Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-06-14


The war in South Africa was
brought about directly by the refusal
of the Transvaal government to al
low the foreign element of the popula-
ton to have a voice in public affairs,
and a like refusal to continue in force
certain railway and other public util-
ity franchises, controlled mostly by
British subjects. But the indirect
cause was a elimination of unsatls-
factory conditions extending over
period of almost a century.
From the first the Beers, Dutch
farmers of the Cape, were always in
trouble. Their uncompromising spirit
led them still farther afield and into
strife with the natives. The relations
of the white men to the black caused
the first friction between the British
administration and the old settlers.
In 1884 the British government re-
solved to emancipate the slaves ana
parliament voted G20,000,000 ($100,-
0OO,00O) for compensation. Abolition
ruined the West Indies and started
disaffection in South Africa. The
S15,000,O0O set aside for South Africa's
share of the compensation was made
payable in London and the unfortu-
nate Shareholders were compelled 20
Sell lAelT Cldlu1S dI ISuuCCu pl1OSS "
middlemen. This caused rebellion and
another trek farther north. Among
the trekkers was Paul Kruger, then a
boy of 10.
The irreconcilable Beers fell in
with the Matabeles and had many a
fierce encounter with them. After
numerous vicissitudes the Transvaal
became a chaos of lawless Dutch, Ba-
sutos, Hottentots and half-breeds liv-
ing in a chronic state of turbulence.
The Orange River Colony, then the
Orange Free State had been thrown
off by Great Britain, greatly to the in
dignation of it's Inhabitants, who de-
manded compensation for the with
drawal of imperial protection, which
was granted. The Transvaal mean
while was threatened by the Zulus and
Kaffirs; the farmers houses were I'M
protected and at the mercy of the
savages, and though it is probable
that the Beers would have been a
match for the combined forces of the
natives it is certain that at the time
they did not think so, but welcome
British protection. Sir Theophilus
Shepstone, with twenty-five men, at
the request of the Beers themselves
annexed the country, and even Paul
Kruger accepted a paid Office under
the government
With Kruger in Office the Beers be
gan, in defiance of treaty obligations
a series of movements that necessitat-
ed a British expedition to drive them
out of Bechuanaland, Goshen and
Stellaland at a cost of million or sc
to the British taxpayer. Naturally the
British hold up these Boer raids, in
hef1anse of treaty obligations, as ar
offset to the Jameson raid.
From this time the new 'Transvaa
Republic set out on the path of in
dependence that ultimately led to tn,
war. Gold was discovered in tn,
Transvaal in 1886. 1t was a field TO
elaborate machinery and for immense
capital. These were furnished by thu
uitlanders, drawn from every race un
der the sun. but with the Anglo-Celti
vastly predominant. The mining cen
tiers like Johannesburg became full o
varied life and afforded a strong con
trast to the Dutch headquarters. Thes
uitlanders largely outnumbered tn
original inhabitants of the Transvaal
They were heavily taxed and badl.
used and they deafened Great Britain
with their cries. There was not
wrong which had driven the Doe
from Cape Colony that he did no
now practice on others. A wrong il
1885 might have been excusable; il
1895 it was monstrous-
In short, the Beers could not stan
the lust for gold. Their primitive viz
tue vanished. The farmers were still
untouched by the new greed, but tn
corrupt oligarchy at Pretoria, with it
nepotism, its accepting of brides 70
valuable franchises, its dynamite mon
opoly, its crowd of greedy Hollander
who handled the stream of gold ex
torted by way of taxation from tn
miners, gave an exhibition of venalit
and corruption in the last degree at
horrent to all right-minded and i'm
partial observers
The uitlander was compelled to pa
nine-tenths OF the taxation; wa
deeced at every turn and laughed 9