The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-30
Enthusiastic Meeting in Topeka
in Behalf of Beers.
Addresses Made by David Over
myer and j. G. Waters.
GEN. HUDSON PRESIDES
Says Time Has Come For United
States to intervene.
Audience Was Especially De-
monstrative in It's approval,

Topelza's pro-Boer meeting at tho
Crawford Sunday attracted an audience
which filed the lower floor and bal
cony.
For nearly three hours the audience
listened with eagerness to the speeches
fired with patriotism. 1t is probably fair
to say that no other audience that ever
filled the theater sat through three
hours willingly and quietly as did
the audience Sunday.
1t was a representative Topeka audi
ence. and the house was crowded. many
being compelled to stand, on the lower
floor. At the meeting politicians sat be-
side other politicians and forgot their
surroundings, lawyers beside artisans
merchants and teachers and doctors ana
clerks all apparently unanimous IN
their feelings of sympathy for the Dutcn
fighting for their liberty in the Trans
vaal.
Before the close of the meeting tne
resolution was read urging England TO
accept the services of the president or
Holland arbitratorS of the questions
in controversy between England and
the natives Of the South African coun-
try. 1t was adopted with a storm OF
ayes
Major J. K. Hudson, who presided at
the meeting, before introducing 0ne
speakers, David Overmyer and Capt j.
G.. Waters, made brief address by
saying that from a personal standpoint
he was ready for the president and con-
gress to say to the oppressed Beers that
the sympathies of the American people
were with them. and that the American
people were ready to help them to the
extent of participating in the war
II would be willing that this should
be done,'' he said, "although the con-
servative and commercial interests OF
the country say it would not be right
that this country become involved with
any of the continental countries. To
see the difficulties settled peacefully, of
course, is much more desired.
More English lives have been lost
than the number of the entire Boer
army, and the war is working devasta-
ton in~the land of the noble Dutchmen
of the Transvaal. and say the time
has come when the United States shall
say to England, in the name of human
ity and justice, that the war shall stop,
that we shall say the Roers have won
a right to their liberty and freedom,
and that this country has the right to
enforce that liberty.
IT hold the same sentiments in this mat
ter as did in enlisting for the civil and
the Cuban wars. / am a firm believer
in liberty; both religious and civil lib
erty."
DAVID OvERMYER'S SPEECH.
David Overmyer in his speech out
lined the causes that led to the Boer
war and narrated the effects. His ad-
dress was interesting. He said:
Nearly 300 years ago a small party OK
Holland Dutch settled in South Africa
There came a time when they became
satisfied that they could no longer in
justice to themselves endure the rule or
Great Britain, under whose governments
they then lived. And so feeling that the
rule of Great Britain was intolerables
these people made up their minds to
leave the country. Their journey was
beset with the greatest difficulties. The
wild, fierce animals of that continent.
the terrible African lions. not by one
and two. but in droves and packs like
- ~G 49,. I4A
men of the desert beset their pathway
at every STEP These tremendous diff
ficulties they overcame and planted
themselves in a new home. But tney
were destined to have but a short re-
spite from the rule of those from whom
they had withdrawn. Again the Brit
ish authority was asserted over them.
Again the old discomfort broke out. we
cannot discuss their merits. Very like
ly there was wrong upon both sides but
that matters not. You know that no
people will pull up and leave everything
behind them without the greatest cause
No slight differences will produce such
q tremendous movement as that. Again
and finally in 1886 they made great
trek to the far north. The experiences
of this journey were similar to the first.
And among those who made this jour-
ney was the intrepid, the unconquera-
BILE, the immortal Paul Kruger Cap
plause).
Eleven years old, with his rife in his
hand he marched beside his fathers
rude wagon Tor l,0OO miles, anu euBdSeu
in every battle the men fought with the
wild beasts and the wilder men, This
was the heroic mold in which was cast
that character which stands today and
casts it's shadow colossal over the whole
world.
This is one of the reasons the war
has lasted so long. If you know Paul
Kruger as he is, you have the key to
the situation in South Africa will
therefore relate to you an incident of his
career in addition to that which I have
stated.
When he was II years old, with a lit
tie sister five years old. he was going
from a far distant place to his fathers
home: night overlook them five miles
from home, and as they were passing
along a huge panther leaped at the OF
team. The beasts were frightened ana
ran away throwing the little girl out
of the cart and onto the ground, and
instantly this wild beast leaped upon
her No sooner was this done than Paul
Kruger IL years old, without weapon
except those that Nature had given him.
seized the beast by the throat and with
superhuman power threw 1t to the
ground and held it by the throat till Its
life was extinct (Applause.)
A man that can do that at IL years
old cannot be conquered by any other
man or set of men, (Applause.) And
the people behind such man as tnat
cannot be conquered by any man or set
of men, (App1ause.) The struggle was
terrific. his clothes were torn into
shreds, his body. as you may well imag-
ine was covered with wounds: the team
was gone: the brute was dead; the child
comparatively unharmed, was picked up
by Paul Kruger in his strong arms and
carried to their parental home, and not
until that child was safely deposited