Didwho Welleh Twe

**Didwho Welleh Twe** (wey dem born on 14 April 1879 die on 19 March 1961) be one Liberian politician. E become representative insyd de Liberian legislature den presidential candidate for de 1951 Liberian general election. If you check ein life, you go see say e fight for native Liberians demma rights, den e be de first person wey come from full tribal background wey make official den open move to contest for de Liberian presidency. From 1847 go reach 1980, Americo-Liberians—wey be descendants of free people of colour den former slaves from de United States—dey rule de country, even though dem be less than ten percent of de population.

## Early life
Didwho Welleh Twe na Kru man wey dem born am for Monrovia, Liberia, on 14 April 1879. Ein parents come from de Nana Kru section insyd de Kru tribe for Sinoe County, but not much dey known about dem. Dem name am after ein mommie, Welleh.

Insyd 1900, as e be 21 years, e lef go America for go school, carry only twenty-five cents for ein pocket. Congressman William W. Grout from Vermont, Senator John T. Morgan from Alabama, plus de American writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens (wey people dey call am Mark Twain), dem help am for ein education. Grout den Morgan later die. "E take care of himself during ein studies by working as valet for one rich banker", plus Twain too support am.

Twe den Mark Twain get good relationship. Some reports talk say "Twe help Mark Twain work on ein book, *King Leopold's Soliloquy*". Dem even record interviews wey happen between Twe and Twain, wey dem talk about de Congo Free State, Twe ein memories of Twain, den letters wey Twain write give Twe.

American Chargé d'affaires for Monrovia, Clifton R. Wharton, report say as Twe dey America, e contribute articles go give de *American Journal of Psychology* wey Doctor G. Stanley Hall edit, plus *The Boston Transcript*. Twe too help Plenyono Gbe Wolo enter Mount Harmon Academy, one boarding school for America, den e write give ein friends make dem support Wolo financially for Harmon. Wolo be man from Grandcess for Liberia, den he be de first African wey graduate from Harvard University.

When Twe return Liberia, e help one American engineer, Robert Farmer, build one coastal telephone system. For 1910, Twe come back Liberia. Two years later, for 1912, President Daniel E. Howard appoint am as district commissioner wey dey handle boundary disputes wey concern French Guinea plus British Sierra Leone. Twe too turn big businessman, e get plenty acres of rubber farm wey dey now for area wey dem dey call Twe Farm insyd Bushrod Island, Monrovia. Dem talk say "he be one of de people wey collect Firestone ein gift of 5000 rubber plants" for early 1920s. Plenty oda Liberian elites too benefit from dis offer. Rubber be hot commodity for world market during dat time den after. Firestone, Liberian government, plus Liberian rubber farmers wey no dey stay for de farms, all chop big profit from de rubber business. Dis opportunity help Twe ein political life well well.

## Political career
Insyd 1927, Twe turn representative for de Liberian Legislature wey represent New Krutown insyd Monrovia. But later, de legislature sack am, as reports talk say na because e dey fight for native people ein rights, especially for de Fernando Po matter. For de 1920s, dem carry native Liberians go Fernando Po, one Spanish colony for Equatorial Guinea, make dem go do plantation work. De League of Nations do investigation wey show say de workers be forced laborers plus dem suffer bad treatment. Dem talk say Liberian President Charles King plus ein Vice President Allen Yancy dey inside human trafficking business, den dem chop money from de whole matter. De insurance money for de workers wey die no reach demma families—King plus Yancy divide am among demselves.

Twe ein advocacy, plus dat of some oda people like Chief Thomas Faulkner, make dem force de president plus ein vice resign for 1930.

De League of Nations find Liberia guilty plus dem fine de government sake of how dem treat demma native citizens. Even though some public stories talk say de Edwin Barclay administration wey come after de King government retaliate against people wey testify against de government for de League ein investigation, one government-commissioned report no see any evidence. But still, President Edwin Barclay ein effort to cool de crisis make am start attack people wey no dey agree plus am. Twe ein life come dey danger; for November 1932, e run go Sierra Leone. People talk say while e dey Sierra Leone, e dey plan armed revolution for Liberia. All de crackdown plus some oda actions bring de Sasstown War from 1931 go 1936. De Sasstown Kru people, plus demma leader Paramount Chief Juah Nimley, fight back against how government dey attack dem for Sasstown.

Twe come back Liberia insyd 1936. E form United People Party (UPP) plus become de standard-bearer for de 1951 presidential election. But de Election Commission no gree register de party, dem talk say de party no get de number of members wey dem need for registration. UPP then join Reformation Party (RP), wey already dey exist plus e get certificate. RP be start for 1949 by Richard Holder, wey be former official under Edwin Barclay ein government, plus some former members of de True Whig Party join am.

RP get Americo-Liberians insyd. De party choose Twe as ein standard-bearer plus Tyson Wood as vice standard-bearer. But few months before de election, de Commission stop de party make dem no fit join de election, dem talk say FP no register ein candidate more than 60 days before de election. Because of dat, de party write President William Tubman wey be de current head of state, de UN, de US, plus oda international bodies, complain say dem rights to take part for de election as political party dey violate. Tubman be de candidate for de ruling True Whig Party. De government see de complaint as way to call foreign people make dem enter Liberian matter, so dem try arrest de party ein leaders. De government talk say dat one be treason so dem get legal right to arrest. But some people wey dey observe de matter talk say Tubman see say de party go fit win, so e use de allegation as excuse to go after dem.

