The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-02
The Fabulous Land
OF South Africa.
Its Great rlen, Its Diamond Mines, the Tyranny of
the Beers and Other Facts of Interest.

Interest in the singular career of
Barney Barnato the South African
diamond king who recently committed
suicide by jumping overheard from the
ship which was carrying him from
Capetown to England, prompted
Tribune representative to inquire the
other day of Rev. James Hughes the
Kimberly, South Africa, clergyman,
who Is now visiting relatives in this
city, what he knew about Barnato.
Take him all in ALL" said Rev. Mr..
| Hughes, "he was a most wonderful
man. l have excellent reasons for re-
GREETING his DEATH which 1 am con-
vinced was due entirely to the strain
incident to overwork In my mission
airy labors at Kimberly among the Kaf-
frs Mr.. Barnato aided me fire.
quently, generously and often with
out solicitation. He was a peculiar
character, good natured to a degree.
witty, never i'll at ease. In any COM
pany, whether at mining camp
among the rough and ready characters
often congregated there, or at a coun-
Gil board of dignified business men, he
was ever equal to the surroundings.
At the time I left Kimberly his wealth
was computed at $1OO,00O.O00; but while
he had an eye always to the main
chance, ii was only necessary to con-
vince him that a project offered bene-
fetal results to win both his good
words and his check. He had a mar
velous mind for business enterprises
on large scale; in fact, he was what
might fairly be termed Napoleonic. In
America you would call him a hustler.
Speaking Of that let me tell you of
one little incident. Near Kimberly. but
over the line, two Englishmen were
arrested for theft. There was an old
law among the Beers which made theft
capital offence. 1t was never en-
forced against the Beers themselves,
but on this particular occasion the
death sentence was pronounced on
these two Uitlanders. AS a minister
of the gospel, I protested against the
excessive and inhuman character OF
the sentence. In reply I received from
the Beers a written notice that the
next time 1 entered their territory
would be shot. Somehow Barney Bar
nato heard of this. The next day he
took a special train from Capetown
Travelled 700 miles to Kimberly, called
public meeting at which he invited
me to be present, and made one of the
most impressive and forceful speeches
have ever heard. At his own ex.
pense he wired to President Pau
Kruger a complete report of the
speeches made and of the resolutions
adopted at this meeting and two days
afterward the sentence of those two
prisoners was commuted to penal SER
vitude for five years."
; "One would infer that you were not
entirely out of sympathy with the
Jameson raid"
THE Jameson raid, notwithstand.
that DR.. Jameson was a most ad
mirable man whom we all liked i'm.
mensely, was wrong. 1t Is not possible
to overlook that fact. But it was 6
wrong which had back of 1t a tire.
mendous provocation, and therefore
while I condemn it, I also ask for 6
consideration of the mitigating cir
cumstances."
: And they were?"
Taxation without representation
tyranny without apparent redress ex
| cept through force. / find in America
much misconception of the situation II
the Transvaal Let me explain it t,
l you briefly. With the discovery o
2 mineral wealth in the South African re
2 public many immigrants were attract
2 ed to the region of which Johannes
l burg is the trading center These wer
l mostly Englshmen but some wer
= Observation-Disclosures the Boer
{ called them. The Beers let these peo
I pie come in, let them invest thei
money there, let them establish home
and engage in business, and then be
gan to soak" them. The Uitlande
J, element grew until it represented al
investment of 100000, 900 in capita
l and outnumbered the Beers two t.
r one; 1t was taxed until it paid 10 ou
! Of every 20 shillings of taxes; 1t wa
: forced in war time to take up arms
/, but the Beers would neither grant tn
Uitlander citizenship rights when h
applied for naturalization nor Civ
these vast business interests any rep
resentation in the parliament at Pre-
:, toria. monster petition was sent t
: the Beer parliament by the Uitland
0 ers setting forth in defcrential languag
/ the injustice of this uneXampled polio,
y of exclusion from all voice in the gov
-. ernment, and it was not metaphorical
9 ly but literally trodden under foot"
. "Bnt since the Beers were SO great.
: outnumbered by the Uitlanders, per
haps they feared to grant the franchis
4 to the latter, lest they should seiz
n control of the government"
n That is the argument you hear Il
2 this country, but / never heard it Fl
= South Africa. The Uitlanders, bear Il
: mind, did not seek complete affran
? chisement. They made no concerto
e demand for citizenship. They readiI
: acquiesced in the proposition that tn
:, Beers, having come there first and Sc
: up government, should continue Il
control Of that government; but the
contended that since they (the Uitland
ers) had since so greatly diversifie
q and developed the country as to incu
the great bulk of the taxation, the
y were in equity entitled to have a rep
e resentation in the parliament whic
o imposed that taxation and which en-
I acted laws regulating their industry
Il Jamleson's raid was the expression @
: the resentment which naturally follow
ed the insulting rejection of these rea
sonable overtures. 1t was wrong, a
l said before. but would American
, have acted otherwise under simila
circumstances?
What, in your opinion, is likely to b
v the outcome of these troubles?"
= In the fulness of time, a unite
: South Africa. Cecil Rhodes dream G
d empire is plainly destined to become
r reality sooner or later. The same rea
I sons which hold the American State
together and point to a continents
American republic as the new world
manifest DESTINY are at work In fayo