has
been more an essential than an Incl.
dent of ofiice-holding. This condition
of affairs has naturally been attractive
TO foreign explolters who, by a mutual
ly satisfactory agreement. divide the
margin" on nearly every article pur
chased abroad. from electric-light
bulbs TO grand stands and junk men-of-
war. The few detractors of the pres
ent government say 1t is impossible, or
at least incredible. that It should con.
tinue long on its present plane. They
say that 1t cannot hold its chief sub
ordinates, such. for example. as the
semi-independent Delegues. a cabal of
iive men. each in charge of one Of the
hve geographical departments, with
out, at the least, connivance at extra
official emoluments: that no foreign
capital or enterprise can hope to make
an entry without clearing the way be
forehand by liberal qualifications. anG
finally that, even II successful at
tempt Is made TO administrate the
country on ''non-graft" basis, the dis.
gusted ofiice-holders would soon com
bine with ofice-seekers to oust so ANA
teurish and non-practlcnl regime
Whatever economic and political in
terest Haiti may have. It is quite sub
ordinate in the mind of the traveller
to the delight which he finds In the
beauty OF the Haitian Landscape. the
picturesqueness OF It's people. In the
first place II ia ncver-ending sur.
prise 10 find in tropic ATTITUDES SC
many different kinds of country Try.l
to imagine very mountainous island.
so varying In altitude and rainfall. and
in the resulting climate and vegeta.
tion, that as you ride across II from
Caribbean to Atlantic you pass
through Bermuda. Arizona. the foot
hills OF the Rockies, and firstclass con.
ventional tropics resembling the most
luNuriant parts OF the neighboring An.
TILES. Cuba and Porto Rico. Haiti IL
as surprisingly varied as that. The
sky-lines are long and high and noble,
not at all Jagged and volcanic. One
day for companions one may have
pines and cedars. and the next, stlil
riding north. by some latl,udinnl
magic be whisked thousand miles
south to follow trail through cocoa
and royal palms. duck!ng low.hanglng
clusters OF bananas.
Among the tales they told us In the
ports and on the steamers abou, Haiti
only one did no, prove an exaggeratlon
or myth, II would be impossible to
eNaggcrnte the character OF Haitian
streets and highways. In the whole OF
Haiti there are only two streets. and
they are monopolizod by the capital
Except In portau.Prince. you rarely
see any one or anything being trans,
ported In n wheeled vehicle. The
mortality statistics OF the country
must stand as formidable menace &c
the theory OF gcrm.spread contaglon;
most careful research has demon
htrated that revolution Is by far IN.
most prevalent epidemic. | found nc
trace Of tho nnomln which Affects
spanish.Amorioan and cnrib types In
the tropics. and during Ave weeka Of
travel In tho soaporta and through
tho Interior observed only three cases
OF what might have been leprosy.
A for the women OF Haiti, they dc
serve separate ossay-a panegyrio
In what passes In Haiti for n oensu,
they outnumbcr the men by about three
to one. but II YOU made your own esti
mate after inspecting OF markets and
dusty highways leading into market
towns you would say that there wcr,
In Haiti at lcas, one hundred women
for every man. ny contrast with them
the Haitian gentry seem rank ana
tourh. they frltief away their time
with coeknghtinE aud revolutions
Tho women of Haiti concern them
selves all the time with the serious
business Of life. Every mountain trail
Ia alive Mt daybreah with their hurry
ing feet. and the dust rises up In tho
lowlandH over their professions. or
mule or burfo back. but mostly or
foot. each having her burden on hot
head M rh. haatenr TO market Ane
In tho evenings. unfatisued. N. col
tide rows back. even moro pictur
esausly than the nood came. through
a oanouiy of dust shot thfoueb a,s