The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-26

| of the country, are compelled to re-
| main aliens and to have no share in
the government they are taxed to sup
port or in the laws to which they are
subject. They now form the great ma
jority of the population. They pay
nine-tenths of the taxes. 1t is their
enterprise and capital that have devel-
oped the enormous mineral wealth or
the country and made the name OF
South Africa synonymous with almost
inestimable riches.
Yet they have to look on helpIessly
while the revenue they provide is di-
xided up among the improvident Beers.
They have no vote. They live practi-
cally under martial law. They have no
police protection. No schools are pro-
vided for their children. The President
of the Republic indeed, habitually
speaks of them as his white Kafirs,
and has even addressed an audience of
intelligent and honorable Englishmen
as trogues, thieves, liars and murder
ers." More than that, the settlers are
not even allowed to hold meetings to
discuss their grievances or to provide
for mutual aid.
AS to the franchise, it may truly be
said that the settlers have no vote and
are to have none for many years to
come Originally five years residence
was required to qualify a foreigner
to be a voter, then the time was raised
to ten years, and then to fifteen It
was again raised to twenty years, and
even the children who are born to set
tiers while living in the Transvaal were
declared to be aliens and excluded from
the rights of citizenship. The penalty
for any settler attempting to take part
IN an election is a heavy fine and a
long term of imprisonment. The result
OF this system is that in johannesburg,
the largest and most important city in
the country, while there is a population
OF 10000 four-fifths of which is English
or American, there are only 300 voters
and these are nearly all of the lowest
class Beers, who have come into the
town to work as common Iaborers. The
city has only one representative in the
Legislature, and is in all respects treat
ed as though it were merely a settle
ment of 800 Beers. It's great popula-
ton and enormous wealth are utterly
ignored, excepting by the assessor and
tax collector The city is not even al
lowed to have a municipal government
Dutch is the only official language, and
all citizens who have any business with
government officers are Compelled to
use it, Even the names Of the streets
are put up at the street corners in
Dutch, and yet there are not a thou
sand persons, all told, among the whole
$4,000 to whom Dutch was the native
POOR POLICY.
Considering the enormous extension
of the mining industry in the Trans
vaal and its incaIculable profits to the
Republic, one would certainly suppose
the Government would treat it with
some consideration. 1t furnishes nine
tenths Of the public revenue, and
whereas before the gold mines were
opened the Government was practically
bankrupt and local currency was al
most worthless, the treasury now has
a surplus of more than Sc, 600 600 a year.
Another great grievance is found in
the Department of Education. Here.
too, the settlers have had to take mat
ters into their own hands, and to pro.
vide out of their own pockets for
schools for their children, in addition
to the heavy school tax which they al
ready pay to the Boer Government
There are in the Rand district at least
10000 English-speakin children, for
whose tuition through any but Dutch
medium no provision is mado by the
Government. Dutch is the only recog-
nized medium of education, and in the
public schools English is not taught. or,
if taught at all. only to a slight extent
as a foreign language. The English
population some time ago proposed to
establish English schools at private ex-
pense. This was denounced by the
Government as little less than open re-
bellion, and it was actually proposed
to suppress such schools by force
AS can be readily seen. these condf-
tions have led to rebellion.
The present trouble is by far the most
serious the Transvaal has ever had.
and it would not be surprising If she
retreated in good shape before it is too
late, led by the discretion of her dna
old diplomat Of q President