Dem talk say Twe ein security man Wiah Wesseh dey carry am from one house go anoda during night, plus Twe dey wear woman ein dress sometimes make people no recognize am. Twe run go exile for Sierra Leone again. Plenty of de important people for de party dem arrest dem plus dem jail dem. On May 1, 1951, dem hold de election. Tubman win without anybody against am.

De Circuit Court find de party members wey dem jail guilty plus give dem sentence for many years. De people wey dem sentence include Party Chairman Thorgues Sie, de strong party supporters Bo Nimley, Robert Slewion Karpeh, plus Teacher Jugbe. E talk say as dem dey insyd cell, dem dey ask demself why dem dey jail. Dem carry de case go Liberian Supreme Court for 1954, but de Supreme Court support wetin de lower court talk.

E talk sana say de members no wan beg make dem release dem. But after some years, Tubman release dem. After nine years, for 1960, Tubman pardon Twe, wey make Twe fit come back. Plenty Liberians, plus Twe ein family, praise Tubman for dis act. Twe die on March 19, 1961. Records show say de two of dem be friends before Twe talk say e go contest for presidency. After dat, dem no gree again.

Even though Twe fight for native Liberians demma rights, for one national speech, e praise Matilda Newport Day, wey be event wey dey remember "how Matilda Newport kill native people", as Americo-Liberian settler. Dis oration fit worry am plenty, so for ein 1944 oration wey e do for Liberian Independence Day, e show regret for dis contradiction. E talk say:"For 1926 I be de one wey talk de Newport Day speech for dat year insyd dis same hall here, but dat day I go against wetin I believe insyd. De work be very hard make I do, because I always feel say de way wey we dey always celebrate how Matilda Newport destroy Bassa Tribe people no be good thing to continue. E dey bring bad feeling from dem wey dey insyd de country plus criticism from people wey dey outside. People for outside go feel — den dem go dey right — say e no correct at all for Liberia where one brother go fire canon to celebrate de day wey e take kill ein own brother."But Twe too talk say na dat Newport Day speech make dem put am insyd legislature.

Matilda Newport Day later turn to story wey no true plus e divide people. De soldier government wey take power for 1980 come officially stop Matilda Newport Day make e no be national holiday again. Dem too change de name of William Tolbert High School for New Krutown to D. Twe High to honour Twe. One new political party wey show face for Liberia for de 1980s take de name United People Party (UPP), wey be de same name as Twe ein first party.

Some people wey watch Twe ein Independence Day speech talk say e like prophecy wey show say true leadership for Liberia go come from de Southeast side; say he advise make Liberia open ein door give foreign companies make dem invest; say Liberia for put eye on agriculture to help de country grow; den say de "native people demma unhappiness na legacy wey pass government leave behind, so nobody for blame de new Tubman government, but e be de government ein work to make de people demma life better."

Some thinkers talk say Twe ein money power, ein international people dem, ein strong belief insyd ein principles plus de fight for native people na de reason why he fit stand strong wey he no bend under government pressure. If you look Twe ein political life well, you go see say from de time dem sack am from legislature, he no beg or take any government work—even when President Edwin Barclay offer am Secretary for Interior position, he no gree take am.

Some oda people no like de oration. Plenty years later for 1951, one person wey President Tubman appoint, come talk say part of de speech no dey correct—especially de part wey talk say native Liberians never get leadership chance, like presidency, since Liberia get independence for 1847. (Independence Day Address, July 26, 1951, by Honorable Oscar S. Norman, Provincial Commissioner, Liberian Hinterland, Liberianobserver.com, The National Trends of Liberia's Unifying Process) Sana, some people no see Twe in good light. For example, during de election period, as Twe accept ein party ein nomination wey plus ein oda speeches, Tubman blast am. He call Twe tribalist, person wey dey divide de country, betrayer from nature, "old man wey just dey dream, smart bigot, den person wey only dey think about ein own self wey no dey gree reason with oda people."

## Education
Twe start ein primary school for Liberia. He continue ein secondary school for de US, wey he go St. Johnsbury Academy plus Cushing Academy, wey both be private boarding schools for Vermont den Massachusetts respectively. He finish from St. Johnsbury Academy. He too graduate from Rhode Island College of Agriculture and de Mechanic Arts, den later do post-graduate studies for agriculture for Harvard den Columbia universities. Dem build de college insyd 1892. Insyd 1951, dem join am make e part of University of Rhode Island wey dem establish dat same year. De university ein alumni record show say Twe be alumnus.

## Family Life
Didwho Welleh Twe marry Arminta Dent, wey be President Tubman ein first ex-wife. Twe get plenty children, including D. Twe, Jr., den Tarloh Twe Patterson.

## Later life den death
Twe die insyd Monrovia on March 19, 1961.

## References