The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-06-19
THE CRISIS AT CAPE i

ginning Of the war that the position
Of Mr.. Schreiner. the Cape prime min
lster was most delicate one. He is
a Dutchman and member OF the
Afrikander Bond. yet he has been call
ed upon to take the British side Of
the conflict and TO oppose the Bond
with both moral and physical force. HI
has thus far acquitted himself, ON the
whole. admirably. But now. that the
results Of the war are to be dealt with
civilly, and the Cape parliament /;
about to meet-it was called for Friday
Of next week.-Mrs. difficulties come to q
crisis, Some Of his colleagues openly
antagonize him. The Afrikander Bond
is furious in its wrath against him.
And he is by no means assured that
the British party. which formerly op'
posed him, will now stand by him as
he has stood by it. Hence he has,
it is reported. offered his resignation.
The chief issues of the present crisis
are those Of dealing with the Cape reb-
els and the approval Of martial law.
During the war some British subjects
in Cape Colony openly joined or aided
the invading Beers, and in some dis
tricts martial law was proclaimed by
the government and men were arrested
and punished under it. Mr.. Schreiner
is in favor of proc .eding against all
such rebels. and regards the temper
airy proclamation of martial law as en-
tirely valid. and would take such civil
action as would be necessary for the
recognition Of it. To both these things
the Afrikander Bond is opposed. 1t
demands that the Cape rebels shall not
be called to account for their treason.
and that the governors proclamation
of martial law shall be officially de-
cleared unwarranted and illegal and all
sentences imposed under it shall be
immediately annulled. 1t may be that
Mr.. Schreiner has been influenced by
professional instincts as a lawyer
rather than by zeal for the British
crown-though there is really no good
excuse for doubling his loyalty. At
any rate; he is fully committed to the
British policy.
What will be the alignment Of parties
in the assembly? At least three OF the
Bond members, who openly Joined the
Beers. and accepted office under them,
will scarcely venture to take their seats.
A fourth is likely also to remain away
from Cape Town. These absences will
reduce the Bond majority to seven or
eight. Now we are told that in a eau
Gus held this week Mr.. schreiner was
by most Of his party, only ten
him. Therefore he offers
to resign. Suppose he does. He win
no doubt continue to enjoy the sup
port Of the ten members who stood by
him in caucus. Their detection from
the Bond ranks would leave the Bond
in a minority. Whether the British
party would accept Mr.. schreiner for
It's prime minister and sustain him in
olice, with the help Of the votes Of
The ten followers from the Bond. is not
certain. 1t would seem to be an un-
good stroke Of policy for
hem to do so. Meantime. it is not
certain that Mr.. schreiner will resign
MS place as minister. He may re-
consider the matter, and instead resign
MS connection with the Bond. 1t is
iignifcant that he has already ac-
,epted the resignation Of two Of his
colleagues who are intense
3ondites. They are Mr.. Merrlman,
he treasurer who, though an Eng
has all along been more Boer- |
sh than the Beers, and Mr.. sauer, the
Minister of lands and railways, who is
itrongIy pro-Boer and at the same
ime. by a unique anomaly, a friend !
md champion Of the negroes. If Mr..
;chreiner should replace all his pro-
3oer colleagues with loyal Britons, and !
houId then appeal to the assembly for
upport in his British imperial policy, |
t is difficult to see how the British |
members could refuse to support him.