The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-08-08
THE TRANsvAAL.
swearing-in the President - A Re-
markable Speech.

JOHANNESBURG, May 15-The event.
ful 18th Of May was, so far as Jo-
hannesburg was concerned, about
the dullest day this year. Up at the
capital, however, matters were lively
enough, and withal funny enough
to we'll repay sightseers who jour
neyed to Pretoria on that day to see
the swearing-in OF Stephanus Jo-
hannes Paulus Kruger as State
President of this Republic for the
fourth time. There was process
sion from the Presidents house to
the place of swearing in, i. g., the
Government buildings, the two chief
features of which were upwards OF
1000 mounted and fully armed
burghers, and the new State coach,
with His Honor and one of his
grandsons seated therein. The
burghers carried rifles and we'll
filed ammunition bandoliers, and
were mounted on all sorts OF horess,
and dressed in varying shades and
cuts of costume.
The wonderful looking State
coach, drawn by four chestnut
horses, gaily caparisoned, seemed to
overawe the poor burghers, so that
they hardly noticed Dom Paul with
in it. This equipage was originally
imported under some sort of auth
ority at a cost OF ESQ. On its ar
rival no one would take delivery or
pay for it, and 80 it remained for
months on the importers hands. A
few weeks ago Mr.. Erasmus, one of
the Rad members, offered to give it
to the President; but Dom Paul,
who knew the way the wind blew,
declared that he would not accept
it as a present. He would not mind
buying it and offered ESQ for the
whole turnout. The offer was at
once accepted, and somebody's got
to pay the difference. One thing is
pretty certain-the importer won't
lose by the transaction.
Mr.. Kruger's speech was not
lengthy one, and during it he made
many Scriptural illusions. He said
the voice OF God had called upon
him to again become the President
of the Transvaal; referred to the
depression on the gold6elds and his
endeavors to assist the mining in
dustry; that he had heard that the
banks were calling up mortgages
and refusing credit in Johannesburg,
which he declared to be goddess
and unchristianlike" conduct. Con-
tinuing, he said there were too many
bogus companies, and some legisla-
ton would be enacted to stop these
swindles and protect European in
vestors; he warned the burghers
against permitting dissension to
creep in amongst them, and deliver
ed a strong homily upon their alb
sence from church, their gambling
propensities, and neglect of their
poorer brethren.
Turning to the judges, he warned
them against insisting on the test
ing right, which had proved disas-
trous to the former Chief Justice,
resulting in his dismissal. He said
the testing right was device Of the
devil; Luoifer attempted it, and was
cast out; Adam and Eve also tried
it on, and they met their fate, and
lastly Judge Kotze had been its vic
tim-all which were received by
their Honors as became them. Then
Dom Paul declared that Judge
Kotze was insane, and he would like
to get hold of him, 80 as to place
him in an asylum for lunatic gentle
men. To the naturalized burghers
the President gave the consolation
that in renouncing their Netherlands
and swearing fealty to the Republic
OF the Transvaal they were but
obeying the Bible, wherein God had
said they could not serve two mas
fars. fbarafnra thau had .aua.ad