Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-20
UNCLE SAM IN THE CARIBBE!AN-IV.
n j.

CiRISTIANSTED. ST. CROIX. u. w.
j.. March i0.-St. Croix Is I'm q condi-
tioh that borders upon anarchy The
nearest thinS to>a ruling power is u
negro who has organized kis fellows
against the handful OF Danish ana
ifish landowners This man, Hamilton
JACKSON has made himself easily the
most feared and famous Individual in
inns island world. TO his followers he
is god ana king, Il bringcr OF hope
where there was none before The
planters sec him as a menace IN iiro
and property: lie is safe chiefly be-
cause II anything happened TO him
livery piack on the island would rise
to revenge him.
NOT would 1t be the first time the
niaSks or st. CroiX have risen against
.n.'r masters That Is what gives the
situation here its keen tension. Thut
~ why the Danish gunboat yuluvricn
P"'roih the Islands. That is why every
ono mere demands OF every yisit,ny
Hmerican when the islands are 10 he
ior.,"ily transferred to the government
vi Tue Chited states. No more peace
49,, re spot than 81. Croix could
De found and set fear on one side and
unrest ON the other arc the emotions
'hat he Just below the surface
Seen IN perspective. the story IF ,his
iT'dnu mas bcch That OF one long strur
sr petwcen the blacks and the whites
H""Hs 'he ihnd here has been owned
py Il rev white men. AT Dro.cn, 81.
are only eleven separate hni,,; ."@' =
sugar land. and there were mover move
IMAM hundred. Long ago slave. u.n,a
'r"ueht from Africa to cultivate tho.
lands. They always outnumhcrod -
WHITES "A hundred to one. and their Gnu
1911, "as aiways peculiarly hopeless
''"use thcir tiny island offered no
nope of either escape or or ho,,n, ~
'ntlr condition. 1t is recorded m, e.;
''"' the slaves revoltcd against thor
masters and killed and burned VIZ
IN" rovol, had been put down ,hn
roEa, council issued proclamation.
"n,'n contained among others. the
following articles:
Inc leaders OF runaway slaves
ahaI! he pinched three times win rod
hot irons and then hung. Each run
away slave shall lose ono leg mr. i,
rArdon"d by his master. one car. and
Slh!l receive $50 stripes Slaves who
steal To the value OF four x-dollars
snail be pinchcd and hung. one white
person shall be sufficient witness
'S"'"S' sihHc aud If suspected he
may be tried by torture"
slaves Hcv"lted I'm 1915.
Despite tho measures taken TO hold
them under tho smell OF fear tho sl,yos
OF -. trotN rose in revolt I'm IS,S.
ana FORCED the governor OF the islands
10 read Il proclamation setting them
free. This, however made little ching,
in their actual condition. They owned
no land and were dependent upon Tho
planters for roof \ contract labor
la" was passed which made their con
d'ti"n much tho same as before In
1879. they rcvoltcd against the contract
labor law. killed many OF tho planters
and burned Christianst.d 10 tho ground.
The contract labor law was abolished
Yet tho condition OF the people was
little changed.
Only lin tho light Of this troubled
past can tn" present problems of ST
trolN u" understood. II ia an island
of peaceful aud pleasant ways Of sum
shine and color and :, sort OF leisurcly.
industry Of planting and rcaping: soft
laughter and the tinklc Of guitars nj
ia" streets in The evening; the rco-
pl" seem car"frcc and contcntcd hut
they har" a heritage Of bloodshcd aud
oppression. The lives OF the blacks
have always been essentially hopeless.
and they have struck against their
opprcssors again and again. In the
songs Of tho negroes there Is plain
tive note. and under its surface OF
laughter and music, the life OF III"
island is what il has always been
"a struggle between the few who have
and the many who have not.
The organization of labor union