The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-11
ABOUT TIL: war
IN SOUTH AFRICA
Disputed Points Treated il the Shape
ola Dialogue.
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED N; El' e.:
Causes or the War as Viewed by an ]
American Citizen Who is Now
Liviag In the District of
Columbia.
Disputed Points Treated in the Shape
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

& well-known citizen OF the District,
who signs himself IAN American Gata-
GEN. has prepared the following d li-s
iorue on the war In South Africa. Wh1cnn,
he holds. gives the truth about some
points little understood in this country.
Is St true that the origin OF the war
IN south Africa. is TO be sought IN me
greed OF England for the gold fields and
the diamond miness
BY no means. The real origin OF this
war dates back TO q period seventeen or
eighteen years ago. and is TO be sought
in the ambition Of Mr.. Kruger and his
friends 10 expel Great Britain from south
Africa and to establish a confederation
of Dutch republics under the leadership
of the Transvaal. Mr.. Theodore Schreln-s
er. q brother OF Olive Schreiner. testifies
that this plan was disclosed to him more
than seventeen years ago. just after the
independence OF the Transvaal was re-
stored by Mr.. Gladstone. Since that u1ne
there has been carried on an active pro-
paEanda for the overthrow OF BRUSH
power in South drica through the press,
the pulpit, the. ntform, the legislature.
~
been going on upon q colossal scale, the
cost being met by the taxation OF the
Ourlandcrs Thus the purpose which
has illuminated in this war had Its orr
gin long before the discovery OF the
gold fields or the diamond mines
But did not the Jameson raid provoke
the Beers to prepare for Wal?
No. for DIT is established beyond doubt.
that they began their armament years
before that raid.
But are not the Beers fighting to estab-
fish their independence?
On the contrary. they are was1ng
war of aggression with the purpose OF
taking from Great Britain her two colo
MES. Natal and Cape Colony. 1t was
the Beers who declared wan end as soon
as ct was declared they invaded the Brit
ish dominions and every shot that has
been fired since the opening of the war
i has been In British territory Their puT-
pose Is shown by the fact that as fast as
( they have advanced into the British
colonies they .laye issued proclalnations
annexing the districts which they have
overrun to the Boer dominions.
oUTLANDERS APPEAL.
But did not England force the war by
the demands which she made upon the
Transraal?
The British government responded to
IN appeal signed by twenty-one thousand
of her subjects, to secure to them the
rights which had been promised by the
Transvaal, but which had been for
series OF years withheld from them. By
the convention of ISL the Beers bound
themselves TO give equal rights to the
Outlanders. The latter asked for the
franchise In order that through Its eNer-
else they might redress the grievances
and correct the abuses under which they
were suffering.
I'M ,Ff erIa
The putlanders constituted a majority
of The population. They owned three
fifths OF tho land. Through their enter
prise and industry and capital they had
developed the resources OF the country
go that from a bankrupt state, with less
than two dollars in the treasury, it had
grown to be rich and powerful, with
revenue of twenty millions Of dollars.
Nevertheless. these men were denied civil
and political rights and were subject to
the grossest misgovernmcnt without any
power or redress. Petitions ana other
forms Of political agitation during a se-5
1ies of years had resulted only in
broken promises and disappointed hopes.
Matters grew worse and worse. Though
they paid n1ine-tenths of the taxes, they
were not only denied the right of repre-
sentnticn, but their children were not
permitted to be taught English in the
schools It was forbidden also to use
the English language in any business
transaction. They were refused the
right of bearing arms Public meetings
We're forbidden. The community was
placed under the brutal Boer policy. who
insnlted and outraged the people at will.
No Outlarder was permitted to sit on a
jury. hut every Outlander against whom
q charge was made must be tried before
a Boer jury. Under these circunAStan-
ces they finally appealed to the Queen to
n of hair +rrrie wan
their behalf. As to the matter of taxa
ton, compare the State OF Pennsylvania
with a population of 6,000, 900. and revenue
to the amount OF S13S00,00o, with the
Transvaal, whose population is SO0.0No
and taxation more than $20O00,0O0. nine
tenths OF which, moreover, is paid by the
1900 Outlandcri. To crown the hard
ship, these millions taken in taxes are
not 10 any appreciable extent expended
in internal improvements or for educa-
ton. or for the public benefit.
But If these Outlanders were not sat-
isfied with the system of government
: why did they not leave the country?
Because. having been invited by Mr.
kruger and the authorities of the Trans
vaal 10 invest their money and settle In
{ the country fifteen or twenty, years be-
& fore. and having been promised equal
rights and protection, they; had the right
z to expect decent treatment for them
selves and their families. 1t is not so
simple a matter TO abandon home and
sacrifice vested Interests. In fact, no
sooner had they begun to come in any
considerable numbers than the terms of
citizenship were altered, first from one
year 10 five years residence. and then
to fourteen. years residence. In this.
last case any one ,desirins citizenship
must renounce citizenship in any other
country and remain a citizen of no
country for fO1lTfepn Of no "A