The Saint Paul globe., 1900-01-15
BoER HISTORY REVIEWED.

To the Editor of the Globe:
The st. Louis convention that nomi-
mated President Mckinley adopted with
much show Of earnestness, by unani-
nous vote. the following plank of the
platform, upon which the canvass was
made and the election was won:
From the hour of achieving their own
independence the people of the UniteN
States have recognized with sympathy tfS
themselves from European domination.
We watch with deep and abiding in
terest the heroic battle OF the Cnban
and our best hopes go out for the f1il
success OF their determined contest for
liberty.
Afterwards this was quoted in congress
and out, as party pledge, and President
Mckinley was savagely denounced not
only as coward. but as a traitor to
the party. by the jingoes for preventing
as long as possible the war with Spain,
which 1t was said we were bound to in
augurate In order that the Cubans might
see the full success Of their determined
| contest for liberty" At the opening Of
the present congress Senator Mason, Of
Illinois. paraphrasing this eloquent and
true declaration Of public sentiment, Of
fered In the senate, and supported in
speech, the following resolution:
Whereas. From the hour of achieving
Ineir own independence the people Of the
United states have regarded with SYM
pathy the struggles of other peoples to
ton; therefore
Resolved by the Senate of the United
st5df. S5a9es. mat we watch with deep and
! south African republic against cruelty
and oppression. and our best hopes 20
| out Tor the full success of their determir1-
eQ contest for liberty.
That this voiced the feelings of nine
tenths OF the American people no one will
| deny, that there are many senators who
are so ignorant of the feelings of their
constituents on the subject that they dare
vote against 1t, no one will contend; but
| majority is capable of doing it, and
when Mason had finished his speech
Lodge, who had helped frame the ST.
| Louis platform, was put forward to move
! that the Mason resolution be sent to the
| committee where 1t will be pigeon-holed
| and strangled.
The reason for this trick Is that having
| accepted Englands moral support In our
| conquest CT the Spanish islands, we are
| bound to give her ours while she butch
ers the Dutch farmers of the Transvaal,
| and she would regard the slightest ex-
preston Of sympathy with the victims
as breach of the tacit alliance over which
| the statesmen Of the two countries have
! poured out such torrents Of congratulate
| t1on. In every way the Beers are the
superiors Of the Cubans or FiIipinos.
more intelligent, more civilized, more Cod
tearing, Infinitely more capable Of self
| government and more deserving of their
| liberty. The war upon them has for its
! purpose only the seizure Of their possess
s1ons and their subsection, and 1t Is as
rank piece Of criminal aggression as
| can be found in the whole history OF
| England's career Of conquest.
| The history of England's movements in
| South Africa Is from the beginning
| record Of criminal aggression, inspired by
| lust and greed characterized by broken
| pledges, treachery, rapacity and barbara
| ty, and designed to rob civilized and
! Christian people Of their God-given right
| to rule themselves; to despoil them of the
| fruits cf their honest labor and thrift,
and reduce them to a condition of vas
| salage in which their freedom. their lives
| and all they hold will be at the mercy
| Of ruthless conQuerors
| Having In defiance of every national
right except the right of might, in vior
lation of every treaty obligation, driven
| the Dutch farmers into the mountains of
| the Transvaal, and having in an at
| tempt to subdue and crush them been
| defeated at Majuba Hill, In 1881 England
| acknowledged their independence the
more readily because 1t was believed the
| new country to which they had gone was
| so poor 1t was not worth fighting for.
| But subsequently rich gold and diamond
mines were discovered and opened in the
| territory, and to these fOcked hordes of
| English adventurers, speculators and out
| laws Of high and low degree, who, work.
| ing from Cape Colony base and direct
| ed and supported by the representatives
| of the British government stationed
| there. and by London syndicates, seized
| the mines, grew wealthy in working
| them. acquired other property and took
| to themselves a large share Of the bust
ness of the republic. In the meantime the
| Boer government adopted q constitution
| which prohibited foreigners from holding
| the office of president or senator and
| made a seven-year residence requisite to
naturalization, and then assessed and
| collected taxes upon the mines and other
| property held by the foreign invaders.
Later on a conspiracy, Of which Cecil
Rhodes, the English governor of Cape
| Colony. and Jameson. his lieutenant and
| the representative of the London pro-
moters, were the leading spirits, was
! formed to seize the Transvaal by force,
overturn the government and conflscate
| the property Of the country, and jane
| son led an English force across the
border fer that purpose. He was prompt
| been hung, but the Boers released him
| and he returned to Cape Town and then
to London, to be feted as hero and
| lionized as a patriot. while the British
government repudiated his acts, not being
| ready for war.
Since then preparation for the subju-
CATION of the little republic has been
steadily going on, accompanied by, de-
| mands the rejection Of which could be
used as an excuse for declaration OF
war. These demands were In brief, that
| the Boer constitution should be reWrlt-
| ten So as to give the Outlanders or
| Hglishmen control Of the country, with
| power to run the government and place
| the taxes OF course, they were reject
| ed. for the acceptance of the terms con-
| tanned In them would have destroyed the
| independence of the country and ensiaved
| the people. 90
| In all history there is no account OF
| more wicked war than this OF England -
| or q more gallant and heroic struggle for
| independence against overwhelming ooos
| than of the little band of Dutch FARMERS.
'i'N'A - Vide.
Itasca, Mimi
Carnival Suggestion.