The evening times., 1900-02-23
The Eminent Quaker Scholar on the
War in South Africa.
A Letter Addressed to His Friend
Senntor Hoar of MasSachusettS-A
Dispassionate Summing Up OF the
Causes-Thc Writer. an Advocate of
Peace, Approves EngIand's Course

posed TO all wars he cannot in any man
ner be accused of ''Jingoism.' As a man
representing the highest type Of modern
culture his views are certainly based upon
.xact facts and hence are entitled 10 un-
usual consideration. In his letter he says:
Il am glad to receive thy letter, as it
gives me the opportunity of pointing out
mfsconception into which thou hast fallen
i'm reference TO the Transvaal and its posi-
tion with respect to the present war.
Thou sayest: / am myself great lover
OF England. but / do not like TO see the
two countries joining hands for warlike
purposes. and especially to crush out the
freedom of small and weak nations.
To this | willingly assent. am certain
that war is in all circumstances opposed
TO that sympathy all men owe one to an
other. and TO that Greater Source of love
and sympathy in which we live and move
and have our being Where this bond has
been broken we long for its restoration;
but il cannot but tend to retard this resto-
ration 10 impute to one or other OF the
parties concerned motives that are entirely
foreign 10 it's action. Peace. TO be lasting.
must SldiO Ou d iOAhAatltAi VI tAuNh' N'HN
there is no truth whatever in the idea that
the English Government provoked the
present war. or that il intended. at any
time during the negotiations that preceded
the war an attack on the independence
either of the Transvaal or of the Orange
Free State 1t is true that President Kru-
ger has for many years carefully propagat-
ed the fear of such an attempt among the
Dutch in South Africa. as a means Of sep
arating Beers and Englishmen into two
camps. and as an incentive TO their prepaT-
ing the colossal armament that has now
been brought into play. not TO keep the
English out OF the Transvaal but to real
ize what is called the Afrikander pro-
gramme of a Dutch domination over the
whole of South Africa. Thus, he some
years ago imported from Europe $4,000 ri
nes. nearly five times as many as the
whole military population Of the Trans
Vaal, clearly with a view TO arming the
Cape Dutch in case Of the general rising he
hoped for. The Jameson raid gave him eX-
actly the grievance he wanted to persuade
these Cape Dutch that England sought TO
crush the Transvaal.
The English Were Patient.
AN examination OF the blue book
which contains the whole of the corre-
spondence Immediately preceding the war.
will at once show the patient efforts put
forth by the London Cabinet TO maintain
peace There are no irritating words used,
and the last despatch Of Importance be-
fore the outbreak of hostilities, dealing
with the insinuation just alluded TO, is
not only most courteous and Conciliatory
in tone but IL states that the Queens
Government will give the most solemn
guarantees against any attack upon the
independence of the Transvaal either by
Great Britain or the colonies. or by any
foreign power. ! am absolutely certain
that no American reading that despatch
would say that President Kruger was JUS
titled in seizing the Netherlands Railway
line within one week after he had received
It, and cutting the telegraph wires. TO
prepare for the invasion of British terri
tory. in which act of violence lay his last
and only hope of forcing England to fight;
his last and desperate chance Of setting
ND q racial domination instead Of the free
dom and equality of the two races that
prevail in the Cape and Natal. and that
did prevail in the Orange Free State.
The cause OF the dispute was This: In
1854 convention was agreed on between
Great Britain and the Transyaal ac-
knowledging the independence of the
Transvaal. subject to three conditions
that the Beers should not make treaties
with foreign powers without the consent
Of the paramount power in South Africa
that is England: that they should not
make slaves of the native tribes. and that
they guaranteed equal treatment for all
the white inhabitants Of the country as
respects taxation. As the whole war has
arisen out OF Kruger's persistent refusal
10 keep his promises. both verbal and in
writing that he would observe this condi-
lion, | append the clause giving rise 10
the contention:
Article XIV GSS4 Convention) All
persons other than natives, conforming
themselves to the laws Of the South Afri-
can Republic will not be subject in respect
TO their persons or property or in respect
of their commerce and industry. to any
taxes, whether general or local other
than those which are or may be imposed
upon citizens OF the said republic
BIed the Gold Mines.
The mines brought so large popula-
lion to johannesburg that it at last out
numbered by very far the entire Boer
burghers in the State. Kruger. seeing that
the inevitable effect OF such an increase
must be the same amalgamation of the
new and old populations which was going
on in Natal and Cape Colony, and to a
smaller extent in the Orange Free State.
unless artificial barriers could be devised
10 keep the races apart, at once set 10
scheme modes of taxation that should
eyade Article XIV of the convention,
throwing the entire burden on the Out
ianders and letting the Beers, who were
nearly all farmers, escape scotfree. Farm
ers for example. use no dynamite; miners
do: and President Kruger gave a monop-
oily of it's supply 10 a German non-resi-
dent in the country which taxed the min
ers for this article alone s., 600 600 q year
beyond the highest price II could other
wise have been bought for. This was his
own act the Nolksraad not being consult
ed. Besides the high price the quality of
the explosive was bad. often causing accI-
dent or death When il did cause acci-
dent or death the miners were prosecuted
by the Government from whose agent they
had been compelled 10 buy IT, and fined for
having used il,
AT the time the convention was signed
in 1854. the franchise was obtainable after
two years residence President Kruger
determined to serve the Outlanders how
ever. as George III's Government served
the American colonists, that is tax them
while refusing them representation in the
control OF the taxes. He went on at one
and the same time increasing their bur-
dens monstTously, while he prolonged the
period of residence that qualified for a
vote, from two years to five, and so on. till
he made it fifteen years Or seven and a
half Tins as long as when the convention
was signed. Nor was this ALL He resers-
cd the right personally to veto any Out
lander being placed on the register even
after the fifteen years, II he thought he
was for any reason Objectionable That IS
the majority OF the taxpayers were dis
franchised forever, These Outlanders had
bought and paid for so per cent of all the
.ronartv In the Tranevaal and 90 per cpni