Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-10

Germany or France. And as there are
Americans, Germans and Frenchmen in
large numbers in Johannesberg, these ma
tions have as much right to interfere as
you have.
The English also complain that nine
tenths of all the taxation falls on the out
lander, who has no vote, and he therefore
is taxed without representation, which con-
stitutes tyranny. To this the Beers answer
The taxes are but very small part of the
geld which you dig out of our, soil. After
paying all your taxes you still declare div-
dends to your stockholders of 25 per cent
per annum and, as to the cry of taxation
without representation, that may be unjust
as between rulers and subjects but, as be-
tween a nation and aliens, it is a question
not OF justice but of policy.
a Diplomatic Trick.
In the early stages of the discussion
nothing was said by England about suzer-
ainty. But the hint in the discussion that
Germany had equal rights with Great
Britain necesstated some such differentia-
ton. Again the conference at The Hague
was in progress and England was there
committed to advance the cause of arbitra-
tlon Recently she had made an attempt
to forcibly get control of gold mines in
South America but had finally consented to
arbtrate her rights. 1t was in the air that
the Tran6vaal would propose arbitration on
the question whether the republic was
within its right in refusing the British de-
mands. In anticipation of such proposal
ana to make her ground differ from that of
other nations, England raised its Obsolete
claim Of suzerainty, and was then prepared
to reject, and did rejeGc the proposal to
arbitrate. basing her refusal on the ground
that a sovereign can never arbitrate quea-
tions with its subjects. To The claim Of
suzerainty the Beers contended that even the
word had been dropped from the treaty Of
1884, and that they were a free and ndo-
pendent people, bound only by the terms Of
the treaty not to deal with foreign powers
without the queens permission.
which Began the War:
October 4-Thc British government au-
thorzos an Immediate expenditure of $lj,-
100000 for moving troops and munitions u
South Africa.
October British troops to the number
of $500 are landed in Natal,
October IA royal proclamation orders
the mobilization of the British reserves.
October 1O-The South African Republic
sends an utimatum to Great Britain de-
arbitration and the withdrawal of
troops from The borders.
October 12--Great Britain refuses to dis
cus3 the ultmatum, ana the Beers invade
Natal
In the foregoing lines it has been the
writer's aim to give in a most condensed
form an impartial, judicial, ulcoored state |
ment Of cold facts with no eye to the con
clu@ions to which they may lead and no at !
tempt TO argue the cause Of ono sda or the |
other. OF necessity many things have been (
omitted, but none which seems to me to have .
direct bearing upon the present issues. /
These issues, ! take 1t, are presented in (
these questions: Did the English force this !
war upon the Beers? If so, for what real .
purpose was it done? Was such purpose .
sufficient Justification? Had England a legal f.
right to demand what IT aid Cf the Boerg? .
II it had the legal right, was it morally F.
justified in Iegorting to war to enforce IT? /
Whatever conclusion tho reader may reach
as to tho right Of the controversy he can
not withhold his admiration Of the courage
u tho Beer To see state not much un-
ike our own state Of Wyoming as TO eiza
and population taking up the gage OF battle
against tho mighty British empire, upon
whose dcmiElons tho sun never sets and
he sound of whose drumboats encircles the
globe, is a grand spectacle a few ranch
men gathered 10 fight the bataliag1 from
England, Scotland, Ireland Canada. Aus
ralia and India. Their fathers fought one
against hundred, but they fight ono