Newspaper Page Text
LIBERIA, OUR FIRST Mil,
Life jh the African Republic Which Was Founded by
American Aid Societies,
HARDSHIPS THAT BESET NEWCOMERS.
With the inception of a colonial
policy by the United States the con
ePtion of our first foreign colony has
tnken on new interest. The governed Republic
of Liberia was founded and
by the colonization societies, an ar
rangement which might have contin
ued indefinitely bad not Great Britain
raised the qttestion of sovereignty in
connection with a dispute over bound
aries. The Government of the United
States having refused projection, declare the
Liberians were advised to
their independence, which they did
in 1847. Liberia has thus completed
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A CLEARING IN THE LIBERIAN FOREST.
a half century of self-government,
and as the orderly course of events
has been broken by but a single brief
civic disturbance, the record in this
respect is admitedly good. It is not,
however, because of the efficiency of
the Government, but rather on account
of the peaceful and law-abiding ten
dencies of the citizens, that life and
property are unexpectedly secure.
Liberia is an agricultural commun
ity of about 20,000 colonists from
America and descendants of such.
This meager civilized population is
not, however, centered at any one
point, but is scattered in'numerous
settlements along 300 miles of coast
line. Thero are no cities in any
proper sense of the word, and nearly
the entire population is engaged in
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EXECUTIVE MANSION AT MONROVIA.
farming. The capital is Monrovia, a
email settlement. All the farmers
own the land they ouiiivate, and
many have valuable estates.
The coffee plantations of the St.
Paul’s River region of Liberia would,
indeed, be a revelation to many. The
planter's house is usually of brick,
two stories high and with wide veran
das, at least in front. Inside it is
comfortably and sometimes luxurious
ly furnished, and the owner prides
himself, perhaps, that he has achieved
in Africa property and social status
equal to that in America. There are
not, however, any really rich men in
Liberia. It is doubtful whether a
Fortune of more thau $40,000 has ever
mulcted there. Each col
onist has had to Jregiu with little or,
usually, with nothing, and his pres
ent prosperity is own/industry. iu yearly every case
the result of his There
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MONROVIA, THE CAPITAL, FROM THE HARBOR.
are no opportunities for men to grow
rich from speculation or by rise of
land values. Very little land is sold,
the new' arrivals being too poor to
buy, while improved property is sel
dom alienated from the family. The
Government provides emigrants with
land free of charge.
But it will not do to continue this
recital of facts favorable to Liberia
■without admitting aud explaining tho
popular adverse opinion on the sub
ject. The well-informed reader has
noticed before this an entire discrep
ancy with the frequently published
reports of returning emigrants. Their
narratives are usually exaggerated,
and often incoherent, but in the main
true. Liberia resembles the house
planned by a famous French novelist.
It was a success in all particular save
one —there was no doorway, no siair
oase. Between the penniless emigrant
I and prosperous farmer there is, in
| deed, a gulf fixed, in the shape of four
or five years of semi-starvation, siok
; ness and difficulties of all sorts. The
] climate, the soil, the crops, the food,
and even the cookery, are new. The
emigrant starves by refusing or makes
himself ill by attempting to eat im
properly prepared native foods which
in the right condition are both nour
ishing and palatable. He tries rancid
I palm oil and goes back to imported
butter at seventy-five cents a pound,
until his money is exhausted, He
wastes his time planting his crops at
the wrong season or in the wrong way.
He pays extortionate prices and is
perhaps completely fleeced by those
who are willing to “take the stranger
in.”
To send the colonist to Liberia is
manifestly but the first step in the
process of colonization. Those who
managed the work in the earlier days
understood this and acted accord
ingly, but after an independent Gov
ernment had been set np and prosper
ity seemed assured, the careful man
agement so necessary to such an
enterprise was withdrawn, The
paradox has again come true, for
colonization was abandoned on
account of its success. Recent efforts
should be called emigration or de
portation vderely, the essential idea
of colonization being absent. De
portation has failed. It is worse than
foolish to expect the inexperienced
emigrant to take up single-handed the
conquest of the tropical forest in the
face of the difficulties of pioneer life
in Africa. Unusual endurance or
some exceptional fortune may bring
him through, but tbo chances are
mostly against him. The battle with
tbe fever and the forest is too long.
Five years of suffering, starvation and
homesickness mean a deterioration
which subsequent prosperity can
soarcely atone for, even if the colon
ist’s family is spared by death.
