New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-22
WHAT BOER GOVERNMENT IS.
A CLEAR STATEMENT OF THE CAUSES
THAT BROUGHT on WAR.

CLEAR STATEMENT OF THE CAUSES
THAT BROUGHT on WAR.
Thomas G. Sherman in The New-York Times
First-In 1854 Paul KRUGER was in London. He
was poor that he could not pay his hotel Dill
and IL was paid for him by generous Enslishmar.
He then expressly and publicly invited Engishmen
and Americans to settle in the Transyaal ana TO
secondly Kruger afterward sold one OF his own
farms TO Englishmen for 10000. paid in gold his
greater prices receiving altogether from foreign
settlers principally English. although includhg
considerable number Of Germans, Frenchmen ana
Americans many millions OF dollars.
lars worth OF wealth which can be exported from
the Transvaal. and every dollar in excess OF what
Will suffice for very bare and dirty existence 10
the old residents. Every dollar OF the wealth now
cals and indeed any part OF the Transvaal popu-
lation, has been produced by these settlers.
Fourth-The taxes levied annually in the Trans
vaal have exceeded s9m0G0 Nine-tenths Of this
tiers whom Mr.. KRUGER invited into the country.
Fifth-No appreciate part of these taxes is ex.
tAls sum were equally divided among al the Beers
for each family. which would pay three times over
all their living expenses.
Sixth-No such equal division is made. but half
these taxes has been spent in making preparation
for war. and the other half devoted 10 the pay
Kruger his sons-in-law. friends and political sup
porters. Mr.. Kruger himself has avowedly received
sums Of 5000 and IS go have been paid out Of
taxes for his direct and exclusive benefit, as APP
spent without public record can only be guessed.
His son-!n-,aw ana private secretary possesses 80
and rolls in wealth besides, as he must TO support
such house.
TRANsvAAL BRIBERY
seventh-The official records in a Transvaal law
suit arising upon a quarrel between two sets OF
worth briblng including Krdger's son-in-law. re-
amount OF each bride was set forth in a bill OF
particulars hled n open court. Not one OF these
Eighth--The foreign settlers, exclusively built
johannesburg, fine town with (formerly) $1,000
rgh to govern that city they we're dened amy amy
municipal government whatever This IS proved
the American representative Of the Beers but also
by proclamation Of Paul KRUGER himself, dated
Hilleeas states that not IS could be expended IN
repairing road or bridge without first receiving
express authority from Pretoria.
Ninth-As consequence Of this total lack OF good
been Constantly three or four times as great ''a as
even in own badly governed city Of NewYork.
mining camps. because JoRannesburg is fine city
built by intelligent and educated men.
denied the right 70 bear any arms. while every
male Boer from sixteen years old upward, is heav-
ny armed and drilled at the expense OF the FOR
Eieventh--By a press law, passed for the avowed
object Of crushing the foreign settlers all newspa-
pers placed al the mercy Of President Kruger.
who can suppress them at MS pleasure t .,o se
purpose all meetings Of more than seven persons
other melting can be dissolved in an instant at
the discretion OF any policeman , -,-.,....,..
Thirteenth-Another law was passed aosoutely
prohibiting the presentation by any foreigner Of
even so much as petition for redress
10 settle in the Transvaal fun naturalization could
be obtained within TWO years After foreigners had
accepted his invitation, he repealed all naturaiza-
rntorsd the Laws iut nsSe The term fourteen
vears. but any FOREIGNER desiring naturailza ton
governmenf or the Boer Government for fourteen
a
country whatever. and have no rights which
any Boer would be bound to respect. During these
Boer army twelve hours notice. and he would
clothing or even food which he must provide for
himself At the end OF these fourteen years OF de-
Sote for any Office worth voting Tor, unless. his
humble petition was approved by tWothigos OF aus nls
Bocr neigh DOrs. by the military CHIEF or DIS us
trlct and finally by Mr. Kruger himself. Neither
would he be allowed TO vote. even then, unless ne
Fifteenth-Whe nearly two-thirds Of all persons
language and less than one-third either SPOKE or
could understand the barba-ous boer Dui9h; me
must take their EDUCATION Exclusively in Dutch.
STANDARDIZATION Kriger resisted the intro,
he Miners to Ee his private OK teams
nous prices. When finally he did permit railways
persons who would agree 70 give TO his relatives
big share OF the profits He granted monopoles oa
mines. with the result OF doubling the price at
which they could otherwise have been obtained
A ROTTEN GOVERNMENT.
seventeenth-The whole Transvaal Government
business could be done with them without Birding
the Presidents sons-in-Iaw ana hangers on 49,
Eighteenth Having demonstrated against these
things for many years in vain ana having receved i
and were never meant 10 be- a number Of foreign
residents including more Americans, in proportion
to their total number. than OF any other nation
aiity, conspTed together to compel these reforms,
to be granted by force Of arms. they coIecte9
rifles gunpowder. etc, but never made any use OF
them and never committed any overt act. Their
| offences were such as could not have been pun
s s2S ~ N 1ne or nes not exceeding 5000
They neither planned nor desired to become
Nineteenth2The conspiracy being discovered be-
fore the c9nspirat9rs carried out SKY OF mem
indescribably filthy jail and Informed that unless
that II they did plead guilty they would be let OH
| charged with an offence which, by the express
statute law Of Boerdom, was punishable with moth
assured by the Boer prosecuting officers that they
would receive no greater sentence tnah ms anu
would be allowed 70 escape with nnes. II they
| pleaded guilty they did so plead; although as to
many OF them. the offence could never have been
i've Tweinty-arst-No Judge then on the, BENCH being
quite INSCRIPTIONS enough 10 serve M; hruge gers
turn he imported an utterly unscrupulous Judge
he came For the express purpose Of making hot for
The 0utlanders After the prisoners had all plead
ed guilty this Judge announced that, as 10 the
four leaders. he should not sentence them under
written law OF the Transvaal. which prescribed
death for such an offence. Accordingly, he sem
fenced these four lone OF whom was a distin-
guished American. and probably the ablest mining
Engineer In the world 10 death. end all the others
TO various terms OF imprisonment and heavy INES.
/ Tventv-second-Ev the Dutch settlers OF South
Africa being Mortified al this sentence. and pour
ing by hundreds into Pretoria TO demonstrate
against n Mr. KRUGER graciousy took the matter
into consideration but announced that his religious
scruples forbade that he should commute the death
sentence INTO hnes because such fines would De
the price OF blood" and his reverence tor MS dear
Lord Jesus forbade that he should be less scrupu-
lous than the priests Of Jerusalem ,
Twenty-third-The pious Beers therefore Informed
the prisoners that they could not be released on
the PAYMENT OF any fines but that II the prisoners
wound OF their own accord. offer TO subscribe FOR
Charities sums varying from $4,000 70 S!pg9
each for the leading men, and not less than SlVgD
Tor ANYBODY. the merciful President might be IN
| duced 10 pardon them without any fines or I'M
1 prisonment , $500, , -. ,.-s