The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-09-22
ACT AS RED RAGS
Speech of Harcourt and the Mes.
sage Of Afrikanders to Presi-
dent Kruger
Have Only Served to Irritate the
British War.at-Any-Pri
Element.
Afrikander Message Asks Kruger
to Yield Everything Except
independence.

LONDON. Sept. %. The speech of Sir
William Vernon Harcourt, the former
Liberal leader, to his constituents at
New Tredegar. and the message of the
Cape Town Afrikander members of
parliament to President Kruger Jave
proved red rags to the "war.at-any-
price" party.
The Cape papers declare the action of
the members of parliament amounts
are applied to Sir William Vernon Har-
courts remarks by the English anti
Boer papers. Those who claim the sit
uation has not yet passed the Rubicon
OF pacific negotiations see in Presi-
dent Kruger's answer to the Afri-
Handlers q genuine desire to avoid hos
tilities. The report that he personally
petitioned Queen Victoria to avert hos
tilities certainly does not bear out the
alarmist report Of English correspond
ents in South Africa, that President
Kruger determined long since upon
war. Nevertheless the preparations for
that eventuality
NOueIuuO GnoE8osscASiy ON b0S0 Sloes.
The Boers are laagering and British
troops are reaching Kimberley and
Ladysmith. The onward march of the
latter has been marked by enthusiastic
ovations from the scared inhabitants
and the many hurrying southwark for
safety.
The latest report of Boer activity en-
anates from Newcastle, Natal, saying
the Transvaal forces are encamped at
Zandsprlnt and intend to raid Natal
Immediately after they understand that
Mr.. Chamberlain's reply is not satisfac-
tory.
The British Army Nursing Ser:ice
has sailed from Southampton and Major
General French sails Saturday. He
goes to Durham. Natal, to command
the cavalry brigade.
The foregoing includes all the actual
developments, but they help little to
solve the universal question, "Will
there be war;" The answer Of Presi-
dent Steyn of the Orange Free State. to
Sir Alfred Miner, the British high
commissioner of South Africa. is not
regarded as a satisfactory explanation
of the Free States position and by no
means dissipates the seriousness with
which the situation issregarded. Since
the first it has been reported that tn 9
Free State would aggressively assist the
Transvaal.
Predicts . Peaceful Solution.
Vanity Fair, frequently we'll informed
regarding political secrets, emphatic.
ally r%eiterates the assertion that there
will be no a 1t says: President
Kruger is an old man, but he is no
dotard. He would like to get his own
way but not at the cost of defeat.
Climb down he will. We maintain the
belief that there will be no war;
Vanity Fair takes the view, which is
shared by several weeklies, that the
alarmist daily papers have created a
fictitious crisis.
The conservative sitting of the con.
flcting opinions and rumors now pre-
vailing regarding the outcome of the
dispute will be more practicable after
the cabinet meeting, though the Of
fetal announcement of the ministers
decision is likely to be delayed a few
days.
Burghers Are Ready.
The London edition of The Standard
and Diggers News of johannesburg.
saying that the returns from the field
comets of the Transvaal and Orange
Free State show that SO, 900 burghers
are ready to take the field at short no.
tice.
The departure of the British trans
port Junga for the Mediterranean with
1,10O troops was witnessed by a large
and enthusiastic crowd. At Woolwich
activity increases daily, especially in
the ordnance department., where Maxim
guns, Lyddite shells, balloon equip
ments, gas reservoirs, apparatus for
lime light machinery, ammunition
carts, ambulances and other
Paraphernalia of Modern Warfare
are being hurried forward. While ru-
mors of the reassembling of parliament
are current the fact is recalled that in
the Afghan wal in 1878 Great Britain
declared war first and then assembled
parliament.
Advices from Cape Town are to the
effect that the Afrikanders declare that
the T%ransvaal will not yield further.
and that if the imperial government
does not recede from it's present posi.
ton war is inevitable.
According to other advices the burgh-
ers are rapidly going into lager, while
the exodus from johannesburg Wednes-
day reached 1000 persons. The Stock
Exchange at Johannesburg has resolved
to close the moment martial law il nro-
claimed, but all current contracts will
ne carried out until the proclamation
suspending all business.
THE AFRIKANDER Appeal.