Colonization means the partial re
moval of these difficulties, and the
success which attended oarly efforts
of the kind is an indication of what
might be expected if the resources of
modern civilization were brought to
bear upon the problem. It is at least
certain that Liberia could offer oppor
tunities considerably superior to those
being eagerly sought by Europeans in
the African colonies of the various
powers. Indeed, Liberia is already
in advance of auy of these colonies, if
we interpret the signs aright. There
is more coffee under cultivation, and
there are more good farms owned and
managed by negroes than in any other
part of tropical Africa. There are
more good houses, more intelligent
people, more churches and more
schools, and, while the aggregate is
yet infinitesimal compared with Eu
rope or Amerioa, it constitutes the
most favorable nucleus of civilization
to be found in tropical Africa. To
attempt to arouse excitement and stir
np an exodys of American negroes
would be to invite disaster on a large
scale. The negro can honestly be ad
vised only to stay where he is until he
has far better assurance of safety thaii
can now be given him. The import
tent point is that tho supposed failure
of colonization during the last half
century failure is not a demonstration
of the existence of any insurmountably
obstacles in the way of furnishing a
home in Africa for those who find
themselves uncomfortable here.
An . argument , offered _ , for . the .. employ- ,
ment of prisoners in building roads is
that the fear of such public degrada
tion will deter from the commission of
petty crimes, and will lessen the in
cursion of tramDS into a community,
Wanted*
A perfect country road, whereon the nobh
steed
Can draw n broad and ample load at pleas
ant rate of speed:
One hard and smooth and levol, yet s<
drained and round and high
It won’t be muddy when it’s wet nor dustj
when it’s dry.
(iood Roads and Kura] Malls,
The action of Congress in increas
ing the appropriation for the free de
livery of mail in rural districts fron
$150,000 to $1300,000 a year and th,
reports to the department concerning
the results of the experiments triec
last year ought to operate as a strong
stimulus to good roads legislation ii
the various States.
The increase in the annual appro
priation may be regarded as evidence
that this novel branch of the postal
service is a success and that it is to
be a permanent institution. The ex
periments in the Middle and Western
States have been satisfactory to the
officials and to the people and have
seemingly justified the furthor exten
sion of its benefits. That rural de
livery is a success is also shown by
the manifestations of appreciation
received by the department from
farmers who reside in the limits of the
experimental districts. Contrary to the
predictions of those who opposed the
scheme, it is also noted that in nine
out of ten districts in which it has
been introduced it pays its way, while
in some of them it yields a profit.
The particular feature of the re
ports that should have special interest
for the farmers of Illinois, however,
is that which shows that bad roads
are the great impediment to the exten
sion of the service in this State. The
regulations of the department require
that one horse shall cover a route of
from twenty to twenty-five miles a
day. Even with letter boxes placed
at the crossings of highways, it has i
been found impossible to lay out
routes of tbe prescribed length m one
section of Illinois on account of muddy
and impassable roads.
A satisfactory good roads bill is
now before the Legislature at Spring
field. It provides for a State engineer
to supervise construction of State
highways and for the payment by the
State of fifty per cent, of the cost of
all roads that may be built under tbe
law. The county in which the road is
constructed is required to pay thirty
five per cent, and the property owners
who petition for the road fifteen per
cent. »
The principle of State and county
aid, embodied in the bill, represents
the only practical and satisfactory
method of securing a permanent sys
tem of well-constructed rural high
ways. The farmers who oppose it
are standing against their own in
terests.—Chicago Times-IIerald.
Missouri Highway Commission Bui.
At the Good Roads and Public Im- Sjt
provement Convention, held at I
Louis, Mo., in November, 1898, a bill
was unanimously adopted, copies ©1
which were sent to all the States for
legislative consideration. it is hoped
that the bill will be enacted in the
Fortieth General Assembly of Mis
souri.
The bill states that the Governor
shall appoint a “Missouri Highway
Commission,” to consist of three
members, their several terms being
six, four and two years. They are to
gather information from all sections
of the State as to the manner and cost
of the present methods of street re
pairing. Plans for repairing, build
ing and draining roads, and of bridges,
culverts, etc., are to be drawn.
Tho commission is to examine all
laws on or pertaining to highway
work, segregate all ineffective ones,
and do ail in its power to lead to th$
attainment of a permanent road sys.
tem. In this way practical work null,
it is hoped, bo done on the highways
by practical men, and road improve
ment in Missouri become an actual
fact.
Lon* Island’. Progress.
