The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-18


its existence, is OF still recent origin. No
exact date can be fixed for the first ap-
pearance of Uitlanders in the body politio
of the Transvaal. Their presence may
perhaps be said to have its first public
manifestation in the movement which led
to the annexatien of the Transvaal by
Great Britain in April, 1877, after twenty
five years of precarious existence main
tanned by whip and rifle, in the teeth of
constantly enoroaching hordes of hostile
natives.
The prosperous second birth OF the
Transvaal State dates from 1880, when,
after the power of Great Britain had been
exerted to break up the savage military
organizations that threatened the exis-
tence of the white community, and the
successful termination of the Zulu and
Secocoeni wars had given security to life
and property in the hitherto unprotected
territory across the Vaal, the Beers rose
in arms against British authority and
reasse rted the independence of the repub
lie.
The battle of Majuba Hill was fought
in February, 1881, and convent on
oiSAOu ia august VI U't6 baII6 year gave
to the republic complete measure of self
government in relation to it's internal
administration, with the exception of
certain conditions to be observed in re-
gard to native affairs, but reserved the
rights OF suzerainty of the British Crown.
Within five years gold was discovered at
Johannesburg, and under the guarantee
OF British suzerainty an Afrikander,
, British, American, and European popu-
lation poured RAPIDLY into the country.
These various elements compose the
, Citlander, or Outsider" body of the
/ present population. The number of adult
male Uitlanders, occupied chiefly in COM
merclal and industrial development is es-
J timated at 60, 600.
) The mum Der OF the Kaffir population is
, estimated at $50 coo, but this total in
, cludes wives and children.
1t has been said by learned student of
, history that progressive nations are those
in which the rights of free men are en-
ioyed by the largest number of persons
: within their borders, and that decaying
nations are those in which the rights of
f free men are restricted to the smallest
r number, the most ad vanced symptoms of
decline being a state Of despotism in
. which one man alone is free and he the
9 tyrant of tho rest
9 In Transava,s the under it's present Con-
r stitution, the condition of affairs has APP
Q preached dangerously near to the last
a stage The largest body in the Estate has
Z been deprived by conquest of all rights,
, the NEXT 14TOQSt haz hear, u6od,E 1urx
g from the enjoyment of the rights of citi-
g zenship in the third and smallest body,
g although the franchise has been extended
n to children OF sixteen, power has practi-
d cally been concentrated in the hands of
an Executive Council. supported by a
il vote in the FIRST Rad, which needs only
Q to number thirteen in order to have
e Constitutional majority. In all, twenty
Il five men more than cover the number
l who for given term of years hold abso-
t lutte power in their hands. OF this small
n number considerable proportion are not
q members of the original Boer section of
the community. They are Hollanders
r imported direct from Holland, partly for
n the natural reason that they speak the
: language of the Boer, partly with the
r object of more effectually controlling the
: Uitlander of Misunderstanding origin
Thus, while the original Boer section
t of the population has remained the domi-
nent section and has jealously reserved
0 all the rights OF citizenship for itself, the
! executive power of even this section comes
I very near to being represented in the one
9 individuality of President Ethree times
: reelected, and maintained consecutively
. in the first position of the State during
Q the fifteen years. existence of the second
. republic.
? .AThesBoer suffers little under this system.
/. The President-even though tie last
t election of President Krgeri was far
from being by a unanimous yote-is, Ter
= all, the President of>his choice and the
a Boer is scarcely interfered with by the
q Administration. He lives still mainly in
s isolation upon the land. He consumes
4 his own produce, which is untaxed; he
!. has few wants which force him to con-
q tribute to the revenue raised upon foreign
o com modities; he has no desire to concern
l. himself with trade; he takes no part in
It the development of mineral wealth; he
. has no wish for education. He hears OF
J. corruption in the finances and lnefficiency
it Of the civil service. 1t matters nothing
i to him; the taxes, by means of which the
n Treasury is filled, are not levied upon
j him, and, as it is not his money which is
Il wasted, he cares little what becomes of it.
= He asks for no service from the admins
o tratiye departments. Tt is all the same to
, him whether the Mining Inspectors know
n their business ,or the police do their duty
o or the schools respond to the require
ments of the urban populations
s Patriarchal government was evolved
e from the conditions of life of pastoral
# people. The Beers are to this day pas
s toral people, hardy, frugal, simple in
: their needs, and patria1ohal government
!; suits them we'll enough Besides, to the
J., simplest of minds there is an innate