Arizona silver belt., 1899-11-23
ARE THE BOERS RIGHT?
Maintained a Corrupt Government
 Kruger Dishonest.

Kruger DtSnOneSt.
 In this early stage of the Boer war one hears the question put hundred times a day as to whether or not the Boers are right, says the San Francisco Letter. Naturally popular sympathy inclines to go out toward tine weaker party, if he but be innocent of glaring wrong What are the facts? England at great cost of blood and money sup pressed the Zulus that had conquered the Transvaal, and at their own ear nest solicitation took the Boers in as crown coloniStS. At a subsequent date Mir. Gladstone gave back that in- dependence first stipulating that Eng land should retain suzerainty, and that all foreigners should enjoy equal right with the burgherS, except that of nat uralizatiOn, which was placed at live years residence. The Transyaal re- public is, in fact, now an oligarchy of a few dozen BuerS, who do the govern ing while the burgers do the lighting Its Parliament consists of two houses one of which has no power, and the other is absolutely controlled by the oligarchy. It's courts of justice are en- tirely at the mercy of the President, who not lon" ago removed the highest judges, who could not conscientlously construe the law to suit his purposes. The covenant of 1881, to put all for eigners on equal footing with them selves has been violated and the Boers have purpoSely arranged taxation so that nine-tenthS of it shall be paid by the foreigners, and withal the latter are not allowed to have their children learn English in the schools. Dutch must be exclusively used. They have even insisted that in private schools, maintained by the foreigners them selves, Dutch must be taught by Dutch teachers.
 They have maintained government so corrupt thataccOrding to an eastern exchange, friendly to the BoerS, Presi- dent Kruger has amassed S25,000, 900 within the last ten years, although doing no preceptible business. They have kept towns, built exclusively by foreigners, under exclusive BOer con trol, and have refused to permit nee essary sanitation, and have thereby doubled the death rate. They have prohibited Americans and Englishmen from holding public meetings; they have denied to them even the right of petition; they have removed their own Supreme Court from office because its decisions rendered the foreigners some small show of justice; and they have prohibited Americans and EEglishmen from carrying arms of any kind, while furnishing to every BOer boy of l6 years of age, rifle and revolver, and have surrounded Johannesburg with Krupp guns, the entire cost of which has been taken out of the pockets of foreigners.
 Repeated appeals to the Boer govern ment to remedy these and many other similar acts of oppression have proved futile, and all promises have been proven to be in bad faith. At one time, when the BOerS were Sorely pressed by the natives they fOrcibly siezed Englishmen and compelled them to fight with their troops against na- tive Africans. When, as We have said, the independence of the Transyaal was conceded, their own laws enacted that foreigners might be naturalized after five years residence, but as soon as any number of foreigners began tc come in the naturalization laws were entirely repealed. And when, at lat ter date, they were in part restored, under pressure, they only permitted naturalization after fifteen years, and with the consent of twO-thirds or the Boers residing in the district, and alst that of a military officer, which consent might be refused without any reason assigned. As d condition Of naturali' zation, every American and English man was compelled tJ renounce all claim upon his country for any wrong he might suffer during the fifteen year. prior to full citizenship, so that during that whole period an American was neither an American nor a Boer, or q citizen of any country whatever, while at the end of that period citizenship could be denied him at the mere say so of petty military officer. Aftel passing through all this ordeal h, would only receive the right to vot, for the second chamber, which hat been carefully bereft of all power. Th' consequence of this state of Lhing' has been that Americans who settled in the Transyaal have always been th' most earnest opponents of home rule and in 1895, the first man arrested fo alleged treason, and cast into Bpe prison, was a distinguished American citizen, John Hays Hammond. If Uni indictment of the BOers be Lrue-ant who can truthfully question it.-wh'