The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-13
Kruger's Day Has Come.

When trouble arose between England
and the Transvaal republic over the
Jameson raid, Americans, being then
out of humor with their British cousins,
took revenge by giving their sympathy
very freely to loom Paul. Kruger
and the Beers. They did this without
any particular reference to the merits
of the controversy, which at the mo-
ment were inadequately understood;
they did 1t, too, in CHEEKY oblivion to
the fact that among the most progress
sive of the Uitlanders whose cause
England champions and whose rights
Kruger and the Beers ignore and de-
spise are many Americans. 1t was
simply case of ignorant surface emo
tionalism and it is time now for the
American public to take a broader
view.
The Beers are a race Of cattle farm
ers so small, stingy and mean spirited
that they were elbowed out of the more
civilized South African settlements and
started for the Transvaal very much
as Brigham Young and his colleague
Mormons started two generations ago
for Utah. They had no special right to
the land they now occupy. They stole
1t from the natives and held it by
squatter sovereignty. So long as they
remained in isolation it made little diff
ference to the world at large what they
did. But when gold and diamond de-
posits were found by British and
American prospectors in the Transvaal
tive to find anything except good pas
ture land-and outside capital was In
vited to enter into the district and
develop it, the Beers became of inter-
est once more. They permitted the Uit-
landers chat is, the outsiders) to enter,
nine-tenths of the taxes and to become
in all respects the progressive and sub
stantial element in the commercial and
social life of the Transvaal republic,
then they proceeded to soak them un-
mercifully. They compelled these peo-
pie who were building up their coun-
try's interests to pay onerous and
ignorantly levied taxes, denying them
representation in the tax-levying as
| sembly; they forced them to support
outrageous government monopolies and
to respectful petition for redress of
grievances they made answer by vul-
| gar oaths and heel-stamping. In the
history of civilized intercourse there
probably Is no parallel instance OF
| the ignorance, narrow -mindedness and
churlishness of the Beers of the Trans
vaal as exhibited in their attitude Il
the American and English immigrants
who were attracted by legitimate COM
mercial aspirations, protection of which
Is one of the chief objects of intelligent
| government The Jameson raid was
an Overlooking of Uitlander indigna.
tion; but had the Uitlanders executed
St. Bartholomew's massacre of the
Beers 1t would have been almost a case
of justfable homicide.
The grievances OF these aliens OF thC
Transvaal, ignored and spurned by tn,
Beers were finally addressed to thu
British government, which claim.
suzerainty over the Dutch republic. 1t,
efforts to reach by diplomacy an amic-
able settlement having failed through
President Krugers stubbornness, tn,
application of force is to be expected
and welcomed. Kruger occupies exact.
ly the position of the farmer who de
clines to make over right of way fol
the railroad, although offered ever!
reasonable concession. Eminent do
main must be asserted and the block
ader of civilization made to move. Nc
government can stand in these demo
cratic days which spurns majorit!