The Dickinson press., 1899-10-21
with sly humor, that the only oc-
casion on which he had seen it it was

casion on which he had seen it it was
The British soldiers were never more
and the army prepared for a
campaign that would teach the Beers a
lesson, but just as they were ready to adj
minister the crushing blow Gladstone's
government sen the most remarkable
dispatch on record, stating that the Eng
lish had been in error, the Beers had been
.wronged, and there was to be no more
Kruger believes to this day
that he whipped and frightened the
British army.
On March FL, 1881, the Republic was
again recognized by England, a consti-
tuition was provided for, and they were to
accept the suzeranity of the Quecn. The
Beers arc independent, simply agreeing
to conclude no treaty or engagement
with any state Or nation, except the
Orange Free State, nor with my native
tribe without the approval of the Queen.
Stcphanus Johannes Palus Kruger now
came into prominence. He was the
Moses Of his people. His success in
arms and his political zeal led to his be-
ing chosen as the first president OF the
South African Republic in 1883, and I'M
der his leadership concessions have been
made by the British in 1854, 1885, 1860,
and again in 1894.
Kruger is a remarkable man. He was
born in 1926; was twelve years old when
the Beers began their pilgrimage into
the Transvaal. He knew no home and
no school. He learned to read the Bible,
the only book he ever reads, and to this
he is very devoted. The stories which
he himself tells of his youthful adven-
lures, Of his acrobatic feats and cxhi-
billions OF strength are almost beyond be-
lief, but they appear to be we'll authen-
ticated.
When the first meeting house was
built in the Transvaal, Kruger placed the
ridge pole, and he was so happy over it
that he stood IN his head on the ridge
pole, to the CONSERVATION of the people.
He would often stand on his head on
horseback with the horse at a dead run.
In m encounter with Il buffalo in ii shall
low lake he seized the infuriateti animal
| by the horns and held his ~nostrils under
water till he drowned. If a tenth part of
the things told of him are true, there has
been no man equal to him in physical
feats in modern times.
Poultney Bigelow says he has a mouth
like Benjamin Franklin, that intellect
ually he reminds you of Lincoln. in pur-
pose Cromwell, while his eyes are some
what like those of John Bright.
Kruger was very iarsighted when he
dictated the constitution providing that
10 Uitlanders %(outlanders) should ever
have any part in the affairs of govern
mcnt. With the discovery of gold
johannesburg has become a city of 100,
900 inhabitants.
The parliament consists OF two cham
bers, Volksraad, of t%wenty-four members
each. Bills passed by the second must
be approved by the first before they can
become laws.
Members of the first chamber must be
elected from and by white citizens resi-
dent in the Transvaal prior to '7o or who
fought in the war of 1881, and their child.
rem sixteen years Of age and upwards.
Members of the second chamber are
elected from and by the first citizens and
also by naturalized alien citizens and
their children sixteen years and upwards.
When England yielded to the demand
for independence on the part of the Beers,
in 1881, there was really nothing in the
Transvaal for which she cared, but in 1886
gold was discovered and the output is
now about ~Soo,ooo,ooo a year, the most
of any country in the world. The Uni
ted States is second, and Australia third.
From that day England was not happy
over her concessions.
The Uitlanders are a majority of the
white inhabitants. They own more than
half the land, they have nine-tenths of
the property, they pay nine-tenths of the
taxes, and they have no vote or voice.
Kruger makes, interprets, and executes
the laws, which are made to bear very
heavily upon the Uitlanders. There has
never been anything with which to COM
pare the condition of things. The Uit-
landers charge Kruger's government
with the grossest extravaganza, bribery,
and corruption.
When the highest court in the realm,
his own court, in 1878, in passing upon
certain acts of the Volksraad (legislature)
as unconstitutional, Kruger was enraged
and passed a law requiring the judges to
take oath that they would act upon the
laws Of the Volksraad rather than OF the
constitution, empowering him, in case
they refused to take such oath, to depose
them. The chief justice and the full
bench signed a protest against such ne
farious action.
This is a sample of recent acts on the
part of President Kruger for the express
purpose of emphasizing the fact that he
has no intention of regarding the consti-
tuition or conditions as provided for the
Republic by the convention which grant
ed independence. He draws a salary of
$4,000, with an allowance of $1,000 for
coffee, and he has a country whose vot-
ing population is less than 100000, but
his salary is paid by those who cannot
vote.
Kruger finds his justification in the
Jameson raid and the circumstances
which led up to it and which followed it.
In 1896 the Johannesburg people thought
patience had ceased to be a virtue, and