French-appointed canton chiefs routinely enriched themselves by abusing their subjects.

Evidence

Once entrenched in office, the old elite often took advantage of the very peoples whom they were supposed to be guiding, and enriched themselves at their expense. This flagrant abuse of power was particularly true under Carde. During his administration, the 2,200 canton chiefs employed in West Africa became notorious for their corruption and excessive labor demands. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 719

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes abuses of native authorities seen in other colonial systems and prefigures post-independence chiefly corruption.