The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-02-05
CALLS FOR HELP.


Pictures the situation.
New York. Jan. 31.-W. r. Hearst.
proprietor of the New York Journal,
has received the following from John
Hays Hammond, the American Inn
prisoned at Pretoria, in the Transvaal
republic, for completely in the So
called Jameson conspiracy. The dis
patch is dated Pretoria, January 20:
II was arrested with "a others. charged
With sedition and high treason The CIR
curnstances are as follows: The history OF
the Transvaal is that Of small unen.
lightened. retrogr essive community. The
government is narrow oligarchy. with q
bad, inefficient administration. Mons.rous
raonopolies and corruption are rampant
The new population, including many prom
tnent Americans. comprises more than
twice the number of the governing class.
They are this wealth-producers. capable OF
all industries. yet they bear rine-tenths OF
the taxation.
'"They feel themselves alone. have nc
voice in affairs, are excluded from fran.
chise, have no municipal government, no
participation for their children in the pub
lie schools. They are oppressively taxed
ard badly treated The Independence OF
me supreme court Is constantly asSaiied
by the legislature. This condition of af-
fairs has continued for years All petitions
Tor redress of grievances and remor-
strances to the Boer legislature were
treated with scorn.
I'm December the leading citizens Of Jo-
hannesburg, including all the prominen!
Americans constituted reform commit
tee to obtain constitutional redress and
issued manifesto of their demands. hav
ing first hosted the Transyaal flag and
sworn to maintain the integrity Of the re-
public.
While agitating the questions constttu-
tionally the Jameson incident occurred II
vas quite ASSOCIATED from the reform
movement. December 81 the government
sent q commission to johannesburg ask
Ing the reform committee to send a deputa-
ton to Pretoria. The deputation went and
conferred with the government. No under
standing was arrived at
THE battle of Doornkop was fought,
Jameson's column surrendered, and Jo-
fannesburgs people were asked to lay
DOWN their arms, which was done on I'M
Gerstandtng from the government our de-
fnands would be favorably considered,
which we were making solely to protect
the lives of our women and children and
our property.
THE government guaranteed protection
10 all these. The conditions of the gov
ernment We're carried out without any
demonstration of violence on our part.
Nevertheless many prominent Ameri-
cans anQ> OlnerS, numbering bO, were ar
rested and prosecuted for sedition and
treason under penalties involving impris-
onment and confiscation of property val
led at millions sterling. The detention of
al! the prisoners is unjustifiable, and the
confiscation of property a monstrous op-
preston
ASK our government to urge on the
Cransvaal government that the demands
IF the reform committee were reasonable
and based on primary principles of the
republic. Protest against the treatment
Of all, and of the Americans in particular.
eff the Transvaal government persists in
it's present course our government can
only invoke the aid of Great Britain, as the
paramount South African power, to cOerce
the Transvaal, which then forfeits the
| moral support of a sister republic. This
course the Transvaal would fear.
First urge the reasona bleness of our
claim; then warn the Transvaal govern
ment of the consequences of loss of sup
port and of invoking the aid of England.
which is much disliked by the Transvaal
government. Wire copies of this to Gems.
Miles and Schotield. Urge our government
to act Immediately. Enlist sympathy in
our favor. Reply to consul, Cape Town. F."
JOHN HAYS HAMMOND"