The record-union., 1899-11-23
Throws Light Upon the Conditions 10 the
South African Republic.
Asserts That the Uitlanders Were
Invited by the Beers to Go to
Their Country Under Favorable
Laws, But When They Accumu-
lated Wealth and Property They
Were Debarred From the Fran
chise.

NEW YORK, Nov. 22.-John Hays
Hammond, the American engineer, who
became prominent during the Jameson
raid in the Transvaal, arrived here on
the White Sar liner Teutonic with his
family to-day. Mr. Hammond was
met at the steamship pier by many
people, some of whom came from as far
as Chicago. In speaking of South
Africa, Mr.. Hammond said:
There can be no doubt that Euro
pean sympathy in general is with the
Beers. 1t is not so much for the rea-
son that they love the Beers, as they
dislike the English. 1t is likewise
that the animosity toward England has
been intensified by her friendship for
us during the Spanish war. In Amer
lea there are many, who, under mis-
conception also sympathize with the
Beers in their struggle for independ-
ence of their so-called little republic.
But is the cause of the Beers deserving
of sympathy from the American peo-
pie? A few plain facts will enable you
to judge. The question is often asked.
and quite pertinently, why the Uit-
landers went to the Transvaal, if the
is that they were invited to go by TIL.
Boer Government, and notably by Mr..
Kruger himself, and that when they
immigrated the existing laws We're very
favorable to the Uitlanders. 1t was
only after their capital and labors had
rescued the Transvaal from imminent
bankruptcy that the liberal laws were
superseded by the present adverse laws.
In the meanwhile millions of foreign
capital had been invested in the pur-
chase of Boer farms.
1.-The status of the Uitlanders to-day
is this: They own one-half of the land
and nine-tenths of the property of the
country. They greatly outnumber the
Beers, but nevertheless are debarred
from obtaining the franchise. The
franchise law as it now stands requires
the applicant for the franchise in ad-
vance to renounce allegiance to all
other countries, after which he is under
a term of probation of fourteen years,
during which time he is liable to mill
tary service in case of war. At the
end of fourteen years he may obtain
the franchise, provided he obtains in
writing the consent of a majority of
the Beers in the ward in which he re-
sides, and provided, moreover, that the
Boer President and Executive Council
do not object.
THE Uitlanders pay nine-tenths of
all the taxes, and have absolutely no
voice in the expenditure of the money,
and must submit to the most fragrant
misappropriation of the bulk of the
Government revenues which is extract
ed from them by the most ingenious
system of class taxation.
The laws to which the Uitlanders es-
pecially object are:
First-That depriving the High
Court of the country of the right to
test the validity of Parliamentary
legislation. Indeed, laws pronounced by
the High Court to be at variance
with the constitution of the country
have been enforced by the President
and Executive Council. In some in
stances laws of a retroactive nature
have been passed and enforced.
"Second-The empowering of the
President to remove Judges without
trial. The Chief Justice of the Trans
vaal was removed by President kru.
ger on account of a decision against the
dictates of the President.
'Third-The power given to the Pres
ident and Executive Council to Danish
any Uitlander and to confscate his
property for political offense without
trial.
Fourth--The right of a Transvaal pc
liceman to suppress a public meeting
when, in his judgment, the language
used is in criticism of the Transvaal
Government
'Fifth-The law denying what is re-
garded in a true republic as the great
bulwark of it's liberties, the right OF
trial by ones peers. In the Transvaal
the Boer alone can sit on the jury. The
court records show that under these
conditions very few Beers are convict
ed, while on the contrary. very few Uit-
landers are acquitted.
The Uitlanders have many more
grievances attributable to a corrupt ad-
ministration. The cause of reform to-
day is practically that for which Great
Britain has entered upon the present
war"
Mr.. Hammond stated that the Ameri-
cans in South Africa are all in :;ympa-
thy with the English.
Mr. Hammond is on his way to Mex
leo. He hopes shortly to return IL