Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-05-24

New York, May 1S.-The principal
event in connection with the visit to
this city of the boer delegates. Wes-
sells, Wolmarans and Fischer, oc-
| CURED yesterday when they were re-
| ceived at the city hall by Mayor Van
| Wyck and. in accordance with the
| resolution passed by the municipal
assembly, they were officially well
coined to the city. Accompanied by
| the reception committee and delega-
tiCn from the South African club. the
| delegates of the municipal assembly
and mayor were awaiting them. In
anticipation of their arrival the GUS
| tomary large crowd around the city
hall was greatly increased and crowds
| pressed around the carriages and
cheered the delegates, who raised
| their hats in acknowledgment. Kill
iaen Van Rensselaer,, chairman of the
reception committee, introduced each
delegate to the mayor who said: Il
am delighted to welcome you to the
city of New York and to assure you
welcome from the liberty loving peo-
pie Of this country. Never since l
have been in the mayors Office has a
more pleasant duty been discharged
, by me than this one to welcome you
on behalf of a free people. l want
to assure you that wherever you go
you will find welcome from
thaE
when your mission is ended
and you are returning to your own
country you will again call on us so we
may have the pleasure O. giving you
still another welcome"
Delegate Fischer said: This is to
US an occasion of pleasure and pride.
We are so conceited as to take to our
selves the honor shown us. but we wish
to show you that we do not represent
an unworthy people. We believe no
people can understand what it is to
struggle for freedom except a people
which has gained its freedom by such
a struggle. We have been told to avoid
the pitfalls of party cliques; we can
say we are as ignorant of party cliques
as when we arrived. The reception
that has been given us comes from all
classes of people. We cannot think
our mission to seek peace for our coun-
try-peace with honor-will be unsuc-
cessful. We hope we shall obtain the
objects of our mission and we hope and
are encouraged in our hope by the
splendid reception we are given every
where. This reception by you is an
honor we will remember. A small,
liberty-lCving people will think better
of their big brother. We think we
will come out we'll in the struggle.
We have been told that 80 per cent.
Of the people of America sympathize
with us. We want to convert the
other ten per cent. by simply telling
the truth. We hope free people
will not have appealed to you, a free
people, in vain
Alderman Kennedy read the address
Of welcome prepared on behalf of the
municipal assembly. Delegate Wes-
sells responded briefly. Delegate VOL
marans, who spoke in Dutch gave a
history of the Transvaal trouble
from the beginning He said: I'VE
never sought war. 1t was thrust up
on u.s. We were robbed of our indie
pendence in 1877, but regained it in
1881. By the cooperation of a small
but well disposed party in England,
of which Gladstone was the head, we
got the convention of 1884 which gave
| US our independence without suez-
rainty. The question was rot dis
| puted until after the Jameson raid.
! We tried to have all our disputes az
bitrated. This has been re-
! fused by Chamberlain, and
! Sir Alfred Miner. We are gratified
at the way America has subscribed for
the widows and orphans of the beers.
We want to prevent the making of
more widows and orphans by dumdum
| bullets or otherwise"
I The members of the municipal as
sembIy were each in turn introduced
to the delegates. Then a group Of
women were introduced. The crowd
sent up a cheer, and Fischer, standing
on the steps by the city hall, deIiv-
cred a brief address in which he said
the people of the TransvaaI and Or
ange Free State were struggling for
liberty and wanted the sympathy Of
the people of America.