The extension throughout Long
Island of macadam road building is
shown to advantage in increased facil
ities of communication, enhanced
property values and general conven
ience. The good roads agitation,
enormously aided by the wheelmen,
has been promoted further by the
adoption of the comprehensive New
York statute of 1898, which provides
for a general improvement of New
York highways under a division of
cost of fifty per cent, to the State,
thirty-five per cent, to the county,
and fifteen per cent, to the town or
property owners benefited, the main
tenance of the road after its comple
tion being made a county charge.
Tho fall benefits of this statutory
provision are not yet so clearly visible
as to justify the predictions of its ad
vocates, but the adoption of the plan
that devolves on local instead of State
authority the initiation of such under
takings, makes improvements easier
in the future.—New York Sun.
The Crusade in Brief.
The worst rod in the road determ
ines the size of the load.
The borough of Rockledge, adjoin
ing Philadelphia, has voted to borrow
$20,000 to macadamize its roads.
The Quincy (Ill.) Optic gives theL.
A. W. much credit for having brought
the value of good roads forcibly to the
attention of merchants aud farmers.
Middletown, Conn., is considering £
ad™»bility of ta*, bond.
the extent of $100,000, the money to -
be used on the mam roads of the city j
The undertakers ... of Louisville, Ky., )
are protesting against the awful roads
that lead to some of the cemeteries,
Unless the roads are repaired, every
one is advised to put off dying till the
sun dries uu the mud.
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A MONOGRAM GLOVE.
thing, the thing it will certainly
prove to be. Gloves made to order
with monograms are devoid of stitch
ing, and the monogram is embroidered
in the centre of the back of the hand.
Those which are purchased from
stock and then embroidered have the
monogram set between the thumb
seam and first row of stitching, and
others have it placed on the wrist
below the stitching. This latter po
sition is not altogether a very advan
tageous one, as a glove usually wrin
kles so much at the wrist that the
monogram is apt to lose its promi
nence and the small amount of beauty
it might otherwise possess. The
most popular—if the new fad may be
said to be popular so soon—are the
self-colored embroidered monograms.
These decorations are so striking,
even in self-coloring, that few will be
brave enough to hazard so striking a
contrast as white or black, or vice
versa.
French Reporter Got His Story.
This is how a reporter in France
gained admission to the palace there
while the late President Faure was
awaiting burial.
All the reporters who came to tbe
palace were denied admission, and a
stony-hearted doorkeeper was there
to see that they didn’t get in.
They advanced all sorts of argu
ments, as reporters generally do, but
the doorkeeper was immovable. He
said he had his instructions, and these
were that none but Ambassadors
should be admitted.
Now there is in Paris a music hall
'called “Les Ambassadeurs,” and one
of the reporters who wauted to gain
admission remembered when he heard
the doorkeeper repeat these instruc
tions that he happened to have a pass
for this music hall in his pocket.
He pulled it out and found it read:
“Les Ambaasadeurs Entree Libre.”
Tb ’ 8 P* 886 ' 1 *° the doorkeeper
W , \°’ after bo ™ ng an *
8cr ^ mg . ’ opened the door and allowed
? as ? in ’
Which showstbat ,, . tlle .- Frencb -p, , ^IT
IT v T n i B ve 7 T ny
beb “!* a hl 8 American brother.-New v
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An Experiment For the Boys.
You can bore a hole through a pin
without any lathe or other machine.
All you need is a needle, two corks, a
bottle and two pocket knives. Fit one
of the corks firmly into the neck of
the bottle and cut a V-shaped notch
in the top. Stick a pin in the cork
near the top, so that it passes through
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BORING A HOLE THROUGH A PIN.
the notoh. In the bottom of the other
cork force the eye end of the needle,
so that it is held firmly in place. Open
the two pocket knives and stick the
blades into the cork so that they bal
ance each other. Then plaoe the
point of the needle on the pin, and as
soon as it is well balanced a breath of
air on one of the knives will make it
revolve. Continue blowing whenever
it goes too slowly. At first the needle’s
hard point will make a slight impres
sion on the pin, gradually working its
way through until a clean hole is
bored as perfectly as any lathe could
have done it. This interesting ex
periment requires patience and care
ful handling, nothing more. When
you show the other boys the pin, bored
like a needle, they will wonder how
you managed to do it.—New York Sun.
Going Eighty Miles Before Breakfast.
The Boston Herald publishes this
extract from a private letter describ
ing the Paris automobiles: “We wenl
to Fontainebleau, five iu the party, for
breakfast, forty miles in three hours,
and such a ride. We came back by a
longer route, forty-eight miles, in the
same time, through the forest at sun
«^d along the Seine in the moon
eighty miles by road. I have always
detested automobiles, but for quick
traveling they beat everything I have
ever tried. Of course, you know they
have the automobile coupes and vie
torias in the streets here. I mean the
public ones, at the same tariff as the
other carriages ”
DOUGHTY LITTLE HERO AROUSES
GREAT ENTHUSIASM.
