The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-02

ers. but was a member of the reform
committee of Joha nnesburg. The OBJ
iect of this committee was to secure
from the Transvaal government GER
tain political rights nor were its meth
DDS revolutionary in the sense of in
citing to armed resistance. They were
such methods as Americans are used
to invoke in their own country. But
Hammond is a prisoner. charged with
a crime that ordinarily carries the
death penalty with it. It is scarcely
probable that that penalty will be in
flicted. though the Boer government
seems very determined if not relentless
in the matter.
The case OF Hammond. who is a
mining expert. drawn to South Africa
through the discovery Of gold, having
been in the employ of Cecil Rhodes
part of the time will serve to draw
the attention of the American people
to the real condition Of affairs in the
Transvaal. When the news came that
Jameson had made his raid and been
compelled to surrender to the Beers,
there was a feeling of eXultation over
the defeat of the English rather than
over the triumph of the Beers. jane
SON claimed that there was an under
standing between him and the Uit-
landers. and that they failed him at
the critical moment. 1t is very likely
there is more or less foundation for
what he says. Hammond was an Uit-
lander. and that he was an associate
of Rhodes no doubt has much to do
with his being held at Pretoria on a
charge of high treason.
Having the form of a republic, the
Boer government is closely akin to a
tyranny in its treatment Of the vast
population that has gone into the
TransvaaI since the discovery of gold.
That population is double the number
Of the governing class. and while upon
it fall the far greater portion of the
burden of taxation and expenses Of
the state. it has no share in the admin
istration Of the government. Hammond
says ''the history of the Transvaal is
that of a small. unenli ghtened, retro
gressive community. The government
is a narrow ol;garchy, with a bad, in
effective administra ton" Of the pop
ulation who are outside the ruling
oligarchy, he says that they are "the
wealthy producers. capable of all in
dustries. yet they bear nine-tenths of
the taxation. They feel themselves
alone, have no voice in affairs are ex-
Guided from franchise have no NUM-
cipal government. no participation for
the children for the public schools
Furthermore. he declares that they
are oppressivelv taxed and badly
treated. The independence of the su-
preme court is constantly assaled by
the legislature. This condition of af-
fairs has prevailed for years. All pc
titions for redress of grievances and
remonstrances to the Boer legislature
were treated with scorn."
Such condition of affairs cannot
last any length of time Towards the
foreign population of the Transvaal
President Kruger and the Beers
! are playing the part Of the
! dog in the manager. Political
rights should be accorded this popula-
ton, and if they are not. and within a
reasonable time. it will rise up and
take them while the Transvaal govern
ment will lose all sympathy in this
and other countries. President Kruger
is credited with fine diplomatic discre-
ton. If he possesses it. he cannot but
see things as they are and what it
must all result in.