The Portland daily press., 1900-03-03
MORAL OF BOER BRAVERY.
Nations which Need to Fight Must Ina
prove the Physique OF Their Labor
ers,

(From The London l. aneet)
With but few exceptions the Bosrs live
In the open country. Indeed. 10 has been
said that the ambition Of the Boer Is to
be surrounded by 10 vast tract Of land
that he cannot see the dwelling Of his
nssrest neishbor.
Then his occupations are all outdoor
occupations. He must ride enormous
distances to 60 to church. to do his shop
ping. TO fetch medicine man. or TO pay
. visit.
FOR his food supply he depends TO some
extent on hunting, and here We have
again salth-giving 600 upation. to say
nothing OF the incidental fact thas this
enables hin TO become an excellent
N ar ksman.
There IL the all important fast that he
is exempt from the health-wsaring trials
alike Of wealth and Of poverty. neither
surfsitsd by luxurious living nor starved
for want Of the necessaries OF existence.
But what 10 the long run often proves
mors fatal still Is that terrible strain on
the nervous ~ stem due to the want OF
leisure. the want Of Freedom from ankle
" caused BY our ovsrwrouaht o.vili Ia
tion, and the auu teness OF the struggle
rCT exle4tu0os Auc ID 1SE hutuu 10 uGt tuhft
and harassed by the ambition hope OF
wealth or the constant dread Of bank
ruptcy, or poverty, debt: and starvation.
He feels quite safe a. TO the morroW's ex-
istsncs. His land 10 not over .popul ated,
but undsr-populated.
he knows nothing either of our soriid
poverty, Of our ovsrcrowdina. and OF all
the fnsaluhIious and degrading oondi-
lions bred OF misery that accompany and
put to shame our wealth. 10 would not
be possible to uni ''submsrg ed tenth
among the Beers. Therefore the boers
are free from those nerve dlso riders that
90 largely contribute to destroy the heslt
Of the populations In the great 9omner-
cisl centres
Even the Beers are taller. stronger. and
Of q more powerful physique than the
English. IL Is quite common OCCUR
renee to meet Boer who has taken to
town lifs and acquired town vicss and
degenernted like other people. but this 10
not Of frequent occurrence Even thoss
who do live 10 towns often pssssr,e Cd. II
primitive and simple methods OF exist
epce. President Kruger hims,h 10 n
good example. He still keeps up the
pastoral habit o! going to ted at .
O'Clock In the evening, and he Is up BY b
O'Clock In the mort Ing.
but apart from the flesh and bone, the
big. strong frames, aud the hard muscles
door exercise, the Beers hsvs practical
freedom from the diseases due to alcohol
Ism and vics. They are not total alb
staintrs. but they are remarkably sober,
and drum ksnnees IL rare among theU.
Equally important from 1t 9 health point
Of view 10 the fact that the Boer Ii essen
TALLY a moral man. On the other hand,
bow often are British soldiers punish ed
for drum ksnnsss and invalided through
their vices. Not only 10 ain ost every
Bosr ply sloaily fit to take the field and
fight for his country, but he 10 strong
eT, healthier, and bigger man than even
thole who have esn selected By medical
examination rs tt to fefve In the British
army.
IL the entire male population OF our
country, without any sort OF selection,
from the age Of foCrtesn TO sixtV years.
were made to stand forth they would
rresenI sorry spectacle IS compared
with n similar crowd OF Beers. Ls. any
one, fer Instance, take his stand In
aud note how many men will pass him
wtoss backs are straiPnt, who have ex-
panced che. ;, and healthy oomplexions.
Again 10 Lancashire, let the otsaver
note the dwarfed figures and pallid faces
OF the Thousands Of factory women as
they leave the mills And London, with
Its West End slums fostering under the
shadow Of neigh Ing mansions, and
iis boundless stretch OF East Eud misery.
what sort Of army would this huge me-
t,opoiis pro1ucs II every mails inhabi-
tsnts were called urder arms?
For these purposes tn, occupation o.
the spricuituIist Is lar better preparation
titan the libor CT the town worker L4t
any one study thu dis rihution Of the
population In GrFat Br.tiin ard he will
at cnce see the disndvs mage OF our home
condition and the advantage which in
this resi- est the Beers possess. The NOR
ri Ia very simple.
The forts " leRi 'iation ANA OF philan-
throphy should lie dirst ted. brst. TO the
sndes sor to get ss la,ge sect on OF the
population as possihle back on to the
land. second. We should sJive to make
to- n life pc similar to country life &c 10
possible Therefore our streets shoulf
IL as bread and our houses surrou"H""
with as much open space as cir UNI
stances will admit. All a'cunulations (
Nth which corrupt the atmosphere 81
towns should be removed With tbs Ut
most cslt rity aud means Of commune
tion shou d be so mrl iplisd and redu I'd
III coat as to enable townsfolk TO eniOs
tie maximum OF exercises ia the open
country. IL we must II yht for our en-
t,{r suon tnaasuFcs ~ inut sppr saba.