The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-22
SUNDAY, OCTOBER az, 1899.
TRANSvAAL CONSTITUTION.

good deal has been said in this
present controversy between England
and the Transvaal, relative to the con-
stitution of the latter country. 1t is in
measure greatly misunderstood. The
Transvaal constitution was not evolved
from any early system nor in any de-
gree borrowed from other lands, but
was the original conception and crea-
ton of the emigrant farmers who
founded the country.
The Orange constitution has a liberal
| tone. 1t makes citizenship easy and
equal to all white men; makes all cit
liens eligible to office; guarantees free
dom of speech in public meeting, and
establishes a religious freedom and
equality, and makes the courts indie
pendent of the legislative and executive
departments of the government The
legislature consists of one chamber
elected by the people, and it has the
| power to amend the constitution by a
| thrse-fe1rbts majority in two. annual
sessions, and to impeaoh the president
by a three-fourths majority The pres
| ident is elected by all the people. He
has no veto power and his own acts and
orders may be reversed by the legis-
| lature.
The Transvaal constitution is much
| longer, much more involved and OBJ
scure in meaning. It welcomes all
corners to the republic, but declares
that equality between the white and
| colored races shall not be tolerated
either in church or state. 1t forbids
the existence within the republic of
any Roman Catholic churches or of any
| churches whatever save such as teach
the doctrine of the Heidelberg cate
| chism. 1t is said that this prohibition
has to some extent been tacitly ig-
| nored, so that a few churches of other
than the Dutch faith are now tolerated,
To this day, however, it is unlawful for
| Dutch minister to baptize a negro or
perform the marriage ceremony over a
| negro couple, the Boer belief being that
the negroes have no souls.
The supreme authority is nominally
vested in the legislative body, elected,
but not in a representative manner. to
which only members of the reformed
Dutch church are eligible. This legis-
lature may alter or amend the consti-
tuition at any time at will All the laws.
however, must be proposed to it by the
| president of the republic, who is elected
by popular vote, and who must of
course be a member of the reformed
Dutch church. All members of the
| cabinet, as indeed all government off
cials, must belong to that church
There is a second legislative chamber
with really no power whatever. The
| courts were originally independent but
have now been made subordinate to the
executive department and have been
| forbidden to interpret or to pass upon
| the constitutionality of laws. No per-
son who is of negro blood or whose
parents in any generation back be-
! longed to the native race, are permitted
to own land or enjoy civil rights.
1t will be seen by careful analysis
that the Transvaal constitution is as
illiberal and bigoted as that of the Or
| ange state is liberal and generous The
difference probably had it's origin with
| the different dispositions and purposes
of the two communities and goes far
toward accounting for the peaceful and
prosperous career of the Orange state
and the stormy and disastrous career
of the Transvaal. If the two states be-
come merged in the British domain.
the change of governmental system
will seem revolutionary to the Beers of
the Transvaal, while to their kinsmen
of the Orange state it will be scarcely
| perceptible.