St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-12
AN IMPERTINENCE.

The resolution offered in the United
States senate by Mr. Morgan with
reference to the affairs of the Trans
wall republic is one Of the grand
motherly performances to which that
fussy and meddlesome old gentleman
has become addicted 1t is a bit of
gratuitous impertinence, to which the
senate should not lend countenance
or support. Mr.. Morgan's resolution
proposes that the people of this coun-
try convey, through their representa-
tives in congress, congratulations to
the people of the Transvaal upon
their success in establishing free rep
resentative government, republican in
form, and their opposition to forefgn
power that denies to them the full
enjoyment Of their rightful liberties
There is a long rigmarole following
this about the principles of self-gov-
eminent, the colonial policy of France.
and the Christian civilization But
the gist of it is in this quotation, hav-
ing reference, we suppose, simply be-
cause it cannot refer to ANYTHING else
petition.
Judged by it's own text, as we'll as
by the actual circumstances of the
case, the resolution is absurd Con-
gratulations to the Transvaal based
on the establishment of a government
republican in form should be dated
back good many years. The estab.
lishment of it's government is no re-
cent affair, and therefore calls for no
present congratulations by congress or
anybody else. Neither have they OBJ
posed foreign power denying to them
enjoyment of their liberties, because
no such foreign power has made it's
appearance. The attack upon the
Transvaal was pure filibustering ex-
petition, disavowed at once by the ONLY
power that could possibly be held re-
sponsible for it. The men connected
| with it, even remotely, have felt the
weight Of governmental displeas11re.
any expression of opinion by the Unit
ed States than there is for notifying
parliament when the Democrats or the
Republicans, as the case may be, carry
an election in New York state.
Further than this, Senator Morgan
exhibits an extraordinary ignorance
of contemporaneous fact when he sin
giles out the Transvaal republic as an
object for our sympathy and congrat-
ulation as an eXemplar of free institu-
tons. The fact of the matter is that
the Boer government of the Trans
vaal, although technically republican
In form, is as pure an oligarchy as
has been seen in modern times. 1t
is absolutely and distinctly unrepub-
lican. The only reason that Dr. Jane
son had to hope for success for his
expedition was the belief and promise
that the oppressed people of the
| Transvaal would rise in instant reyo-
| luton against their rulers the moment
that a hostile force appeared within
| lHCii IciillOiy. 1He bOefS, VINO nave
political control in the TransvaaI. are
but small percentage of the total
population. Attracted by the rich
mines recently opened in the district,
and by the contemporaneous growth
! of other industries, thousands of peo-
pie have rushed in and established
| themselves in johannesburg, and 9TH
er parts of the country. These are
the so-called "Uitlanders,' or outIand-
ers, meaning all those persons who
are not of Boer descent
To all these people political rights
are absolutely denied. Their property
| is taxed, and their laws are made bv
authorities in whose elevation to DOW
er they have not the slightest voice, and
whose authority they are utterly i'm
potent to influence or change. The sit
uation of the "Uitlanders" in the
Transvaal is actually far worse in a
political sense than that of the peo-
pie of the thirteen colonies when they
threw off the yoke Of England Our