François C. Antoine Simon

François C. Antoine Simon ( born October 10, 1843 in Les Cayes, † 10 January or March 10, 1923 in Les Cayes ) was a Haitian politician and President of Haiti.

Biography

Military career

A native of the suburb of Les Cayes Savane Simon worked as a community police officer before he joined as an officer of the army. 1883 he was appointed commander of the troops in the department of Sud, an office which he held until 1908. During his military career, he was promoted to colonel in 1887.

Between 1896 and 1902 he was at times too personal adjutant ( aide- de-camp ) the Presidents Tiresias Simon Sam. Later, his promotion was a general. As such, he led in 1908 to a military revolt against President Pierre Nord Alexis.

President 1908-1911

On December 6, 1908, he was elected to succeed President Alexis as President of Haiti. Although he had little formal education himself, he succeeded as President in order to form up an advisory group consisting of the most important personalities of the time. On 19 December 1908 he presented to the public for his six-member cabinet and made a day after his official oath of office before the President of the Senate, Senator Paulin.

One of his first policy decisions was the beginning of a policy of appeasement in the course in January 1909 series of exile - returned Haitians, he received the Presidential Palace. At this reception, an agreement was concluded, which in its term of office led to an inner peace at least.

President Simon strove continually to increase agricultural production. He also had the intention of building a railway network. To achieve this closed its government contracts with several U.S. companies, including the so-called MacDonald - agreement for the construction of the railway line between Port -au -Prince and Cap -Haitien as well as the cultivation and export of bananas. However, these contracts were ill-prepared, leading equally to criticism from intellectuals and politicians. On the other hand, it came to the paving of the streets of Port -au -Prince, as well as the supply of capital with electricity. In addition, there was the introduction of the first automobiles in Haiti and the establishment of an agricultural bank.

Of financial policy, led shooting a large and long-term stressful loan from the Banque de la Union Parisienne to consolidate various debts into a heated national debate.

As in the past, it always came back to boundary disputes with the neighboring Dominican Republic. To avoid a war president Simon therefore also asked for the support of his U.S. allies.

To satisfy the U.S. banana planting companies expropriation became more frequent, leading to unrest among the small landowners. The small farmers from the north of Haiti ( Cacos ) then began in June 1911, a revolt against the government in Port -au -Prince. General Cincinnatus Leconte, a former Minister of Public Works and Agriculture under President Simon Sam, rushed to this revolutionary movement.

Although Leconte was initially not very successful, to him on August 1, 1911 succeeded the conquest of the capital, which ultimately forced President Simon on August 3, 1911 to withdraw. He then went into exile for a few years and Leconte itself became the new president.