Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-11-09
WAR IN THE TRANSVAAL.
Why Beers and Britons Are Fighting
The Majority Wish to Rule.


During the past three weeks England
ba, been at war with the Beers in the
Trsnsvaal in South Africa. There have
been several engagements, aud for the most
mart victory has been with the Beers. The
following from the New York Press is
clear statement Of the causes OF the war. |
The difference was originally between
the Beors and Outlanders, the miners, |
merchants, brokers and o,her professional
men, who, with their families, make up the
sc, 900 white population OF johannesburg
-Four years ago these alien residents, who
are by no means all British, petition ed for
the redress of certain grievances. The
dynamite monopoly, by which an exhorbi-
tant price is charged for mining materials,
was only one of these. Among others was
the exclusion of all languages but the
Dutch from the schools, although other
than the Dutch supported them; the refusal
of municipal governmental Johannesburg,
which was ruled from the Transvaal capt.
tai. and the withholding of the right of
trial by jury, and OF the right to vote of
those who paid five-sixths OF the enormous
taxes of the country. These are $4,000
600 for $50 900 population, or much less
than that of the state of Vermont. They
are $50 per capita, an amount unparalleled
in a country without either a great war
debt. as in France, or elaborate public
works, as in Australia. The petition was
derisively rejected by the Rad or Senate,
the only legislative body with full power.
The Jameson raid, the act of the Chartered
company, which governs Rhodesia, and
not of the British Imperial government or
the Outlanders themselves, was one of the
consequences. Upon Jameson's defeat OPP
preston was increased. Power was given
to President Kruger to expel any Outland-
er and to confscate his goods. The muir
der of an Outlander by Boer policeman
and his release under light bail led last
winter to potion to the british Crown for
redress by over q, 900 Outlanders.
The British government then asked that
Outlanders receive the same suffrage a,
the Beers upon FIVE years residence-the
same time demanded here. They were to
relinquish their allegiance to Great Rrltair
at the same time. They were to have, in
fact, precisely the same rights as the Dutch
residents of the British state of Colony
f This proposal was declined. A protractec
correspondence lOllOWcu, Ill tuC COuIoC "
which at one time the Beers tentatively
Welded the enfranchisement asked. Thi.
concession was, however, withdrawn and
negotiations broken off when the British
government suggested that the Englisl
members of the Rad (when elected) b.
: allowed to use their own language in tn
deliberations of the Raad, as the Dutcl
: members of the Cape Colony Legislature
i. land the French members of the Canadian
parliament) are allowed to use theirs
. The British government then proposed t.
n formulate new proposals, but before it ha'
:. q done so the Transvaal declared war an
= attacked the British in Natal, Cape Colony
;. and Bechuanaland. The suzerainity wa
!. never relinquished by Great Britain, bu
the point was not raised hy the BIRTHS
> government in this negotiation. Morrow
+ er, though Mr.. Kruger raised it and aske
= relinquishment, the break did not come o.
:. this point. These are the exact facts il
4 the case, which should be separated fror
70 assumptions as to latent motives and vi
il terror designs.