Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-03-07
REPUBLICAN IN POLITICS. AND DEVOTED TO THE MINERA

proved by two-thirds Of his Boer neigh bors,
by the military chief OF his district, and
finally by Mr.. Kruger himself. Neither
would be be allowed to vote even then,
unless he were forty years OF age.
While nearly two-thlrds OF all persons re-
siding in the Transvaal spoke only the
English Language. and less than one.third
either spoke or could understand the bar.
barous Boer Dutch, the Beers insisted
that all English speaking children must
take their education in Dutch.
President Kruger resisted the introdue-
tion OF railroads for years in order to com
pei the miners to hire his private ox-teams
at enormous prices. When finally he did
permit railways to be built, he granted the
privilege exclusively to persons who would
agree to give all OF his relatives big share
OF the profits. He granted monopolies OF
several indispensable articles OF supply to
the mines, with the result OF doubling the
price at which they could otherwise have
been obtained.
| The whole Transvaal government was
corrupt and rotten from top to bottom.
No business could be done with them with.
out bribng the presidents sons.in.law and
hangers on.
| Having demonstrated against these
things Tor many years In vain, and having
received frequent promises Of reform which
were never kept and were never meant to
to be, a number Of foreign residents, in
cluding more Americans, in proportion to
their total number, than any other nation
ality, conspired together to compel these
reforms to be granted, by force OF arms.
They collected rifles, gunpowder, ETC., but
never made any use OF them and never
committed any overt act. Their oiIsnses
were not such as could have been punished
in the United States by more than short
term OF imprisonment or fines not exceed
ing $1,000. They neither planned nor de-
sired to becons British colony.
The conspiracy being discovered before
the conspirators carried it out, go OF them
including six Americans, were arrested,
cast into an indescribably filthy Jail and
informed that il they pleaded guilty they
would be let off with light fines.
Being brought into court they were
charged with an oiiense which, by the ex.
press statute Of law OF Boerdom, was pun.
ishable with nothing more than a short
term Of imprisonment. Being assured by
the Boer prosecuting officers they would
receive no greater sentence than this, and
would be allowed to escape with fines il
they pleaded guilty, they did so plead; al.
though, as tn many OF them, the oiiense
could never have been legally proved.
No judge then on the bench being quite
unscrupulous enough to serve Mr.. Kruger,
he imported an uttery INSCRIPTIONS
Judge named Gregorowski. This Judge
publicly stated that he came for the ex-
press purpose for making it hot for the
outlanders. After the prisoners had all
pleaded guilty this Judge announced that,
as to the four leaders. he should not SEN
tence them under the statute law, but
would resort to the unwritten law OF the
Transvaal, which prescribed death for
such an ofiense. Accordingly he sentenced
these four Zone OF whom was a distinguish
ell American and probably the ablest min
ing engineer in the world) to death and all
the Others to various terms OF mprison-
ment and heavy fines.
Even the Dutch settlers, OF South Africa,
being horritied at this sentence, and pour
ing by hundreds into Pretoria to remon.
strate against it, Mr.. Kruger gracously
took the matter into consideration, but
announced that his religious scruples
forbade that he should commute the death
sentence into fines, because such fines
would be "the price Of blood" and his
reverence for his dear Lord Jesus forbade
that he should be less scrupulous than
the priests OF Jerusalem.
The pious Beers therefore informed the
prisoners that they could not be released
on the payment OF any fines, but il the
prisoners would. OF their own free accord,
offer to subscribe for charities" sums
varying from $4,000 to 100000 each
for the leading men, and not less than
$40 900 for any body, the merciful presi.
dent might bs induced to pardon them
without any fines or imprisonment.
| Both the British and the American gov
ernments. being Mt that time too chicken.
this offer had to be accepted. The Ameri.
cans all made heavy contributions to
charity" John Hays Hammond paying
100000. No such penalties were ever
exacted in the whole history OF the United
States, nor, during the last century, in any
Z ther civilized country.
These" cha ritable contributions amount
ing to Sl,00O,000 in all, we're duly paid
over to his highnsss, Paul Kruger, or his
son.in-Iaw. 1t is needless to say that the
Charities" have never turned up although
four years have elapsed since tho $1,000.
900 was safely deposited under the con.
troll OF the pious Paul Kruger.
Both the British and American govern.
ments meekly submitted to these outrages
upon their cltizensi more shame Tor them
both, No wonder that Kruger described
both Englishmen and Americans as dogs,
who, II they we're good, would lick his
boots"
| The advocates OF the Beers in this coun-
try assert that these Acts have occurred
only since the Jameson raid OF December
1895. In this there is not one word OF
truth, except. OF course, as to the trial and
sentence Of the outlanders. All the other
acts OF oppression above narrated, and
many, many more. were committed and
persisted in before the Jameson raid oc-
Cured. Although the raiders were defeat
ed and captured Mr.. Kruger was not
thereafter quite so confident that the Out
lIand.ra ~nuld navar fght n ha had haan