Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-17
THE TRANSVAAL REPUBLIC
Lecture Last Evening Before the National
Geographic Society
Relations of Beers With the EngItsb-
mr.. MontaSu Whites Account
of Present Conditions,
OCEAN END PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE

one of the most largely attended of tba
lectures given during the past season un-
der the auspices of the National GeogranhIc
society was the one of last evening. which
was delivered by Mr. Montaeu White tho
agent IN this country of the TransyaaI Re-
puphc- Every scat of the large auditorium
Vi Inc First Congregational Church was oc-
cupied' and those present proved to be I'm.
'erested as well as sympathetic listeners
10 1he story Of the Beers, especially i'm
their relation to England. His talk was of
.ne past and not of the future, and It con-
'aiied no Pronunciation Of the present Zoe
vi the Dutch republic. Mr.. White gave q
pain unvarnished tale of the struggles Of
the Beers to maintain themselves aSainst
me native population and of the various
Stages In the subsequent history of the re.
pupnc. 1t was presentation of the Roer
sue " the controversy, which is now being
se.tieu py the arbitrament of war but was
meme the less interesting to the audionca
coming as 1t did from the lips of one who
Is thoroughly identified with the hopes and
aims OF the Transvaal Republic
MI White was introduced by Prof " T
McGee, who presided. At the outset he
gave an account of the geography of ths'
country and then Went into a Dissertation
W .ne settlement OF that portion OF the
continent by the Dutch. His sketch of the
brave struggle the people made to maintain
tneir MONIES IN country filled with hos
uie natives, and to conquer the hard con-
unions OF NE did justice to the manhood
ana sef-sacrifice which this pioneer ex-
per1ence entailed. The lecturer did NOT fail
10 trace the influence of this experience in
lie development of the character of the
People The qualities which the Dutch are
uisplaying IN their struggle to maintain
their liberties were inherited he said, from
the hardy ancestors who made the enioy-
ment of civil and religious liberty possible
IN the w1lds of Africa.
Lord Salisbury Action.
Mr. White said he had always favored an
understanding between the English-speak-
ing people, which he thought would be help
full to both England and America. 1t was
not to be a hands-across-t he-sea union,
simply an alliance; but it had never oc-
Cured to him that this might prove to he
a menace to the life of a republic which
stood for the same principles as Great Bril-
tam and the United States The sneaker
crlticlsed Lord Salisbury's action on Dom
Paul S communication, which was taken as
an ultimatum. but which was a necessity
on the part of the president of the Dutch
republic. The English themselves really
!1rced TINS upon the Beers, he said as
they continued the massing Of troops upon
the border, preparing to overwhelm the re-
public. He characterized the Jameson raid
as one of the most impudent ATTEMPTS
against the rights of a country and the
most audacious violations of neutrality
laws ever perpetrated. He tried to do, the
speaker said, with go men what Great
Britain is now undertaking with 25a.ooo
men.
In Johannesburg the speaker said Free
dom OF speech and of the press was en-
Joyed, and the persons and rights of those
who had come there in such large numbers
seeking gold were secured. He spoke of
the conditions brought about by the mixed
population in this town and the effect OF
the coming of the large number of gold
seekers.
Petition for Franchise.
FINALLY an agitation was begun for the
extension of the franchise, and a petition
was prepared which, Mr.. White said, con-
tanned many forged signatures In this
way the suffrage question was brought
to the front, although it met the OPPOSE
ton of large number of Uitlanders He
quoted Mr. Dooley to the effect that the
grievance on the part of the agitators was
because an Englishman could not dismount
from train and claim the right to vote
in any country where he stopped He said
when the problem presented itself of the
relations which the people who had come
into the territory of the republic drawn
there by the quest for gold, should bear TO
the Boer republic, President Kruger did
what he thought was for the best He
SAID the agitation of the suffrage question
together with that of suzerainty was the
man cause OF the present war He called
afternoon to the fact that one of the lead-
ing Englishmen who had on behalf of his
countrymen. asked for the franchise when
questioned by President Kruger as to his
Willingness to give up his English citizen-
snip in the event of the right to the fran
chise in the Transvaal being conferred on
him, replied that he was not
Defends President Kruger,
The speaker defended the course of Presi-
dent Kruger, and said he had only done
what was necessary to defend his country,
Mr.. White was of the opinion that johann
nesburg would be destroyed by the Dutch,
as failure to do so would endanger the
republic. That place, he explained could
be used by the British a base of SUD-
plies.
The lecturer referred to Mr. Kipling as a
wandering romancer. and said he feared
the novelists mission would be Injurious 10
the cause of the Beers.
The applause which was repeatedly ell
cited by the remarks OF the lecturer fndI-
Gated that the sympathy of the audience
was with him.
Democratic Club Denomination.
The East Washington Democratic Club,
Cotter T. Bride, president. is making prep
arations for a grand demonstration Tues