New-York tribune., 1899-07-24
TRANSVAAL QUESTIONS.
AN AMERICANS PLEA FOR AMERICAN
INTERESTS
BOER OPPOsIrIo,


DUE TO PREMoNITIoN THAT ENLrGHT-
ENED GOVERNMENT WILL OVER
THROW THE POWER OF THE
PRESENT oLIGARCHY.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir In The Tribune OF June - there appeared
communication from a high official Of the Orange
Free State denying British suzerainty over the
Transvaal and appealing TO American sympathies
In behalf OF the Boer Government.
The statements therein contained are not Color
less or impartial nor are they fair presentation
Of the whole case or the hundreds of Americans
resident In the Transvaal not one upholds the
Kriger policy: not one has discerned the alleged
oppression. injustice and wrong OF the BRUSH uoF
eminent, not one wthholds from the BRUSH Gov
eminent his sympathy and support Nor are inc
Germans the French unlike them III 'n's ie
gard.
There are in the Transvaal 10000 residents who
cannot vote-OutIanders. gathered from nearly all
nations largely men Of high professional attain
ments or skilled laborers. There are 'ooVo boers'
who are also whites. the descendants OF the carry
Dutch settlers In Cape Town. who are slussis"
people principally of n type corresponding 70
frontier farmers who have and hold all poh'icai
power.
This Transvaal. the government OF when the
Beers retain so closely in their own hands was
not vacant country at the time OF their lhgress'
about lsi3 but contained even then larger
native population than white and in ls9s the
native population was isS' 'Jo out Oh d lo'ai "a
1O941JG.
Nor have the Beers had undsputed control Oh
the country as against the natives within or with
out So late October Of last year hostiity Droke
out between the Transvaa forces and the haHlr
chief Mpefu having tweaty thousand natNe war
r.ors under his control IN the mountainous couh-
try OF tho northwest, account OF his retusal 10
nay taxes or even acknowledge the Transvaal
claims OF sovereignty. At the outset the boers
established a system Of disguised slavery anu
further weakness in their system has always been
their refusal TO treat the natives with common
justice. o,n r,scovrprD
In 1856 gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand
| range Of hills and the mines have proved Oh I'M
mense value. The output for 1899, II IS estimaIeu'
will be 500 100000 one-half larger than the en-
| tire output OF the United States for this year
Last year the output was ss0cOOcO.
johannesburg. comprising the most extensive
| mining undertaking In the world, has become the
! centre Of immense interests. and has population
OF 100000 including 10000 whites. most OF whom
are debarred from the suffrage although the reve-
nues Of the State are almost entirely derived from
/ them.
At the time gold was discovered the Transvaal
! Government was almost bankrupt. having an an
| nuaI deficiency in it's revenues of SlooVO ana a
| debt equal TO the estimated value OF the pubic
| lands while the disparity between Its revenues ana
| expenditures was yearly increasing on account OF
| the reluctance OF the Beers to pay taxes.
Upon the discovery OF gold many OF the Boers
| o,d ,be,r lands 10 the incoming foreigners Cor
/ large sums OF money Public lands also were sold
/ and Government licenses were granted 10 dggers'
| so that the country was not only placed upon a
secure financial foundation, but was converted
| into one OF the richest States in the world Thus
when the Rothschlds in 1892. negotiated the rail-
road loan for the country f2 25OoWo-it was SUD-
| scribed for twenty times over.
NO INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY.
There has been a complete reversal OF hnancial
sentiment however. since that time. due In part 10
the feeling that radical changes, If not revolution
ore imminent by reason Of the injustice Of the
dominating Beers but due still further 10 the ei-
feet OF legislation last year in destroying the IN
dependence OF the Supreme Court. The erect ma.
! been that the Transvaa has vainly offered
! throughout Europe an additional state loan VI
60 OOo 900 without being able TO place H. not"l'h
standing the enormous wealth Of the country.
President Kr1ger is said 10 regard life insurance
a. in,pious and lightning rods as an anront 10
Almighty God as Pliny was scandalized at HIP
parchus for trying 10 count the stars ana 10 name
them public water supply and sewers iof
johannesburg seem. therefore. against the DIVINE
order but more likely are treated as an enot to'O" !"
meut upon the Boer prerogatlve, and no charte'
can be obtained For want OF these things 20
bannesburg f. a death trap. without sanitary In
strumentalities Proceedings in the courts are con-
Quoted exclusively in the Dutch language ever
when both OF the parties are Americans OF hns
| ushmen and there is no right OF trial by peers
| Pubuc meetings are forbidden, the Outlander pres:
- gagged nor are Americans or Englshmen per
| rn,,ted 70 form clubs There are gross extrava
| gance and corruption large secret service fuhu
bountios TO favorites and 10 interests which II II
thought best 10 placate. Trade Is restricted anc
many mining enterprises OF value are stopped fol
want Of opportunity TO invest money under faii
conditions Of safety regards legislation.
HOW AMERICA is INTERESTED.
The most prominent engineers and managers ir
| these mines are Americans. and hundreds or Amer
can workmen Of skill are there with their faniies
| The export trade OF the United States 20 the
re,sva,l was nearly S4O0OOOO In 1895, second only
TO that Of the United Kingdom and three times
| ,het ~ Germany which IS the next largest eA
porter 10 the Transvaal.
Under fair conditions the country holus ou
| greater promise Of increase 70 our export trau'
! than anv place in the world, and oners larger re-
wards 10 industry and enterprise ana ~ "i'e"ee"
! Investment Of capital
! The residents OF johannesburg may be regarded
~ having tho qualifications and therefore the righ
10 citizenship It is further injustice tnat theS
are deprived OF the right 10 have or 10 pear arft
| in the defence OF themselves ana the state J.
was not on special grounds, bur because ''ie D'i"
| ciple has universal application that 'he III
| Amendment Of the Constitution OF the Ohte'
states provides that "the right Of the people U
| kaen and hear arms shall not be infrnged.
The situation OF the residents In the TransVaa
IN this regard is a standing afront a large eX
pendl,ure has been made in johannesburg out o
the public moneys nine-tenths contributed oy thes
men for the construction Of n fort equipped VIII
rapId fire guns. trained not upon an outside In
vader but upon johannesburg Itself. upon thes
very residents Of outside origin, to overawe ther
and 20 keep them subdued.
Should oppression rouse them to arms, II ma
been given out that the Transvaal military au
thorities will give the women and chiloreh twenty
four hours TO leave the country, and VIII prompu'
- --l... rnhn rreshnrg and then thOs