The Lamar register., 1902-06-04

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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-
tion to have voice in public affairs.
and 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 unsatis-
factory conditions extending over Il
period of almost a century.
From the first the Beers. Dutcn
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 ($1OO,-
OO0,OOO) for compensation. Abolition
ruined the West Indies and started
disaffection in South Africa. The
15.0OO.O 900 set aside for South Africas
payable in London and the unfortu-
nate Shareholders were compelled 20
sell their claims at reduced prices to
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 lly-
ing in a chronic state of turbulence.
The Orange River Colony, then the
Orange Free State had been thrown
of by Great Britain. greatly to the IN
dignation of its 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
Katfirs; the farmers houses were un-
protected and at the mercy of the
savages. and though 1t 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 welcomed
British protection. Sir Theophilus
Shepstone. with twenty-five men. at
the request of the Beers themselves
annexed the country. and even Paul
Kruger accepted paid office under
the government.
With Kruger in office the Beers be-
gan. in defiance of treaty obligations,
series of movements that necessitat-
ed n British expedition to drive them
out of Bechuanaland. Goshen and
Stellaland. at cost Of million or so
to the British taxpayer Naturally the
British hold up these Boer raids. in
defiance of treaty obligations, as an
offset to the Jameson raid.
From this time the new "Transvaal
Republic" set out on the path of in
dependence that ultimately led to the
war. Gold was discovered in the
Transvaal in 1886 1t was field for
elaborate machinery and for immense
capital. These were furnished by the
uitlanders. drawn from every race un-
der the sun. but with the Anglo-Celtic
vastly predominant. The mining CEN
ters like johannesburg became full OF
varied life and Afforded strong con-
trast to the Dutch headquarters. These
uitlanders largely outnumbered the
original inhabitants of the Transvaal
They were heavily taxed and badly
used and they deafened Great Britain
with their cries. There was not a
wrong which had driven the Boer
from Cape Colony that he did not
now practice on others. A wrong in
1886 might have been excusabie; in
1895 1t was monstrous.
In short, the Beers could not stand
the lust for gold. Their primitive vir-
tue vanished. The farmers were still
untouched by the new greed, but the
corrupt oligarchy at Pretoria. with Its
nepotism, its accepting of bribes fol
valuable franchises. its dynamite mon.
opoly, its crowd of greedy Hollanders
who handled the stream of gold ex-
torted by way of taxation from the
miners, gave an exhibition of venality
and corruption in the last degree alb.
horrent to all right minded and i'm.
partial observers.
The uitlander was compelled to pay
utne.tenths of the taxation; was
heeced at every turn and laughed a