Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-24
BOBRS and TEE NATIVES.


ulltls, III YOUR lbbub Vi <ttFii lptut
1--WE can hardly accept Canon Wirg.
is waging holy war for the cause of
freedom and Justice to the native races
of South Africa. - / began to suspect
that you had not read the proclamation
of President Steyn of the Orange Free
State to the Afrikanders Of CapeColony,
part Of which appeared in the Inde-
pendent Of last week. Here it is: "Do
you wish, Afrikanders, to see this
frightful abomination Of a negro sitting
with you in Parliament 1t is what
will happen to you, what will happen
to US also, If you allow England to get
the upper hand over US in this war. ="
In that proclamation Steyn oonjures
up tho spectre of equality with the
negro race as his strongest Argument
for the war against England. This
settles the question. The Beers are
fighting for the maintenance of in.
equality among the native races
South Africa.
As this very important point has gen
orally been overlooked by authors AMI
newspapers, shall beg leave to set II
forth plainly before your readers, and
to point out its direful and oppressive
results for these unfortunate races. My
main authority for the facts advanced
in the February number of the Paris
Bibliotheque Universelle.
Inequality of races Is embodied into
the Constitution Of the Transvaal Re-
public: There cannot be equality be-
tween the white aid the colored people,
neither in tine State nor in the churc oh. !"
And this is the definition that the
Constitution gives of the words
''colored Eeople:" they are Those who
have among their ancestors, unto the
fourth generation, man who did not
belong to the white race. This in
equality OF race is still such funda-
mental principle among the Beers that
the Volksraad, the Trausvaal Parlia-
native pastors and teachers from wear
ing the metal badge, which every black
living in city must wear, to show
that he is employed by, white, In de-
fault OF which he ia sent to jail as q
vagrant. The mover suggested that
written passport should take the rlace
of this badge, but it was feared that
| such concession would seem TO estab-
| lish the equality Of category OF the
blacks with the whites, and the motion
was rejected. Pretoria Press, weekly
edition, August Goth, 1893,
What are the results of this constitu-
tional inequality? The first is. that
the black man has no right before the
law; the magistrate may, at his will,
accept or dismiss his complaint. Be-
sides, an offence done to the prejudice
| of black il less punished than the
victim of it. In Volksraad sitting Of
June, 1899, in the course of a discus
sion of a law on the deprivation of civil
rights, the attorney general gave to the
deputies the following explanation:
"All sentences for murder are not in
famous. A man will perhaps be sem
fenced to Jail for six months for having
| killed. his black servant by diut OF
blows; IL is quite evident that this
will not deprive him of his rights as
an elector.
Another result Of the inequality Is
that the black has no right to possess,
nor even TO rent, the smallest portion
of land in his own country. Some
blacks are allowed by Beer farmers to
cultivate little piece OF ground, but
on condition that they shall perform all
the base services (corpeesl which may
he required of them. All the natives
who are unable to find place ON the
Boer farms live in territories set apart
for them, but from which they may be
.
| pleasure, after three months notice. y.
A third result of the inequality is
that the black is liable to taxation apd
to statute labor,a at will. While the Boer
who does not own farm pays only 81
tax, and the Boer farmer 50. the black.
who may be only day laborer, pays q
tax of Sl3. Last year the blacks were
required to pay $50 per head for the
taxes of the current year and for those
which they had not paid during the
years of famine. The State commits
sioners, who receive from 81, 500 to
81, 900 salary year, besides ger cent
OF all the taxes and fines colleoted by
them, manage to add o good deal to
their income, and his Is how When
black cannot pay his tax, he is CON-
PEELED to go and work at the mines,
Recently 400 Of these ipsolvent blacks
entered Pretoria, guarded BY, police
officers. who were taking them to
Johannesburg. Now the companies
which are short of hands pay premium
of So to $40 per head to tho recruiter
who brings them workmen. The com
missioners act as recruiters and pocket
the premium. At the sitting OF Sep
TENDER 25th, 1893, o member of the
Volksraad declared that he knew COM
missioner who secured in this way
early income Of $4,000. Pretoria
Press, weekly edition, Of the same date.
The three preceding results Of in
equality affect the black as an indi-
vidual. Let us see how he is affected
tribally. When tribe, driven to de-
spair,rebels, or refuses in q body to pay
the taxes. an armed force pounces upon
it, Lbuins its villages, carlos of its
crops and herds, and tho whole popula-
tion Is made captive, as q war booty,
and divided between the men who took
part in the expedition. These prison
ers must serve for five years without
wages. II they attempt to run away
they may be shot down with impunity.
This happened in 1894 in tho southern
part of Zoutspanberg, and in 1888 in
the northern part of the same district
Such is the legislation and such is
the practice of the Beers to this very
hour. 1t is feudality pure and simple
The farm-owners are the lords, the
blacks the serfs bound to the soil, IN
capable of possessing any land, liable
to taxation and to statute labor at will
the commissioners represent the baiiiffs
who ground down those under their
jurisdiction, In the name Of the SOW
ereign. Do not these few facts justify
Canon Wirgman's viewy And Is 1t not
evident that, in the case Of this un-
fortunate man, your readers are called
upon to choose not SO much between
Britons and Beers as between freedom
and oppressionf L. Q. Roux.