The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-11-24

ABOUT THE Beers
some Typical Questions About the South
African Crisis.

African Crisis.
Because Of the intense interest taken
in the British-Boer war and the gen.
eraI desire for information as to the
causes that have led up to the unequal
conflict, The REPUBLIC publishes the
following taken from a Sunday supple
ment of the New York World, dated
October o, 1899. The form of ques-
lions and answers is adopted as being
most suitable to the answering OF cur
rent and typical inquiries.
Q. Is the South African republic
1.-THE TransYaaD an important state?
1t is. Under the treaty of 1881 it
was made suzerain to Great Britain.
Bat this treaty was superseded by the
convention Of 1884, under the terms Of
which the independence of the repub-
lie is absolute, Great Britain merely
retaining the right to veto its treaties
with any foreign government except
the Orange Free State, its neighbOr.
Q. Has the Transvasl denied the
suffrage to foreigners?
It has not. In 1881 the suffrage was
open to any one who had lived in the
republic two years. But when the
British part Of the population, which
had been voting and holding offices,
refused to take part in the defensive
war against the Kaffirs on the plea
that they were British subjects, and
could not be drafted into service, the
Beers, who then far Outnumbered the
foreigners, passed a law making q re-
nunciation Of all other sOvereigns
prerequisite to citizenship in the Trans
vaaI. As the mining population, chief
IL British, increased, the Beers raised
the number Of years of residence nee
essary to citizenship until they had
made it practically impossible for for
eigners to become citizens. The Brit
ish, with their constant agitatiOns
against the law which compelled the
single allegiance, we're responsible for
this. When the British government
began to demonstrate last spring, the
Beers showed every disposition to yield
in all franchise matters except as to
permitting a man to be at once a citi-
zen Of the TransvaaI and a citizen of
the British empire. Under the treaty
Of 1884 Great Britain abTOgated what
ever claim it might formerly have pos
sessed to a right to interfere with the
republics suffrage regulations.
Q. Do not the Outlanders pay most
of the taxes?
They dO-prObabIy about seven
tenths Of the whole revenue Of the re-
public. The reason is that the mines
are the richest, indeed the only rich
part, of the Trsnsvsars natural re-
sources. The Beers believe that the
mines should bear their proportionate
share Of governmental expense, and
that l. is but just that the principal
burden OF taxation should be borne by
them. The mines are owned almost
entirely by foreigners. But these mines
are so rich that these taxes do not in
the least interfere with their paying
fabulous dividends. The mines aud
mining interests are taxed not be
cause they are owned by foreigners but
because they are best able TO pay.
Q. Have not the Beers refused mu-
nicipal rights to Johannesburg al
though it is q large city?
They have. Johannesburg is still
regulated as it was when it was rough
mining eamp-that is, as it was ten
years ago. The people Of johannes
burg are for the most part British
citizens, and their constant expression
Of the desire to see the TransvaaI an
nexed to Great Britain. their frequent
plots to bring about the overthrow the
republic, their undenied hostility to
the republic, have not tended 20 lessen
the ancient and WeIl-founded SUSPECT