The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-09
Women Slaves In Morocco
BY MADAME DR.. LEGEY.

tured near the inhospitable coast o:
MoEhreb, but slavery still exists
everywhere In Morocco. Marakech is
still. as 1t was at tho time OF which
Voltaire wrote. the headquarters OF
this shameless traffic. In vain France
forbids slavery In all her African
possessions. but as long AZ rumer-
Gus droycs of human cattle are driven
into Marakech by caravans from
souss and Tafllet, the slave trade will
continue,
The imported slaves, are readily
sold either openly In the market. or
secretly. The slave market Is situ-
ated IN the quarter OF the aularines,
OF druggists. Nothing Is more pitt
f1ll than to see this slave market
where sales are made In bright day
light under the protection OF Allah.
Imagine an enormous open square
surrounded by a large number OF
gallery. under which the vendors
stand IN rainy weather, A little be-
foro the opening time OF the mar
ket the slave traders bring In their
human merchandise, leaving the ac-
tual sale to commissioners. dellals,
Women, children, youths and grown
men are driven promiscuously into
the boxes. In most cases they mako
full well that they have nothing 70
say, and that they Will be sold
whether they Ike il or not Little
by littIs the square is filled up by
purchasers, Everybody tries TO get
III the -. best place to obtain % "a n, a SoNd view
rive.
The market IS opened with q SOL
ernn prayer. Standing near the en-
trance gete with their hands open to
themselves under. the protection Of
Sidi bel Abbes. the patron Of town,
and IN a loud voice reclte the ia
dha,' or first sourate Of the Koran,
It reads: praised be Allah, Mas
Ter OF the universe. the lenient, the
rncrciful, the Ruler on the day OF
rotTbutiop, II is Thee whom we
adore, II IS Thy help we implore--''
When the Invocation Is over, each
dellal takes charge of the lot OF
toilet is made. consisting in remov-
moving the most filthy rags aud re-
placing them by nearly clean clothes.
This enhances the value Of the ware,
and the sale begins.
The dellals run all around the
square in all directions, followed by
men they have TO sell. If any buyer
appears TO be interested, the gang
is stopped and le is given an oppor-
fully examines the hair. teeth and
limbs OF the creatures offered for
sale
When a bargain is made II Is rat
flied before the adoul (notary). The
nsy oeSea6s p hs ave 9n ehs nave ase Seem ana
SAM. M or about sl4 in American
money; while girl Of i or II brings
II to $50 douros, The very little
= woman wio knows how TO cook
MAJ bring 500 douros. When wom-
an is brought to the market with an
iafant at her breast, or just able
10 walk, il often happens that the
buyer wants only tbe mother; the
Heartrending scenes take place, for
the mother. even If she be the low
est kind OF savage, refuses TO sub
NIT TO this brutal separation will
lngly, but is soon beaten into sub
mission by merciless blows,
Inside the limit Of two months the
sale may be declared void, II the
slave does not come up to the stipu-
IA ted conditions. The slave is then
returned to the merchant This gives
dom the cases are carried even TO
the pasba. who pronounces final
Judgment.
These sales, as I have said. take
place quite openly i'll the market,
according to certain laws. The mar
tIet is practically state institution
Before the sale the merchants
lake the slaves before tho khallf
or yicsroy, who authorizes the trans
action. This rule was made by HUI
sultan. During bis reign a large
number OF white women were sold,
but so many complaints were made
Jhsr ne decided TO authorize only the
sale OF negroes and halfbreeds. and
no sale 10 valid without such au-
thoriZation.
Until the time OF Mulai Tiassan
this market was the source of en
enormous revenue 10 the sultan, who
look one fifth of ali slaves as his
number of boxes around the square
ne may Judge OF tho great number
of slaves disposed OF. |
To avoid this tax and facilitate the
began 10 negotiate direct with the
,aravsns.
Nobody can Imagine what q harem
s like. nor form any idea OF the
enormous number Of women kept
prisoners within its walls. have
and more, An ordinary citizen owns
score OF slaves. Monogamy exists
nowhere, and those too poor to OWL
slaves are dreaming only of the day
when they can possess come. No-
uPtuousness and love OF luXury arc
the vices which have brought about
The degeneration and decadence OF
he Moroccan people. These vices
deprived the race OF it's one time
courage and pride.
The sultan shares the vices OF his
people. His 'lsrem is fantastic be-
'ond all imagination. Besides the
women he has about him III lTcz. he
las at Marakech. in the r-ei-Insk-
men, A reserve. 5000 women. The
'cysl harein al Marakech is q special
nstttutior. Every village. every
-ribe pays a tribute of Women. TO
be guitar. who is 4. Verltable modern |
All these women arc
sent separate, and classified accord
a9 to their birthplace. sch sroup in
separate building. Hero arc the
hose from Souira, there again those
g under the supervision OF q Ina rifa
Kind ri female major r-domo. who
lss the confidence OF tho master and
he full authority 10 inlllct any pun
shment she likes
Every time a caid fears tho anger
'f the sultan. or merely Wishes 10
1Iease MIN, the cald offers him a
number OF women. often his own
isuShters. On account OF this the
lu1lpcr of unfortunate women Is
'lInos. daily increased, and they ara
tcPt In a prison from which they are
inerated only by death
The sultan. however. never sells
my OF MS slaves. He has tho right
Q. give them in marriage to his bost
i1ends, when he grows tired OF them
lfmsef. and IL is customary for him
o set 100 slaves free annually. For