The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-23
B0ER TYRANNY.
An American, John Hays Hammond,
Tersely States the Case Against Them.

New York, Nov. 22.-John Hays Ham
mond the American engineer who be-
came prominent during the Jameson
raid, arrived here on the White Star
steamship 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 Chi
cago.
In speaking of South Africa, Mr..
Hammond said:
There can be no doubt that European
sympathy is with the Beers. 1t is not
so much for the reason that they love
the Beers as they dislike the English.
1t is likewise true that the animosity
toward England has been intensified by
her friendship for us during the Span
ish war In America there are many
who. under misconception. also SYM
pathize with the Beers in their struggle
for the independence of their so-called
little republic. But is the cause Of the
Beers deserving OF sympathy from the
American point of view? A few rlain
facts will enable you to judge. The
question is often asked, and quite per-
tinently, why the nitlanders went to the
Transvaal if the laws were unsa tisfac-
tory. The answer is that they were in
vited to SO by the Boer government
and notably by Mr.. Kruger himself,
and that when they immigrated the ex-
isting laws were very favorabe to the
uitlanders. 1t was only after their
capital and labors had rescued the
Transvaal from imminent bankruptcy
that the liberal laws We're superseded
BY the present adverse laws.
In the meanwhile millions of foreign
capital had been invested in the pur-
chase of Boer farms, at that time of
little or unknown value. The status
of the uitlanders to-day is this: They
own one-half of the land and nine
ton he of I'M l..
try. They greatly outnumber the
Beers, but nevertheless are debarred
from obtaining the franchise. The
franchise law as it now stands re-
quires the applicant for the franchise
in advance to renounce allegiance to
all other countries, after which he is
under term Of probation of IA years,
during which time he is liable to mill
tary service in case of war; at the
end Of IA years he may obtain the
franchise, provided he obtains in writ
ing the consent of majority of the
Beers in the ward in which he resides,
and provided, moreover, that the Boer
President and executive council do not
object.
The uitlanders pay most of all the
taxes and have absolutely no voice in
the expenditure of the money and
must submit to the most fragrant mis-
appropriation of the bulk of the .ov-
ernment revenues, which is extract
ed from them by a most ingenious sys-
tenn of class taxation
The laws to which the uitlanders
especially object are, first, that depriv-
ing the high court of the country of
the right to test the validity of par
liamentary legislation. Indeed, laws
pronounced by the high court to be
at variance with the constitution of
the country have been enforced by the
nd
'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 the decision against
the dictates of the president
.Third-The power given to the pres
ldent and executive council to Danish
any uitlander and to confiscate his
property for political offense without
trial.
"Fourth-The right of a Transvaal
policeman to suppress 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 true republic as the true
bulwark of its liberties, the right Of
trial of one by ones peers. In the
Transvaal the Boer alone can sit on the
Jury. The court records show that un-
der these conditions very few Beers are
convicted, while, on the contrary, very
few uitlanders are acquitted.
1.-THE uitlanders have many more
grievances attributable to a corrupt
administration. 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 Afrcia are all in synlpa-
thy with The English.
Mr.. Hammond is on his way to Mex
leo. He hopes shortly to return to
America.