The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-24


ately low until the gold fields were
opened. Now the value OF imports is
probably forty million dollars a year.
most Of which is due. OF course. TO the
principal industry.
The Orange Free State IS governed
by president, elected for five years by
universal suffrage. ard the legislative
power Is vested In the yoiksraad. a sin
gle chamber Of lfty-eight members.
elected for four years by the votes OF
all burghers.
The Transvaal has a unique form OF
government Besides the president,
whose term is five years, the authority
is vested In the volksraad, but In this
republic il consists Of two chambers,
each containing twenty-four members.
The popularity consists in the division
Of burghers into two classes. The first
class burghers, who alone are entitled
to elect the members OF the first cham
Der. the president and the commandment
general. are male whites who were resi-
dents previous TO 1876. CT who fought
In the war Of independence or in the
Maiaboch war OF 1894. and their sons
above the age Of sixteen. Second class
burghers are naturaiized aliens and
their sons. and these have an equal
right with first-ciass burghers to vote
for members Of the second chamber.
The agitation for a change in the citi-
zenship laws was not due to any par
ticular desire OF the outlanders to in
tertere in general legislation. but only
in order that they might have voice
In the discussion OF such measures as
affected the foreign population and the
mining interests. There was a popula-
ton Of eighty thousand as against one
hundred and twenty thousand OF the
Beers and mixed races; a very large
proportion Of the whole population. The
ance. because not only was the charge
made exorbitant. but the quality was
inferior. The excuse for the monopoly
was that the dynamite was to be manu-
featured In the Transvaai, but this was
not made a condition and the syndicate
did not manufacture. They bought an
inferior quality from Germany, and
that is one reason why public sentiment
inclines 10 the Beers. The railroad
monopoly was another hardship For
instance. the charge was from six cents
TO twenty FIVE cents per ton per mile,
and when the outlandeTs organized
an ox-team service TO carry goods
cheaper the government closed the road
Scarcely less serious was the liquor
monopoly. One firm had the right TO
sell liquor to the natives In the rand
district. A villainous connection was
distributed and the miners were tor
mented with drunken employees, who
were often crazed by the rank alcohol
sold them. The administration OF the
laws. too has been exceedingly partial
The outlanders have been subjected to
a rigorous application OF statutes which
were not too strongly enforced against
the Beers.
The attitude of the Beers is that they
made their restrictions onerous because
they wanted TO be left In peace and did
not care 10 have foreigners settle among
them. The advantages OF development
OF the mineral resources were recog-
nized. but the new Corners were not
welcomed: they were only tolerated
There was feeling that the foreigner
did not intend to identify himself with
the interests Of the country, but only
get all the gold he could and then go
away. II may not have been wise pol
icy on the part Of the Beers but the
land was theirs; their customs were
peculiar. but were their own. and all
they asked was 10 be left undisturbed
II Is this aspect II the situation which
makes i, seem harsh for another coun-
try to step In and attempt TO wrest
from them all that they desire