The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-26
CUSTOMS OF THE Beers.
The paroic Spirit Thit Rssu cd In Building III,
pasrdsNaaI Monument

The Beers are The Hollanders who
| first settled The South African country.
or rather. the descendants of those set
tiers. says the New York Mail and Ex-
press. They originally occupied the
territory occupied by the English i'm
cape Colony. but about 1920 they moved
out and took the territory now known
as the Transvaal great many OF
them remained in the Cape Colony, and
the descendants OF those who remained
form the body OF the Conservative
party to-day. they are people with the
characteristics of their ancestors. and
lack the progressive qualities of the
English inhabitants. They are tena-
cious of their rights. however, and have
banded themselves together In a party.
and make blttey, ami, sometimes, sue
cossful fights for the control of the coll
onal legislature They believe in the
old time methods OF government, and
think that they should have the upper
hand. from the Let thai they are the
natve-born element.
SO great Is the power of these peo-
pie that they almost govern the lam
guage of the colony. Dutch is spoken
all the time on the streets The SER
wants are addressed In Dutch language.
even the colored servants, who have
been brought In from other countries.
In fact, the language of the Beers who
were left when the government was
transferred TO the Transvaal is the lam
guage OF the colony. except In the Of
| fetal business. OF course nearly every
| body speaks the English language also.
l..1s
| people and the English Is over the
laws OF the Transvaal. which do not
| allow Uitlanders TO become citizens
| until they have lived In the Transvaal
| for II years. The English who are liv-
ing there have grown impatient. and
think that they should have some voice
In the government They want to
adopt some progressive policies, which
the slow moving government OF the
Beers viii not take TO. and are impa-
tient under the restraint OF the laws.
They are unwilling TO allow the thing
TO rock along and settle itself without
tumult I'm the course of 20 years
Another thing that is stirring uT
trouble is that there is a heavy import
duty on dynamite brought into tn,
| Transvaal, and as this is used almost
entirely by the English mine owners. a
As another source of disturbance. 1t (.
| simply the case OF a man wanting tt
| get thing cheaper IL he can. The
! right OF the government TO impose a
| tax can hardly be brought into H. II
| is just like man getting lower
freight rate. If he can bring il about.
The Paardekraal .dounment serves
as a reminder OF the historic meeting
In 1850, when, at a great gathering of
the Beers each took a stone i'm his hand.
and uttered solemn oath that he
would shed his last drop Of blood for
country. The stones were then cast
into "a heap. and above them was reared
the monument around which on June
IL of this year 5000 Beers gathered 20
listen TO addresses on the political
questions which have been agitating
the Transvaal. At the close OF the
meeting President Kruger was cheered
ana all present Joined in repeating the
last verse OF the l3ith Psalm. The
Lord hath made heaven and earth bless
thee out OF Zion"