S MEMORIAL TO WINNIE DAVIS.
Grizzled Heroes In Reunion Honor Mem
ory of Daughter of the Confederacy.
Monument Committee Reports.
Thursday morning’s session of the
veterans’ reunion at Charleston
General Gordon introduced General
Joe Wheeler as the hero of Santiago
and the wizard of the confederacy.
General Gordon said:
“I need not tell you that here is one
of the williest of Confederate wizards
I need not tell you of that day in
Santiago when he saw the Spaniards
flying before him in the wild enthu
siasm of the moment he forgot where
he was and called upon the men,
‘Forward, boys, the Yankees are run
ning.’ If I should tell you any of
these things I would strike a chord in
every heart, but I am not going to do
it. I am going to strike every chord
at a single stroke by pronouncing the
name of that incarnation of fire and
courage, Joe Wheeler. ” The audience
went wild with applause and there
were shouts of “Wheeler!” and “Joel”
from all parts of the hall.
Wheeler Speaks.
General Wheeler said in part:
“The history of our country, when
compared with that of all the eras that
have preceded us, shows that our civ
ilization has produced the highest class
of men and the noblesttype of soldiers.
The very idea of liberty nerves the
soul and fires the heart. Defeat but
exasperates,adding desperation to vig
or and energy to determined resolve.
“It was tbe teaching of fathers and
mothers who fled from the oppression
and caste of class, braved the unfath
omed ocean and landed upon these
shores, confronted by wild beasts and
savage Indians, that the highest honor
and privilege was to fight for country,
its safety and its honor.
General Wheeler declared that the
military history of the southern peo
ple has been a prominent feature in
history from the first settlement of this
country. He cited Washington and
the other southern commanders of the
revolution, Winfield Scott and Andrew
Jackson and the other heroes of the
war of 1812, the southern generals
who won fame in the war with Mexico,
and then passing to the war between
the states, he said:
“While our civil war was, I may
truthfully assert, the most sanguinary
recorded in history, it was also the
most remarkable, as in it there was no
element of personal hostility, and the
soldiers as individuals, could not in
the nature of things, have entertained
feeling of hatred for each other. They
fought not from revenge, not from
malice, not from desire to shed blood,
not from ambition, but simply because
they felt that there lay the path of
duly.”
Memorial to Winnie Davis.
The memorial to Winnie Davis was
one of the features of Thursday’s ses
sion. The exercises were introduced
with prayer led by Bishop Capers.
General Gordon introduced Colonel
H. Bennett, of Louisville, who paid a
tribut j to the memory of the Daughter
of the Confederacy.
Resolutions were unanimously adop
ted extending the thanks of every
veteran to the people of the north who
tenderly administered to Winnie Davis
at the time of her illness.
Davis Monument Committee Reports.
The Jefferson Davis monument com
mittee submitted the following report
of the Jefferson Davis Monument as
sociation for the year ending April 30,
1899.
“We most cordially endorse the re
commendations of that association that
the Daughters of the Confederacy be
requested to undertake the task of
completion of the monument which it
is proposed to erect to the memory of
•President Jefferson Davis, and we fur
ther endorse the suggestion of the
Jefferson Davis Monument association
that the amount already collected
by them for the monument fund shall
be consolidated with the fund to be
federacy raised by tbe Daughters of the Con
and be disbursed under their
direction.”
MAY COME IN JULY.
Department Will L«t Admiral Dewey
Choose His Course Home.
Secretary Long states that the navy
department will not seek to influence
Admiral Dewey in any way in the
selection of the route by which he will
return to the United States.
By an old custom of the department,
an admiral is allowed to return to the
United States at the end of his tour of
service on a foreign station in his own
flagship, and in the present case Ad
miral Dewey may choose his own
course; coming either by way of Suez
or directly across the Pacific. The
department now expects that he will
reach this country early in July,
CYCLE TRUST FORMED.
Wheel Company With a Capital of $ 80 ,.
000,000 Is Incorporated.
Articles of incorporation of the
American Bicycle Company with an
authorized capital of $80,000,000 have
been filed with the secretary of state
of New Jersey.
The company is authorized to manu
facture and sell bicycles, automobile
vehicles and other motors.
WORKING THE OLD SLAVES.
They Are Fleeced Through Promises of
Big Pensions.
