Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-15
PAUL KRUGER'S FATE.

Old Paul Kruger at the head of his
people. defying his country's. enemies
and urging his soldiers to fight to the
death was an heroic charcter, what
ever might be said of the wisdom of his
attitude; but Paul Kruger, practically
ieserter of his own cause, begging SYM
pathy and assistance from nations which
refuse substantial recognition and sub
iect to rebuffs where he most expected
encourag cement, is but pitiful figure.
The demonstration which greeted him in
France was based less on friendship for
the Transvaal government than a hostile
feeling towards England, and SO it
amounted to nothing. The moment the
old man set foot on German soil he was
notified that the kaiser would not receive
him because of his dogged refusal to
accept friendly advice and surrender to
land where he is assured of temporary
asylum but no royal favor for his cause.
1t is singular fact that neither Ger
many nor Holland, bound as they are by
ties of blood to the Transvaalers, Went
a friendly intercession on behalf of the
South African republic, and still there
in, IL r3Ir + ba lost
campaign so mean and SO dishonest that
they sought to make a political issue
OF its alleged hostility" to the cause of
liberty. Bryan, Towne, Webster Davis,
Sulzer and others of that ilk actually
advocated the forcible interference Of the
United States and invited war With
Great Britain in order to obtain a few
anti British votes in this country. while
Germany and Holland declined to raise
hand for Kruger and now refuse him
the courtesy of royal recognition. That
ought to be a lesson to the American
people and cause them to beware of
demagogues in the future.
What will become of Kruger no one
knows. Regardless of the merits of his
cause. it is hopelessly lost and in the
end the people of South Africa are likely
to receive continuing benefits from the
results. There will be the more rapid de-
velopment of a vast and wonderful ter
citory extending from Cape Colony to
Egypt, and the mining of enough gold to
carry ON the worlds business when
added to the products of other countries
Kruger threatened to return to Pretoria
but he is too discreet for that, though
nohine could be more heroic than his re-
turn to his people to share their fate
whatever it may be. If he remains il
Europe he will spend his remaining
years simply as a fugitive from his owr
country and one whose age protects hin
from pursuit. But let no man eve
again compare him to George Washing
ton. HAD w washington lett MS army q
Valley Forge in the dark days of tn
revolution, and, with several millo
dollars in gold, escaped to Europe osten
sbly to accomplish the impossible, wha
would have been the result? What the
Of the fame of him who stood "first i
war. first in peace, first in the hearts {
his countrymen?" Let the first Sres
American be safe in the future frol
comparison with Paul Kruger an
Agunaldo no matter how hard up tt
democratic party may be for argumen
and let us all conclude, if Kruger's pr,
found faith in the wisdom of the A
mighty is we'll founded as we believe
Is, that the Divine will shapes the de
tInies of nations as we'll as individual
and that, in South Africa, whatever is,
right.
THE ISTHMIAN CANAL.