The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-11-02
yhe Oficial Paper Of San Juan County.
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 2, 1899.
THE BRITISH AND THE BOERS.

The Beers are reckoned among the
most religious people and lest marks.
men in the world. 1t is second nature
for them to put their trust in God and
keep their powder dry. They are
herdsmen and huntsmen-a hOspit-
able, peaceful, pastoral people, whose
chief desire is to be let alone. Three
score years ago their forefathers left
Cape Colony to escape British domina-
ton, with their families and scanty
household belongings, their horses and
cattle, thousands "trekked" in wagon
trains far to the north, across the Naal
river, and after more than twenty years
of warfare with the natives and dis
sensions among themselves without
any organized government, they sue
ceeded in establishing what was first
called the dutch African Republic"
Of the means by which their territory
was acquired, President Kurger says:
"Ever since we left Cape Colony in 1885
we have not taken any territory from
the natives by conquest except that of
one chief whose murderous naraud-
ings compelled us to drive him away
from his country. We bartered and
bought every inch of land we now
have. England has taken all the land
she has i'm South Africa at the muzzles
of repeating rifles and machine guns.
That is the civilized method of extend
ing the bounds of the EN- pire they talk
about SO much.'
British authority still followed the
"trekkers," and declared their new ter
riiory British possession. Then the
Beers "trekked" no farther. After two
years of restlessness under the British
flag, they made this declaration of in
dependence: 1--WE declare before God,
who knows the heart, and before the
world, that the people of the South At
rican Republic have never been SUBJ
jects of Her Majesty, and never will
be-"
1t seems to the writer that the SYM
pathies of every liberty-lOving citizen
in this free land ought to go out to
these indomitable people in their I'M
equal struggle against the legions of
the greatest empire of modern times,
backed by "all the W alth of Ormus
and of Ind" The British lion followed
them along every trail they trod to the
Transvaal. His covetous eyes have
looked longingly upon their lands by
day and glittered in the light of their
camp fires by night. First one conces-
sion and then another has been made
to him to appease him, but each sue
cessive one has only served to whet his
appetite for more. He is unatiate.
What matters it if the Boer govern
ment is eXacting, illiberal and unpro-
gressive? 1t satisfies the Beers and it
was for them and not for the Baitisll
that 1t was established. The griev-
ances of the Uitlanders, or foreign resi-
dents, who are there only to glut the
land Of its mineral wealth and return
with it to Europe, are made the pre-
text for what is rightly termed zone OF
the most pathetic wars in all history"
And these very grievances are voiced
in demands that the government OF
Great Britain would most promptly
and contemptuously reject if made of
it by any government on earth. The
British demand that foreigners in the
Taansvaal shall be allowed to vote
after five years residence, and still re.
tam their British citizenship. Henry
Labonchere, one of the ablest editors OF
England and a member of parliament
says that there are more than loco, 900
citizens of England who are perman.
emily deprived of the franchise owing
to the absurd registration law, while
many other citizens have several votes
each, and few hundred peers have
the right by inheritance to veto OF
emasculate any measure passed by the
peoples representatives. No foreigner
can by right secure a vote i'm Grea,
Britain. The Home Secretary, at his
pleasure, may give or withhold his ap
prevail. But under the British natur
alization laws five years is the least
time in which vote can be obtained
and generally it requires seven years.
Complaint is also made that taxes
upon alien mining companies are ex
tortionate and yet the figures show
that the aggregate of these taxes is only
about two and half per cent on the
profits of the mines, whereas the Caua
dian government levies tax of tel
per cent upon the gross production O
the rich placer claims of the Klondike
From the British standpoint it make.
wonderful difference whose OK i.
gored
Morally and legally" says the Chi
cage Post, "Great Britain's course i.
utterly without justification. Ever,
authority on international law in Eu.
rope, and the leading authorities i,
Great Britain herself, have condemned
her policy, The Uitiander grievance
AFFORDED pretext; the real object from
the beginning has been the annexatio,
OF the Two Dutch republics. England
as the London Economist intimates
mas forgotten the lesson of 1776. Sin
~ trampling under foot the principle
winch have made her empire majesti
and glorious since.n
But we do not need IN loo,y 4, A,