The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-03
The Best Country in the World
for a Workingman.
SAYS A COLONIAL=BORN FRESHMAN
interviewed by Representative
of a Dublin Paper.

AS time and experience demonstrate
the superiority of the Bocrs as fighters,
and as the English generals contem-
plate their dccinatcd ranks and wonder
whether they are ever to get farther
than Natal, the effort to justify the war
i'll the eyes OF the world is increased. 1t
is bad enough to get beaten in a just
and holy war, but it is utterly dcprcss-
ing TO get beaten i'll All unjust and un-
holy one. And SO on all sides we hear
loud protcstations OF Britains virtuous
intentions. The American .Angloma-
macs, as usual, go to greater extremes
i'll justi(ying the war than do the Brit
isll Themselves Ministers Of the gos-
pei, who ought to know better, de-
nouncc the Bocrs as uncivilizcd, unpro-
grcssivc and uncoutll barbarians, who
impede the progress Of Christian civil-
ization for which England is the adj
vance agent They forget that the Beers
OF the Transvaa are the most intense
Protestants anywhere, that their rcli-
ance upon the Bible is without limit and
that they live up to the scriptures as
they interpret them, says the Boston
Republic.
Now as to the treatment OF the Out
landcrs and their numerous grievances.
We have had this subject discussed
quite freely in the British and pro-Brit-
isll presses, and the claim is still made
that the ill-trcatmcnt OF these people is
the main cause for the war Without
going into the merits or dcmcrits OF
this question, it might be suggested that
all the Outlandcrs did not feel so ter
ribly ovcrtaxcd and oppressed rs has
been represented from the fact that
when the war broke out some 1000
Outlandcrs joined the Boer army to
fight against the forces that were COM
ing to cmancipatc them. There is
abundant testimony to prove that the
Outlandcr grievances have been terribly
exaggerated with view to strengthen
Chambcrlan's hand. We find an unccn-
sorcd letter in the Freeman Journal OF
Dublin, from a correspondent, in which
some light is thrown upon this subject.
We quote: I had been living for full
month under the same roof with two OF
the long suffering race Of Outlanders
before a chance word, dropped in con-
vcrsation with mutual acquaintance,
made me aware OF the fact. The op-
portunity was too good to be lost OF
obtaining at first hand some account OF
the state OF things that led up to the
war, so l fastened to invite the refugees
into my room for chat upon the sub
jcct. 1t was pleasant to talk over old
times, for, although had not previous
ly met Mr.. Whclan, we both knew Cape
Town well, and were both living in it
at the same timc-somc eight years ago
now-and VIC naturally gossipcd a lit
tic about people and places known to
each OF us, either personally or by re-
putc. After this preliminary canter,
however, VIC plunged into the main
question. l may remark that Mr.. Yer
ncr Wallace Russell is a young Dublin
man, who two years ago went out to
johannesburg, where he has since occu-
pied rcmuncrativc positions III the cy-
mite works of several Rand mines; that
Mr.. w. T. Whclan, who is a colonial
born Irishman, whose first visit this is
to the mother country, that he has re-
sided in the Transvaal for many years,
and has had a varied experience in both
British and Rand mines Of the Randi
and that both only left the country after
the outbreak OF hostiitcs i'll October.
eve have heard great deal at home
about the grievances Of the Johannes
burg Outandcrs. On the other hand,
anonymous statements have appeared in
some OF the English papers from miners
and others to the effect that these griev-
anccs were greatly exaggerated. What
l want them to know first is, what your
own experience was OF the conditions Of
life for the Transvaal Outlander."
"The Transvaal," said Mr.. Whelan,
without moments hesitation, and Mr..
Russell eagerly nodded his assent, "was,
in my opinion, the finest country in the
world for the workingman. Where else
is the rate of pay-to begin with, mind
you-as high as "a a week, and for the
more experienced men the lowest ave-
rage rate up to f6. Think what mar