New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-15
PARTIES AT THE CAPE.

The future Of all South Africa depends so
largely upon the trend of political dominance in
the Cape Colony that some notice Of party
alignments and forces there Is pertinent We
have already remarked upon the difficult posi-
ton in which Mr.. Schreiner has been during
the war, and the rupture which has occurred
between him and the majority Of his former
supporters He has offered his resignation
of the Prime Ministershp and the Governor
has asked Sir j. Gordon Sprigg to succeed him.
The latter is somewhat uncompromising Eng
fish leader. and may not be able to win
many, IL any, Dutch votes, and there is lit
tie assurance that he or any British Minister
will be able to command a stable ma jority
in the present Legislature. Dissolution and
a general election may therefore be near
at hand Despite the common notion that the
Dutch are three-1fths of the white population
of the colony, there seems to be good ground for
expecting, in case Of such election, the return of
a British majority. Or perhaps it is better to
say progressive majority, and to the
terms Progressive and Bond instead of British
and Dutch.
This expectation rests largely upon the fact
that a large number of the Cape Dutch have
never qualified as Parliamentary voters, partly
because of nomadic habits, partly because of
desire to escape taxation and partly because Of
government of which the British Crown is per-
force the head. In the last general election, in
1865. seventy nine Assemblymen were elected.
OF these the Dutch or Bond, party elected
forty and the British, or Progressive, party
only thirty-nine; and so Mr.. Schreiner became
Prime Minister. Nevertheless. the Bond ma
jority elected by a minority of popular
votes the Progressive votes being fve-ninths
and the Bond votes only four-nnths Of the
whole Immediately after the general election
a redistribution act passed, and under it
sixteen new members of Assembly were elected.
OF these the Progressives elected eight and the
Bond eight. But, as before. the total Progressive
vote outnumbered the Bond vote in the ratio Of
five to four, or perhaps Of four to three.
1t is perfectly safe to reckon. then, that be-
fore the war there was considerable Progress
sive majority in the colony as a whole. What
effect the has had upon the alignment of
voters it would be hard to say with confidence.
Some Dutch Progressives have probably gone
over to the Bond. Some of the Bond voters
have gone over to the Beers and been either
killed in battle or driven into exile, or at any
rate disqualified for the suffrage There is
then, at least good chance of the Progressives
securing a majority in the Assembly in case Of
a new election But. as we have said It would
probably be much better If Mr.. Schreiner could
be kept in office, with coalition Ministry and
majority. There Is no cause TO doubt his loyalty
to the Empire-he has always described himself
Tmperialist-apd his ability and integrity
are above question. And certainly a Dutch
Prime Minister in harmony with the British
Crown could do more than any one else for the
harmonization Of the two races not only in that
colony, where such work is urgently needed, but
also throughout the whole of South Africa.