of native rulers, from the village chief up to princes, who, under the
name of Regents, are the heads of districts about the size of a
small English county. With each Regent is placed a Dutch Resident, or
Assistant Resident, who is considered to be his "elder brother," and
whose "orders" take the form of "recommendations," which are, however,
implicitly obeyed. Along with each Assistant Resident is a Controller,
a kind of inspector of all the lower native rulers, who periodically
visits every village in the district, examines the proceedings of the
native courts, hears complaints against the head-men or other native
chiefs, and superintends the Government plantations. This brings us to
the "culture system," which is the source of all the wealth the Dutch
derive from Java, and is the subject of much abuse in this country
because it is the reverse of "free trade." To understand its uses and
beneficial effects, it is necessary first to sketch the common results
of free European trade with uncivilized peoples.
Natives of tropical climates have few wants, and, when these are
supplied, are disinclined to work for superfluities without some strong
incitement. With such a people the introduction of any new or systematic
cultivation is almost impossible, except by the despotic orders of
chiefs whom they have been accustomed to obey, as children obey their
parents. The free competition of European traders, however introduces
two powerful inducements to exertion. Spirits or opium is a temptation
too strong for most savages to resist, and to obtain these he will sell
whatever he has, and will work to get more. Another temptation he cannot
resist, is goods on credit. The trader offers him gay cloths, knives,
gongs, guns, and gunpowder, to be paid for by some crop perhaps not
yet planted, or some product yet in the forest. He has not sufficient
forethought to take only a moderate quantity, and not enough energy to
work early and late in order to get out of debt; and the consequence is
that he accumulates debt upon debt, and often remains for years, or
for life, a debtor and almost a slave. This is a state of things
which occurs very largely in every part of the world in which men of a
superior race freely trade with men of a lower race. It extends trade
no doubt for a time, but it demoralizes the native, checks true
civilization--and does not lead to any permanent increase in the wealth
of the country; so that the European government of such a country must
be carried on at a loss.
The system introduced by the Dutch was to induce the people, through
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