Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-08
TRANSVAAL AFFAIR
England Now Protesting Against
Taxation Without Representation.
4 CHANGE IN Mr.. JOHN BULL
The Beers Opposed to Progress
and Civilization
AS TO AMERICAN SYMPATHY

Some interesting features attach to this
Transvaal affair. and before the end is
reached both Great Britain and the United
States may be put to new tests of loyalty to
blood and progress.
Great Britain, though disavowing the
Jameson raid, is yet backing up the spirit
that inspired it. She indorses the demand
OF her people in the Transvaal for a voice in
the government they are taxed to support.
The British, in fact. have made the Trans
vaal what 1t Is. They are immeasurably
superior in every way to the Beers. The
Beers were there first, and are in control of
government by stipulation, but the truth
remains that had no Englishmen come into
the country no progress would have been
made there. The Beers are distinctly In
capable and unprogressive. as those terms
are accepted In English-speaking countries
The city Of johannesburg, sixty thousand
strong. and equipped with all modern i'm
provements, is a monument to English thrift
and push, built In ten years. There would
never have been one stone put upon another
had only the Beers been occupying the coun-
try. So the English are there, with large
property rights and full of the fire Of pro-
gress- They have not only made the coun-
try. but the taxes that support the govern
ment are gathered from them. Still they
have no representation in the government
Laws are enacted by the Beers without re-
gard to their interests, and frequently
This is the root Of the English contention
No taxation without representation, and
strange to say, the British home govern
ment Is coming to the rescue in support of
that principle. "-r
Change I'm John Bull.
There is a marked change to be noted
here in the Honorable John Bull. A hun
dred years ago he vas not so sensitive on
the point in question. He was not himself
HOY Ivi, he, >f fy,,
taxing people-his own people, at that
without allowing them voice in affairs
Englfshmen were then doing for America
what they are now doing for the Transvaal
converting a new country into a land of
beauty and plenty. And the usufruct Of
the activity was pouring in a golden tide
into John Bulls own pockets. But the eff
feet was only to make him the harder and
the more grasping. The more he got the
more he wanted and demanded. The peo-
pie OF the colonies, though improving them
and supporting them, were yet kept in irk-
some subordination aborA the local govern
ment- After a time the limit of endurance
was reached, and the colonies with the
sympathy Of several foreign nations, set up
In business for themselves. At last, there
fore, John Bull formally indorses the CO.
lonial contention Of I7T6 He comedies that
1t Is not right to accept the " holesome and
progressive activity of people and lean
upon them for support, and yet deny them
the full benefit OF their labors. But 1t was
necessary for the, Beers to inf1ict the in
Justice before he could be brought to see
the matter In its proper light.
American Sympathy.
How IS American sympathy affected by
this matter? In some quarters parallel is
drawn letween the case in the Transvaal
and the case In Venezuela. In both cases
the English are condemned for highland
edness and land-grab5ing maneuvering. In
other quarters an opinion prevails that
closer parallel runs between the Transvaal
AID Hawaii Progress, IL Is held, and the
higher order of civilization, are al stake
in the one case as they were in the other.
In Hawaii all that was of good report and
stood for the best order Of things was
American. Americans had made Honolu-
lu-had lifted 1t as an unsightly village out
of the mire, and converted 1t into a clean
and wealthy city. They were likewise the
authors OF all Intellectual and moral prog
ress on the islands. Fut they were not al
lowed representation IN the government. A
depraved and an incapable monarchy was
upheld with money they were forced to
pay as taxes. When they rebelled and
stated their case the people of the United
States, in opposition even to their own
President, declared for them with enthusi-
asm. The Dole government stands today
largely by virtue of the moral support ac-
corded to It by public sentiment In this
country. :@- = 'f'' t>HA5
Beers Opposed to Progress.
OOiuihS uOW tO lae lTdHSNdai, IL Is HoI
contended that The Beers are no better than
the Kanakas-that President Kruger is
on a plane with Queen Liliuokalani. The
Beers have merit of a negative order, and
President Kruger is the choice of his peo-
pie for the office he holds. But there, as in
Hawaii, the question is one of progress.
The Boers have done as little for the Trans
yaal as the Kanaka5 have done for
Hawaii. Mines have been opened, cities
built, values Of every kind advanced, only
stree the English came in. Before that
what was not jungle was but very little
better The English came, and since then
they have been making things hum. They
now demand voice in government as a
right springing from the fruits of their
labors.
Possible Results of War.
Suppose England asserts herself fully in
this matter. Suppose that in doing so she
arouses Germany and France and a war
comes on The stake Is the control ulti-
mately of the richest portion of the African
Continent. If England wins, further prog
ress there will be on lines of English-speak-
ing civilization, with the English language
the leading medium of communication If
England loses, Germany, France Russia
Italy Portugal, all may come in for larger
and a new Babel OF blood and tongues will
arise. Under such circumstances Ameri-
can sympathfes might naturally tend to
the side OF England, If not alienated nv an
obstinate persistence By the: English
premier in his unfriendlE attitude in the
venezuelan controversy The Americans
English. ~Hr~-' 49, -sf:rT' 'eest 'Ae
NEW