The National tribune., 1900-03-08
DOM PAUL.
Pen Picture of the Transvaal President.
Frank LesLie's PopuIor Monthiu.


Much of the sympathy aroused in Amer,
lea for the Beers is due to the democratic
title that country has assumed The
| Transvaal, however, is not republic.
1t has Constitution, or Grondwet, but the
Volksraad by u resolution, or Besluit, can
suspend or repeal any part of the Grondwet
that may interfere with legislation at hand
And the President is the power above and
behind the Volksraad. All measures for
enactment are presented by him He is
met hoogsto geSag deS landS-the grea test
authority in th5 state. AT his bidding the
Volksraad can at any time determine that
any matter pending before the High Court
shall cease to be considered by the court
In 1897 the High Court refused TO defraud
an American mining man of number of
claims which he had legally acquired,
whereupon Dom Paul summoned the Volks-
raad; the Chief Justice Mr.. Kotze, was sum
marily dismissed, the sittings of the court
indefinitely suspended, and all the rights
of the American ignored.
None of the rights of the Uitlanders are
safeguarded. Homes are invaded and
searched on the slightest pretext, the ac-
counts OF business houses are examined
and tribute levied arbitrarily. Before the
development of the mines the TransyaaI
was bankrupt To defray his travelling
expenses to London and return a few wears
ago Kruger had to resort to a forced loan
upon foreign banking firm in Pretoria.
The first arrivals, of Europeans was, ac-
cordlngiy, warmly welcomed by the politi-
cal Beers, for this incoming of capital and
energy saved tho country from COLLAPSE.
AS soon us enough mining area was dis
posed OF TO make the Government rich
Dom Paul and his henchmen set about to
discourage further immigration. He knew
that the mine owners had invested vast
! fortunes in preparing to develop their prop
critics, and that they could not afford to
abandon their projects. Government mo-
nopolies We're accordingly started, compe-
tition was throttNf, and excessive rates
fixed on commoAIes iindspensab bic to a
mining camp, sulEas dynamite and whis-
ky. Upon all ai3Nles which the Govern
ment does not supply by monopoly, it has
| established an .exprb rbitant import duty
The "a, avowed .p purnpsf has been to freeze out
Hardly ceR of the prolific revenue
gained by these high-handed proceedings
has been expended upon Johannesburg.
whose affairs are, in the main, admins
tered from Pretoria.
The sanitary condition of Johannesburg
Is a horror; Its streets are foul and unpayed,
and, as very feEssf the Beers live In the
metropolis, theh Nphoid epidemics that
frequently dev4AMe Johannesburg are
compacently igkANd by the Government.
Anything that Ans out the Uitlander
pli,, populai.i9;ii ;.l Is !11Hd by lhe Beers as a
halt OF, the Tfansyaal. The water supply
is Inadequate, and what there is is con
taminated. A petition signed by 10000
residents OF Johannesburg praying for
municipal improvements was p.esented
to Dom Paul during my resideifce there.
The President slipped his black coffee,
puffed his great pipe. spat excessively into
huge porcelain dish, and laughed i'm
moderately. "If the Philistines do not like
the land OF my people, let them depart in
peace" was his only reply.
In reality the Transvaal is no more of
chistan. Dom Paul could. without VIC.
lating the spirit of the Grondwat, change
his title to Sultan, Khan, Ameer or Maha-
raja.
Though Joubert commands the fighting
Beers, the real leader, the masterful soldier
as well as statesman, is Dom Paul. Jou-