The times., 1899-10-17
The TransvaaI Franchise Question.

she take it from the Boer Republic?
The TransvaaI Franchise Question.
To she Editor Of The Times:
find the following in your morning edition OF
today:
How would The people of Philadelphia like it
| IT, although owning and being taxed to maintain
! allowed citizenship. the possibility OF attain
ing itr'
Now, let me ask CD whether there not
now thousands OF outlsnderS (50.0OO in fact.)
in the Trausvaal who would obtain full burgher
rights simply by enrolling themselves and taking
the oath OF allegiance, but who refuse TO do
so in order TO evsde military service; 70
whether Kruger has not offered full citizenship
to all foreigners who viii take the oath of al
I legiance after years of residence; go
whether England does not demand that her sub
jects be allowed the franchise without abjuring
4 their British citizenship: and 90 please name
any country in all the world that grants full
political rights to aliens who decline TO serve
it, decline to take the oath OF allegiance, de-
cline to sbjure their former sovereign and con-
tinue TO glory in their allegiance 10 that former
sovereign J. C. N.
Washington, October Is
We take pleasure in answering the ques-
lions OF our correspondent:
First-How many Outlanders may be left
in the Transvaal at the present time, we
have no means of knowing. 1t has been
stated, and may be true, that the Govern
ment at Pretoria, as war measure. has
/ offered citizenship to such foreigners as
would enroll themselves in its army to
7 fight against England. But. whether this be
]
the main question of the franchise at issue,
which is necessarily confined to the statu
quo ante bellum-
Second-President Kruger has not to our
knowledge offered full citizenship to for
eigners who will take the oath of allegiance
after seven years residence" During the
recent negotiations with Mr.. Chamberlain
it was once reported that the lower house
of the Boer VoIksrsad, a body without a
vestige of power since its acts are subject
10 absolute veto by the upper house, had
passed a seven years franchise law. IL it
4 did, the matter went no further. Much OF
the sympathy for the Beers in this coun-
I try appears due TO an entire misapprehen-
sion OF the actual facts concerning this
matter of the franchise. For the benefit OF
cur correspondent and readers generally
We viii again try to explain it.
By law passed in 1882, foreigners were
( eligible TO citizenship upon completing a
I term OF five years continuous residence
4 This law was entirely satisfactory to Great
Britain, and the understanding, when the
/ convention of 1883 was signed, was that no
+ change was to be made. In 1857, before
any number OF the Outlanders had been
I able to complete the FIVE years residence
necessary TO citizenship, the volksraad.
with the deliberate and open purpose of
preventing them from acquiring it, re-
pealed the law OF 1882, and passed another
/ making a fifteen years residence necessary
to obtain the right TO vote for President
and members OF the Yolksraad. BY a sub
f seouent amendment the act was made still
further obstructive, in a provision that no
foreigner should ever be permitted to at
tain full burgher rights. In 1890, the sec
ond house of the Volksraad was created,
and a law passed that foreigners might Sc
cure the right to vote for its members
/ alone on taking the oath of allegiance after
1 four years residence. But, as We have re-
/ marked above. this second house has never
/ been anything but sham, and an excres-
oenee without any political weight or func-
! tion. Great Britain, through its Colonial
Office. and on the petition Of the outlander
+ inhabitants OF the State, including four
thousand American citizens, has insisted
that the franchise law of 1882 should be
restored. President Kruger. his Council,
and the yolksraad have steadily and stub
bornIy refused to do SO.
Third-We have never heard that England
has ever thought of demanding Transyaal
citizenship for Englishmen or Scotchmen,
with the proviso that they should still re-
main British subjects in any sense which
would not apply equally 10 the Beers. II
is perhaps an open question, not pertinent
10 this explanation. whether or not de-
pendent or eIni-dependent State has
right 10 compel any Of its citizens TO take
up arms against its suzerain. The Out
landerg. If they had been allowed the priv
ueee of naturalization, which, in practice,
they were not, would have owed allegiance
10 the South African Republic afterward, as
would anyone else within its jurisdiction. As
T far as We nave DeSl aDle 10 ODtdln luiOTina-
tion on the subject, the allegation that the
people of the Johannesburg district ever
demanded the right of citizenship coupled
with the privilege OF retaining their allegi-
ance to England, the United States, or any
other former sovereign State. or that the
British Government ever demanded or asked
for such thing on their account, is purely
and simply an invention of President
Kruger.
Fourth-we do not know OF any country
which at the present time permits the nat
uralization OF foreigners without the pre-
requisite OF fun abjuration OF former al
legianee. Antecedent 10 the annexation OF
Hawaii, under the constitution OF Kalakaua,
foreigners enjoyed shat right, which We
think was continued under the Republic.
An American could vote and hold office In
1 the Hawaiian Islands without affecting
: his allegiance 20 the United States or his
American citizenship. as far as Hawaiin
laws could accomplish that feat. But this
was unusual, and is. OF course. not impor-
tnnt in this discussion.
The plain truth about the Transvaal fran
| chise is that the Beers never intended to