The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-29
DOM KRUGER'S REPUBLIC
AN INSIDE GLIMPSE OF THE UNIQUE
TRANSVAAL SITUATION.
An American Who Believes There
The Beers Sturdy Fighters.

Baltimore Letter in Philadelphia Record.
William P. McGraw a native Baltimorean.
who has recently returned from the Trans
vaal after three years residence in that
country. gives some interesting and timely
statements relating TO the conditions exist
ing in the little South African republic that
has so annoyed Great Britain of late. He
lived the greater portion of his time In Jo-
hannesburg. making frequent visits. how
ever, into the Veldt and becoming familiar
with the Boer as he is. He went to the
Transvaal in quest Of work and adventure,
and states that when he arrived out there
three years ago work was plentiful. but that
at present labor is a drug in the market
owing to to the great influx there of persons
from all quarters of the globe. Il cannot
say that there is any especial love for
Americans in the Transvaal at present"
said Mr.. McGraw. There was a Partially
toward them previous to the Jameson raid
Dom Paul felt kindly towards US before that
raid. but the fact that there was an Ameri-
can corps organized to help Jameson and
the Reformers as they styled themselves.
did much to ALLEVIATE the sympathies OF the
Beers from US.
That American organization was called
the George Washington Corps and was COM
posed of two hundred Americans who had
been enlisted in johannesburg before the
raid, drilled, uniformed and armed-yes, and
even paid so much per diem by the Chamber
of Commerce of johannesburg, which is
composed, Of course, of Englishmen who
were allied with the so-called reform move
ment. This corps was intended to take
charge of and police johannesburg in case
Jameson succeeded in his mission. John
Hayes Hammond. the American mining en-
gineer. who was largely instrumental in the
organization of this corps.
OUTLANDERS COMMENTED.
I'm a political sense found the outland-
ers as rule contented with the Boer gov
eminent. The discomfort that Is so much
exploited in the press and otherwise Is ar nd
money of the English capitalists, whose rep
resentatives are numerous in the Transvaal,
Dutlander is contented because he is pros
porous. The Beers devote themselves TO
agriculture mostly. and are easy-going and
and despise the English because the Britons
have compelled them to trek from Cape
Colony inland to this place and because he
is still determined to force his society and
domination upon them.
II have personal knowledge of the per-
nicious methods adopted by the capitalists
ment The famous petition to the Queen was
not by any means a spontaneous document
pes sef for 10 Rrsb pte
vention. Well. it was fake. pure and
simple, as far as its being the result of a
great popular demand is concerned. Paid
agents of the English capitalists went
| through johannesburg and other parts of
| the Transvaal securing the signatures or
uitlanders to that petition at so much per
| signature. 1 was approached by one of these
| agents and asked to sign the petition. But
/ refused on the ground that l was an
:" 'Oh, that makes no difference the man
| observed; sign it and help me out. / get
paid so much a name for doing this.
subject of the Queen of England nor of
any one else, and / will not do 1t. much as
1 would like to help you. As a citizen OF
] against another republic, especially when
know that there is no just ground for do
PRovoCATIoN
| Had there been TO discovery Of gold in
the Transvaal you may rest assured that
the Boer would have been allowed by the
Englishman to have lived and died in peace
in his really isolated and agriculturally I'M
| desirable country.
THE uitlander really enjoys considerable
freedom in the Transvaal. He can vote for
members of the Second volksraad by pay
| ing a poll tax. The First Volksraad is
elected by Beers only, and is like our Sem
| ate. But really 1t is not a great injustice
to the outlander not to be allowed to vote
| for this Dutch Senate, as We do not vote
| for our senators in the United States. and
the House of Lords. The judges and mag
| istrates are just men, and uitlanders
generally receive as much justice as they
| they would displace If they could.
| Every Boer policeman Is also soldier,
| and joins the army in case of war. That
| organized to police Johannesburg. II the
| Beers had been defeated in the first battle
with Jameson the policemen would have
been called into army service. and then
Johannesburg would have been seized by the
| outlanders corps Of Americans and held.
But the Jameson raid and the other
| Dom Paul and the Beers lesson. All OF
| the Dutch in South Africa are now unit
sh a esminded, OBSTINATE people. and hav,
ing once cherished that hatred of England
| which they now possess. they will never re-
of double-dealing. That is why Rhodes was
| beaten in the Cape Colony elections. The
| Afrikander Bund fought him. and they beat
| him In the face OF enormous sums OF money
| GREAT STRIDES IN ARMAMENT.
THE Beers have made great strides ir
armament since the Jameson raid. They
| have a great fort, which commands Jo
hannesburg. Before the raid this wa.
/ WllnOut SuuSs 1O-Qdy IL ldhiy DiiSticS VIII
| the most improved kinds of heavy ordnance
and in half an hour could reduce Johannes
burg to a pile of debris. And tell you nov
that the Boer is resolved to do this, Il
driven to heroic defense. He has declared
his intention of doing so, and can be relied
| on TO carry out his declaration.
Every policeman-soldier has target prac
| tice twice a week, and can hit a bulls-eys
anywhere in sight. Every Boer is given
gun by the government, and a quantity o.
ammunition. Targets set I'D at so
| yards, 1000 yards ard at even longer dis
tances, on the veldt or level prairie-lik
land near to Johannesburg. and here tn
Beers practice. Boys from twelve year
Of age up are even given guns and ammuni
ton and encouraged to practice at the tar
gets.
1.-The Boer to-day regards a conflict witt
England as inevitable, and Is quietly bu
persistently getting ready for IT. He ha
made strides in this regard which have as
tonished the outlanders, and what Is NOR
significant as to the Beers awakening he 4
making the outlander pay the bills A dut,
of about 81 a barrel is now rigidly exacte,
on all articles brought into the Transvaal
There is humor in the situation when on
considers that the money realized from
duties is now largely expended in buyin
arms and ammunition for the war whicl
the Boer regards as imminent.
ENGLISH HATRED HIS RELIGION.
THE average Boer loves his country be
| cause he has fought IN connuer N and ba a