Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-04
HAITI RULED BY
MILITARY BANDITTI
The 100000 People of the Black
Republic Are Worse Misgoverned
Than the Poems of Mexico = A
Farce of a Constitution.
BY CHARLES F. KINGSLEY

bg OIlAhlEi0 f. hlNtrSIE1
AMERICAN marines have landed in Port
"A au-Prinoe. The United states has in.
tervened in Haiti Shall our Government
stay on the Job until it has finished its task
or withdraw when a semblance OF peace has
been restored and leave the Black Republic
to its accustomed orgies Of boodshed and
revolution?
We arc witnessing the first attempt Of
the black race to conduct civilized govern.
ment. So far the effort has seemed to give
little promise OF success but tho Haitians
have been bullled, ridiculed exploited and
maisned for so long time that perhaps we
are not fair in our judgment. Maybe what
they need is chance. However, there isn't
much in the way Of self government to be ex-
pected of people most of whom have ad-
vanced only a little way in civilization be-
yond their ancestors from the junges of
Africa. In san Domingo ninety five per cent
of the population is iiternte but they're
even better off in that respect than their
neighbors the Haitlans Nobodys knows the
population of Haiti, for the Government is
always too inefficient to take an accurate
census and doesn't care to, anyway, except
for military purposes, but 1t is estimated that
the Black Republic has about two and half
million inhabitants, or 24O to the square mile
Eighty per cent. are full blooded negroes and
most of the rest are mulattoes.
Lucky to Get Out Alive
These people, with no help from foreign
nations and none wanted, have been trying
self-government They have established the
forms of a republic. They have a constitu-
ton. This constitution declares that the
presidential term is seven years. Only one
man has ever served full term and he was
murdered in his second administration. In
the last two years there have been five
changes of governmental power A life in
surance company that would insure a Presi-
dent of Haiti would have to invent a new
form of policy. The lot of most rulers in
Haiti is to be shot, or dynamited or poisoned
or driven to exile or suicide Only three out
of dozens have left office personally intact"
Citizenship means nothing in Haiti and the
condition of the majority of the people is
far worse than that of the Mexican peon
That is what their constitution has avaled
them, Just to prove that there is a constitu-
tion in Haiti let us quote the summary of
its provisions contained in an appendix to
stephen Bonsall's recent book, 1.-THE Ameri-
can Mediterranean"
AiiC NCLStlNullOu Oh Jne fIepuDllC OF Haiti
was proclaimed on the ninth day of October,
1882 and by its provisions the unitary. re-
publican form of government was adopted,
the administration of which is vested In the
legislative. executive and judicial branches.
THE Legislature is composed Of two cham
bers, a Chamber of Representatives. and a
Senate, the two together composing Ma
tional Assembly. The Chamber of Repre-
sentatives consists of 96 members, elected by
the people for term of three years and the
Senate of 80 members, chosen by the Repre-
sentatives from lists furnished by a board OF
electors and by the President of the Repub-
lie, for term of six years The Senate is
renewed by thirds every two years
THE President of the Republic is elected
by the National Assembly for term of seven
years and cannot be reelected except after
an interval of at least one term. In case of
death, resignation or disability, the executive
power rests in the Secretaries of State, act
Ing as body, who exercise the said authority
until new elections can be held.
"The Cabinet consists of six Ministers. or
of State.
THE Supreme Court is the highest tribunal
Of justice. There are also five courts of ap-
peals. one for each department, a number of