A Washington dispatch says: Thou
sands of ignorant colored people iu
this country are being induced to be
lieve that they are to be pensioned by
the United States government upon
being able to show that they were for
merly slaves. The promoters of this
scheme, which has the earmarks of a
systematic attempt to extract money
from credulous colored people by
holding out to them false hopes of a
government pension, have been at work
for a number of years, and it is esti
mated that over $150,000 has been col
lected by the self-constituted mission
aries having the project in hand.
The subject came to the surface a
few days ago through correspondence
between a colored teacher in one of
the squthern states and a United Mates
senator. The preacher wrote to the
senator to inquire into the matter, in
view of the fact that so many of the
colored people in his state had been
assessed to defray the expenses of the
proposed legislation. The senator,
who is one of the most influential
members of that body, by reason of
his long service (three terms) and his
important committee assignments, in
stituted an investigation, and this is
the substance of fiudiugs which he re
ported to the colored divine who
sought information on the subject:
It appears that there has been in
existence for about ten years,or more,
an enterprise under the title of the
“Ex-Slave Mutual Relief Bounty and ,
Pension Association of the United
States of America.” This association
has its agents in every state in the
Union for the purpose of locating, if
possible, all former slaves. The latter
are told that legislation is now pend
ing before congress to pension all for
mer slaves as follows:
All persons seventy years of age, to
receive $500 and also $15 per month
during their natural lives. Persons
of sixty years to receive $300 and
$12 per month. Persons fifty years to
receive $.100 and $8 per month. Per
sons less than fifty years to receive $4
per month, etc. It is necessary for all
of the supposed beneficiaries of the
proposed legislation to pay into the
association .25 cents as a registration
fee. It is claimed that over 600,000
ex-slaves have been so registered.
According to the circular sent out by
tbe association, a copy of which is now
in the hands of the senator referred to.
the headquarters or main office is at
No. 708 Gay street, Nashville, Tenn.
I. H. Dickerson is general manager.
The circular is headed “Onward tu
Victory.” It also coutains a picture
of General Manager Dickerson. It is
addressed:
“To All Local Ex-Slave Associations
in the United States. We come greet
ing as general manager and promoter
of the movement, which has had so
much opposition and more combats in
its own circles than any other organi
zation of the present day.”
Then follows special mention of the
membership fee, 25 cents. Also the
information that the national delegate
in Washington is located at 475 Mis
souri avenue, and has secured the ser
vices of Attorney W. C. Lawson.
The circular further appeals to every
ex-slave to send his name, with the
registration fee of 25 cents. It also
appeals to every local association to
send $2.50 for a charter at once, and
every ex-slave to send in an additional
5 cents to aid in the movement. These
assessments are to be sent to the office
of the national delegate, given above.
GOOD “CRIMINAL” LAWYER.
Attorney Hnllng Now Makes Sensational
Charges Against Senator Hanna.
A Columbus, O., dispatoh says: In
a dispute among the Hanna republi
cans over the republican nomination
for governor, facts are being made
public now which go to sustain the
charges of bribery made against Han
na in the senatorial contest.
Senator Hanna employed to defend
him Cyrus Huling, a republican attor
ney of Columbus, friendly to Senator
Hanna, but now supporting H. M.
Daugherty for governor. Congress
man Charles F. Dick, Hanna’s chief
lieutenant, wants George K. Nash
nominated for governor, and on Wed
nesday said in an interview that Hul
ing “had wolfed” Senator Hanna by
oharging him an exorbitant fee.
Huling replied by card that Dick
ought to be the last man to object, for
these services “saved what little repu
tation he has left;” that it was Dick’s
conduct of the senatorial contest that
made them necessary; that he would
be glad to furnish Dick with an item
ized statement of what he did in the
case, and closed the card with the
statement that he had gained Dick’s
enmity by protesting to Senator Hanna
against “entrusting his conscience and
all the Ohio patronage to Dick.” Hu
ling said also that he supposed he was
retained by Senator Hanna because he
had “some reputation in defending
criminals.”
SONS OF VETERANS MEET.
Hold Session At Headquarters During
Charleston Reunion.
The United Sons of Veterans, who.
were present at the Confederate re
union at Charleston, met Thursday
morning at their headquarters, trans
acted only a few matters of business
and adjourned until Friday at 10
o’clock, when the annual election of
officers occurred. At the same time the
committee on credentials made its re
port, showing nearly all the camps
were represented. A committee was
named to extend a welcome and greet
ing to the United Confederate Veter
ans, and a similar committee was re
ceived by the sons from the veterans.
The memorial services in honor of the
memory of Winnie Davis were held
during the day by the sons.