The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-01-13

Below are given the reasons Hon
John g. Sherman, a New York lawyer
gives 10 Justify the position of the
English government in its war with
the South African Republic. As Tn
JoURNAL wishes TO be fair TO both sides,
this matter is presented for what It is
worth
First--In 1884, Paul Kruger was in
London. lie was 80 poor that he could
not pay his hotel bill, and It was paid
for him by generous Englishman. He
then expressly and publicly invited
Englishmen and Americans to settle in
the Transyaal and TO conduct mining
there, writes Thomas -. Sherman, in
the New York Times.
Second-Mr. Kruger afierward sold
one OF his own farms 10 Englishmen for
t5O0, 900, paid In gold. His friends and
neighbors sold other farms at even
greater prices, receiving altogether from
foreign settlers principally English, al
though including a considerable number
Of German, Frenchmen and Americans)
many millions of dollars.
Third-These foreign settlers produce
every dollars worth Of wealth winch can
be exported from the Transvaal, and
every dollar in excess Of what will suffice
for very bare aud dirty existence TO
the old residents. Every dollar OF the
wealth now possessed 10y Mr.. Kruger,
his son-in-law. his officials. and, indeed
any part Of the Transvaal population,
has been produced by these settlers.
Fourth--The taxes levied annually in
the Transvaal have exceeded $4,000.
600. Nine.tenths Of this amount have
been collected from the foreign settlers
whom Mr. Kruger invited into the coun-
try.
Fifth-No appreciabe part OF these
taxes is expended for the benefit Of the
foreign settlers. n this sum were
equally divided among all the Beers, II
would furnish AN annual income OF
about $1,000 Tor each family, which
would pay three times over all their
living expenses.
siKth-No such equal division Is
made, but half Of these taxes has been
spent in making preparation for war,
and the other half devoted 10 the pay
ment OF enormous salaries To and jobs
for Mr.. Kruger, his sons-in-law, friends
and political supporters. Mr.. Kruger
himself has avowedly received s35, 900 a
year salary, while on repeated occasions
sums Of $4,000 and $4,000 have been
paid out Of the taxes for his direct and
exclusive benefit, as appears by the
public records. How much more has
been spent without public record can
only be- guessed. His son.in.law and
private secretary possesses, so says MIR.
FIillegas, a single house costing $780,
900, and rolls in wealth besides, as he
must TO support such a house.
TIansvaal Bribery.
seventh-The official records in n
Transvaal lawsuit, arising upon quar-
rel between twol sets Of Boer plumber.
ers, show that every Boer official worth
bribing. including kruger's son-in-lRw,
received bribes from BOer railroad
company. The amount Of each bribe
was set forth in a bill Of particulars
nled in open court. Not one of these
men ever denied the receipt Of these
bribes.
Eighth--The foreign settlers, eNclu.
sively, built Johannesburg, fine town,
with formerly 10000 inhabitants. They
were not merely denied any right 10 gov |
ern that city; they were denied any
municipal government whatever. This /
is proved not only by the explicit state
ments Of MIR. Ilillegas, the American