Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-01-10
WHAT BOER GOVERNMENT IS
From New York Times. !

tiOns which | addressed to the advo.
Gates of the Beers. Several gentle
men have written to you. saying that
they wanted permission to answer
those questions; but not one of them
has answered them. Instead of doing
go, they ask questions of different
kind themselves, or else indulge in
mere defamation. 1t therefore re-
mains for me to answer the questions
myself.
In doing so, | shall state only IN
questionable facts. Those who de
sire to find chapter and verse, as au-
thorlty for these statements. can do
so by reading two books; Fitzpatrick's
"Trausvaal," written by an Irishman.
on the anti side. and "Oom
Paufs People" written by Howard
c. Hillegas, exclusively in favor of
the Beers and svowedly suppressiug
all statement of any wrongful acts
done by the Beers Nevertheless.
the worst points against the Beers
will be found in Mr.. Hillegas's book.
l. In 1884 Paul Kruger was in
London. He was so poor that he
could not pay his hotel bill; and it
was paid for him by generous En-
glishman. He then expressly and
publicly invited Englishmen and
Americans TO settle in the Transvaal
and to conduct mining there.
?. Mr.. Kruger afterwsrd sold one
Of his own farms to Englishmeu for
100000, paid IN gold. His friends
aud neighbors sold other farms at
even greater prices, receiving, alto
gether, from foreign settlers (princi-
pally English. although including a
considerable number of Germans.
Frenchmen and Americans,) many
millions of dollars.
B. These foreign settlers produce
every dollars worth Of wealth which
can be exported from the Transvaal.
and every dollar in excess of what
will suffice for a very bare and dirty
existence to the old residents. Every
dollar of the wealth now possessed bv
Mr.. Kruger, his sons-in-law. his Off
cials, and indeed any part of the
Transvaal population, has been pro-
duced by these settlers.
t. The taxes levied annually in the
Transvaal have exceeded $4,000, 900.
Nine tenths of this amount have been
collected from the foreign settlers,
whom Mr.. Kruger invited in the
country.
5. No appreciable part of these
taxes is expended for the benefit of
the foreign settlers, If this sum
were equally divided among all the
Beers, 1T would furnish an annual in
come of about $4,000 for each fami-
ly, which would pay three times over
all their living expenses.
6. No such equal division is made.
but half these taxes have been spent
IN making preparations for war, and
the other half devoted to the payment
of enormous salaries to and jobs for
Mr.. Kruger, his sons-in-law, friends.
and political supporters. Mr.. Kru-
ger himself has avowedly received
$4,000 year salary, while, on re-
peated occasions, sums of $4,000
and $4,000 have been paid out of
taxes for his direct and exclusive
benefit, as appears by public records.
How much more has been spent with
out public record can only be guessed.
His son-in-law and private secretary
possesses $50 says Mr.. Hillegas) a sin
gle house costing $25O,OOO, aud rolls
In wealth besides, as he must, to sup
port such house.
z. The official records in a Trans
vaal lawsuit, arising upon a quarrel |
between two sets of Boer plunderers.
show that every Boer official worth |
bribing, including Kruger's son-in
law, received brides from a Boer rail-
road company. The amount of each |
bride was set forth in bill of par
tlculars filed in open court. Not one |
OF these men ever denied the receipt
of these brides.
8. The foreign settlers, exclusive.
ly. built johannesburg; a fine town,
with Formerly $4,000 inhabitants.
They were not merely denied any
right to govern that city; they were
tented any municipal government
whatever. This is proved, not only