Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-12-18
SOUTH AFRICAN CESAR.
CAREER OF CECIL RHODES WHOM
PAUL KRUGER HATES.

his ultimatum in Englands face and
practically declared war just when all
Things seemed making hopefully for
peace. When man as stronS as Dom
Paul hates he does Is with an inten-
sity which, even more than he sus-
poets, may bend awry the usual even,
iTue lines of his Judgment and lead
him to acts his natural, cold wisdom
would not indorse.
That murderer" is Dom Pauls
gentlest word in speaking of Rhodes,
when, indeed, he can so far overcome
bis loathing for the man as to refer to
him ct all. Next to religious fervor
the predoHinating sentiment in Dom
Paul's mind is hatred for this Eng
iishman who towers as Colossus
among his countrymen in South Af-
rica, Just as Dom Paul himself towers
o master spirit among the Beers there.
They are two giant figures in the
world in these closing months of the
century-giapts locked now in death
grapple in which either one or the
other must go down with q crash never
to rise again. One of the first acts of
the Boer campaign was to put price
on Cecil Rhodes head; about the first
concerted strategic move was against
the place where he was intrenched.
When in 1871 Cecil Rhodes health
gave way and he was obliged to leave
college, he consulted physician, who
told him he must go to milder eli
mate. He was a methoaical old doc
tor, and in his private mem orandum
OF the case he wrote as foot note,
Cannot live six months" He was a
thin-faced, lanky lad of eighteen then,
with dull eyes. His countenance did
not suggest Intelligence and indicat-
ed nothing of force. That was only
twenty eight years ago. Now he is
the diamond king, the gold king, the
railroad builder, the multi millionaire
amcng multi millionaires in his pri-
vete tumdrum capacity. In his public
capacity he is the founder of vast
empire, statesman who in Glad
stones time was counted second only
to the grand old man himself; since
Gladstone's death counted second to
none in all the vast British dominions
for relentless force and sheer weight
of personal power.
1t naturally would be good deal
OF n man who could make hatred for
himself the one overshadowing pas
sion of Il character so broad and full
OF force as that of Kruger. 1t is i'm
possible to think of the Transvaal
leader indulging himself in real hatred
for anything smaller than giant.
1T is no use for us to have big
ideals" said Rhodes once in conver-
sation with his friend, Chinese Cor
don, "ualess we have money to carry
them OFT"
Tha> sentiment was the keynote of
his es Fly career in South Africa. He
had Dig ideals and he needed a colos-
sal fortune to carry them out. SO he
wrAt and got the colossal fortune, just
az a carpenter would go and get his
Ools to do piece of work. His one
Neal, around which all other ideals
centred, was vast United States of
South Africa. His dream was COM
pact federated nation like the United
States of America. He stood first and
above "ll things for the right of the
governed to voice in the govern
ment No taxation without repre-
sentationl No rule of an oligarchical
ringl are the cries with which he has
made South Africa ring until they cul-
minated in the demands for represen-
tation which made Dom Paul throw
down the gauntlet. How thoroughly
he is imbued with American ideas he
Is constantly showing in his utter
ances, private and public. When the
kome rule agitation was going on in
England he exclaimed impatiently:
"Why don't they go and read the
Constitution of the United States in
stead of speculating on this and
doubling about that? There is no
speculation or doubt about it. Home
rule is not an experiment. 1t has
been worked out and solved in the
United States for more than hundred
years.
Another time, commenting OH the
villitication that was being poured in
the English papers on South African
ambitions and on him personally, he
said:
THAT is the sort of talk that led to
Bunker Hill. | am loyal. The Cape
is loyal. But continued injustice and
misrepresentation will ALLEVIATE the
most loyal. If England interferes with
us-.well, the United States of South
Africa is not an ill-sounding name.
As to his wealth, it is up somewhere
Imong those prodigious figures where
l. million or so does not matter either
way. Some place it at S75, 900, 600
and some at $50, 600, 600, and fig
ure between the two is probably about
light. In his getting days he
vas money getter and fond of money
md that which represented money.
The story is told in kimberley that he
filed pail fall of diamonds, all his
own, and poured out the glittering
heap again and again with almost
childish pleasure.
But that epoch quickly passed, and
he turned to grayer things.
'H q WOul1 now np mana think of