The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1899-11-21
THE BRITISH SIDE.
OF the Controversy in the War With
the Transvsal Republic.
Demands fer Reform and Arguments Made
I'm Defense OF England and Why
Americans Should Sympathize With
Her

A writer on current events In the
Oregon Teachers Monthly states the
British case as follows:
Six principal points are involved in
the arbitrament precipitated by the
formal declaration Of war by the BoeI
government. They are
|. Taxation without representation.
The British government demanded foi
British subjects that this should bt
rectihed This was what was meant
by the diplomatic controversy over the
franchise"
2. Trial by jury. British subjects
are not allowed trial by jury ol
their peers, as under the laws OF all
English-speaking peoples. A British
subject under the Boer oligarchy must
be tried by jury OF Beers.
3. In the public schools the English
language is not allowed. As the popula
ton OF johannesburg IL twenty English
10 one BOer, this was virtual exclusion
of English children from the schools.
4. Municipal government. There
are only about 900 Beers in Johannes
burg TO $4,000 0utlanders. The Boer
government clung TO its exclusive right
10 govern the English city without the
consent OF the governed.
8. Extortionate taxation. Before the
English discovered and developed the
Kimberley and Witwatersrand mine
the total income OF the Boer govern.
ment was about six million dollars. II
Is now four times that amount, or a
levy upon the outlanders OF $40, 900, 900
per annum, In the expenditure Of which
the taxpayers are allowed no voice.
o. Slavery Though this does not APP
pear in the diplomatic discussion, il has
affec ted the sentiments of British sub
jects toward the Beers. The natives
are practically enslaved by them. They
call il apprenticeship but native
youth are held to work and labor with
out compensation during the most
effective period Of their lives, namely,
till tho age Of 2S After that age they
are held TO service by terrorism in many,
II not most instances.
WHAT ENGLAND DEMANEs.
The Iowa state Register states the
case Of the way the Beers squeeze the
foreigners:
Those who sympathize with the Beers
in their iighht against England must
overlook a great deal. For instance, the
Outlanders, who are the English, the
Americans, and the Germans living in
the South African Republic, pay 80 per
cent OF the entire revenue of the coun-
try, thus leaving but II per cent 10 be
paid by the Beers. The Outlanders re.
fer 10 themselves as president Kruger's
Mich Cow" and the name seems to be
well chosen. During the past fiscal year
the total revenue received from the Out.
landers was s2l $685. ,O75, while the re-
ceived from the Beers themselves
Amounted to sl,sl0.5 800. Not only Is
that true, but the reports show that ~
per cent OF the revenue is expected "fol
purely Boer purposes" while the Eng
lishmen who contribute almost nine
tenths OF the revenue receive benefit
from only little more thau one-tcnth
of IT,. The English papers are pointing
out these facts, and are saying that
England deserves the sympathy Of ali
nations in its fight against the Beers.
The English papers say that they do
not ask for this sympathy, but that they
certainly deserve il. IL does seem as
though there was little justice in this
collection and expenditure OF the rev.
enues OF the country, and il does seem
rs though the English are not asking
for anything more than they deserve.
Here IL what they asked for;
l. Legislation by mere volksraad reso-
luton To be abolished.
2, Equitable franchise law and fair
representation, with redistribution
scheme.
3. English and Dutch languages to be
official,
I. Reorganization of the the civil SER
vice.
8. High court 10 De independent. (Atl
present the judges Of the high court are
required, under pain OF dismissal, Ia
respect any resolution Of the yolksraad,
however hastily Il may have been
passed. This demand was the direct
result OF an action In which an Ameri-
can subject obtained damages against
the goyernmentl
u, Reform ol education,
Z. The cancellation of monopolies. I'm |
addition TO the long-standing liquor, |
railway and dynamite monopOlies-the |
last two OF which are said TO represent a |
permanent tax Of from e6O0, 1000 10
el 900, 900 per ananm upon the country,
conducted almost solely in the
Interest of the monopoly holders-there
are now monopolies engaged in the man
itacture OF cocoa, calcium carbide, soap,
andles, matches, brushes, etc.)
We are strictly neutral, but II does
'eem as though those who sympalhize
with the Beers have not ascertained all
he facts connected with the present
roubes in the rransvaal
DISPENSE oF ENGLAND.
Because England gets scant treatment
rom some OF our papers, perhaps a few
words may be permitted regarding some
eatures OF the struggle between the
ioers and the British, Practically the
ioers are the. only white people in the
World who defend and practice slavery.
With a sort OF moral obluseness that is
secular at all times 10 those who are
erhally religious. the Boer prates of
lis nearness TO God, aud then by harsh
brutality 10 the flesh and blood OF his
'rother-man he demonstrates his near.
less TO the devil. For two centuries he
Ias been out OF step with progress and
ives Iris patriarchal life in conditions
ar infarior Ia our avn Graekar ,vhitas
The Boers trekked northwani beyond