New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-04
ABOUT THE OCTLANDERS.

On two or three points concerning the out
lnndcrs Of the rransyaal confusion of ideas
seems 10 exist and contradictory statements 10
be made Mr. Kriger IS reported to have said.
last week. that the British demand for out
under enfranchScm"nt could not be granted.
because there were more Outlandcrs than Beers
and to enfranchisc them would therefore be 10
put the country under their control. In that
very statement De confessed i'm the clcareSt
manner that the Transyaal is not a republic
but an oligarcly. in which the minority rules
the majority. And then he added that the ont
landers do not really want the franchise, and
VIII not accept # when It is offered to them. In
that case, what danger is there in offering II?
And how would the granting Of it impcril the
autonomy Of the country? Either the Outland-
ers want The franchise ana mean 10 exercise it
and become citizens Of the Transvaal. or they
do not. If the former. then. according 10 Mr.
KrHgers own admission. they ought to have the
franchise if the 1ransvaa IS 10 be "A true rcpub-
lie II the latter II surely would do no harm to
offer them what they are certain 10 decline
1t Is also often said that the Outlanders who
were chiefly attracted thither by the discovery
Of gold. are mere adventurcrs. who have no last
Ing interest in the country and mean to get ont
Of II as soon rs they have made their pile" If
that We're true We should scarcely think they
would care much about rcvolutionizing the pot-
lcal status Of the country as the Beers fear they
viii do. II they were not going To stay there Il
would not matter 10 them whether the land
were made n British province or not But there
is good ground for questioning that estimate Of
them. Doubtless some of them are mere wan
dcrcrs. But the history OF California and of
Australia proves that the great ma iority OF gold
seekers become permanent settlers and that
mining camps grow into enduring communities
Of varied interests and Industries. Al least.
such is the rule wherever soil and climate favor
such a course. ASsurcdly they do favor ii In
the Transvaal 1t does not seem reasonable to
suppose that the moment the output Of gold be-
gins 10 lessen there will be- n universal exodus
from country where the soil is Of unsurpassed
productvcncss ana the climate one u the most
perfect IN the world
Again. there IS the theory that the Outlandcrs
are all snobs ana toadic~ who want to abolish
all republican institutions and have the country
ruled by a car. or M best 10y an ant'Quated
House Of Lords. The best answer 10 that IS
offered by the examples already cited We know
Of no moro truly republican or democratic state
in this Union than California. which has been
developed from a series ~ mining camps Nor
I'm that vast republic which T. called the British
Empire Is there more Jealous and nnwaycring
democracy than I'm the mining colonies Of Aus
tralia Indeed because ~ their very origin and
nature mining camps are essentially ana ncces-
sarly democratic The addition Of the Outland-
ers 10 the citizenship Of the Transyaal would
therefore not be likely 10 menace In the least
the Integrity Of republican Institutions ON The
contrary. 70 would probably strengthen them
and develop The country into "A really more in
dependent status than It now enjoys. Canada
and Australia are British colonies yet they on
Joy ms perfect self government In all domestic
affairs as the Transyaal can hope for, and they
have not hcstatcd on occasion 10 talk back io
the mother country rs firmly rs "Oom Paul.
himself In brief there seems little reason Ia
suppose that at most the enfranchiscmcnt Of the
Outlanders would put the Transvaa Beers in
any worse plight than the Dutch OF Cape Colony