' L3 \
"Che Conservative.
"IMPERIAL DEMOCRACY. "
[ By Jolin .T. Valentine , President of Wells ,
Fargo & Co. , San Frnneisco , California. ]
Amoricnii occupntion of Miuiila very
forcibly brings to our attention the ques
tion of reputed benefits accruing to Ori
entals in the appropriation of their lands
and the enslavement of their peoples by
European powers. The advocates of ex
pansion , who , by the way , are actuated
more by motives of prospective pecuni
ary gain than by sentiments of loyalty
to our republic or solicitude for the Fil
ipinos or Cubans , cite for strikingly con
vincing arguments the Dutch as "peace
ful colonizers , " and their gem posses
sion , Java.
Dutch Colonizers In Malaysia.
While in the Orient last spring among
other books of travel I came upon one
descriptive of Java by Miss Scidmore ,
containing many facts concerning the
alleged civilizing influence of Dutch
rule , a few of which I think may not bo
uninteresting , considering the mad craze
for expansion , so-called imperialism ,
now prevailing in the United States.
The history of Netherlands India the
Dutch colonies in Malaysia is alight
and shadow picture. Its bright side
depicts the wealthy plantation owner
in Europe surrounded by every luxury
of his home land , annually in receipt of
millions of guilders from his East In
dian plantations. The contrast is found
in the humid tropic lands , where some
80,000,000 patient , cowed Malays , work
ing under the harsh supervision of
agents , produce the wealth that right
fully is theirs , because earned by them
on lands which have been wrested or
tricked from them and held by the for
eigners at the expense of thousands of
lives annually among the white troops
sent out to maintain a usurped suprem
acy , gained gradually over the unsus
pecting and friendly natives by false
pledges , broken promises and ultimately
by force of arms.
The story of Netherlands India is told
in that of Java , the garden of the East ,
the finest and most fascinating tropical
island of the world best known because
more frequently visited than Arnboyna ,
Borneo , the Celebes and Sumatra , the
other island possessions to which the
Dutch lay claim. The population of
Java , 24,000,000 , is greater than the total
of all the other islands in the Indian
ocean , and it has a total area equal only
to that of Now York state. Early in the
lost century it was a source of yearly re
mittances of millions of guilders to Hol
land. In addition to this the colony
was drained to pay enormous sums to
defray the cost of extravagant local ad
ministration , the Dutch governor receiv
ing a yearly salary equivalent to $100-
000 , and additionally $00,000 for expen
sive entertainments. Twenty-six local
governors were each paid $10,000 a year
and given liberal allowance for incideu-
till expenses. Besides this an army of
80,000 , one-third of whom were foreign
ers recruited in Holland , was thrown
upon the support of this little island , not
larger than Now York state. Think
of it !
When it becomes necessary to levy
some now tax , the native is asked for
proof of title to his laud and for a de
claration of its producing capacity ; also
how much ho thinks ho ought to pay.
The unsophisticated Javanese usually
replies ten per cent , and ho is assessed
accordingly and must be contented , for
he named the tax himself. The Dutch
official sits daily in the shade of the
cement portico of the tiny town hall ,
watching the natives , who from their
palm-leaf bags build up piles of copper
and silver in payment of their taxes.
Javanese Characteristics.
The Javanese rank after the Japanese ,
as the most attractive , gentle and in
nately refined people of the Far East.
They are the finer flower of the Malay
race and incline to Mosleuiism , if any
thing , but take their religion lightly ,
and are so lukewarm in "The Fire and
Sword" faith that they would easily
relapse into their former mild Brahmanism -
ism if Islam's power were , withdrawn.
The Dutch have always prohibited pil
grimages to Mecca , because those re
turning with the green turban were
viewed with reverence and accredited
with supernatural powers , which made
their influence a menace to Dutch rule.
The language of these people is soft
and musical the Italian of the tropics
their ideas are poetic and their love
of flowers , perfumes , music , dancing ,
heroic plays and emotional art of every
description proves them highly esthetic.
Their reverence for rank and age , coup
led with an elaborate etiquette and
.punctilious courtesy to one another ,
marked even in the common people ,
when contrasted with their abject
crouching humility before their des
potic Dutch masters , are themes for
sad reflection and arouse just indigna
tion. The sight .of quiet , inoffensive
peddlers , who beseech chiefly with their
eyes , being furiously kicked out of a
hotel courtyard or any other public
place when Mynheer does not choose to
buy , causes the casual looker-on to re
coil ; but to see little native children
actually lifted by the ear and hurled
away from a humble vantage point on
the curbstone to make way for a paja-
inaed Dutchman who wishes to view
some troops that may be marching by ,
makes one sick at heart.
Said a Dutch official to a visitor : ' 'I
noticed you looked at the whipping post
in the jail. Yes ; we sometimes flog
them lightly. If a man on parole does
not return to the jail in time a gendarme
generally finds him in his hut and brings
him back , when , as ho expects , ho gets
a few lashes. Wo don't punish severely
they would never forget that. "
Query : Can they ever forget the indig
nity of a single lash , which though
lightly laid on yet stifles or destroys the
spirit of manhood ?
The colonists ( I quote liberally ) do
not welcome or encourage tourists. The
Dutch brain is slow and suspicious , and
they firmly believe that no stranger
conies to Java on errand friendly to the
colonizers. Within twenty-four hours
after arrival the colonial authorities in
sist upon knowing the object of his visit.
All returning travelers dwell upon the
conditions duo to the acts of the rapa
cious and merciless Hollanders who
have gone to the tropics , 9,000 miles
away from homo , to acquire an empire
by enslaving a race and inflicting their
hampering customs and restrictions even
upon casual visitors.
The School System.
Until recently no steps were taken to
educate the Javanese , and previous to
1864 they were not allowed to study the
Dutch language. All colonial officers
are obliged to learn low Malay , that
being the recognized language of admin
istration and justice , instead of the
many Javanese and Sudanese dialects ,
with their two forms of polite and com
mon speech. The few Javanese , even
those of the highest rank , who acquired
the Dutch language and attempted to
employ it in conversation with officials
were bruskly answered in Malay an
implication that the superior language
was reserved for Europeans only. This
helped the conquerors to keep the line
of distinction between them and their
subject people clearly and sharply
drawn and while the Dutch could un
derstand what the natives were saying
they have their own talk always with
out reserve in a tongue foreign to ser
vants or even Malay princes.
Dutch is now taught in the schools
maintained for natives by the colonial
government. Two hundred and one
primary schools were opened in 1887 ,
with an attendance of 89,707 pupils.
The higher schools of Batavia have been
opened to the sons of native officials and
such rich Javanese as can afford them.
Conservatives lament the "spoiling of
the natives" by all that the government
does for them. They complain that the
Javanese are becoming too independent
since schoolmasters , independent plan
ters and tourists came. The "Samarang
Haudelsblad" newspaper comments as
follows :
1 'The Javanese can no longer be led
and driven with facility as a flock of
sheep , however much wo may deplore
this change in their disposition. They
now como freely into contact with Eu
ropeans , the education given them has
had an effect , and communication has
been rendered easy. They do not fear
the Europeans as they formerly did.
The time is past when the entire popu
lation of a village could bo driven with
a stick to a far-off plantation the prun-