Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-22
Beers ANXIOUS FOR CHANGE
South African Residents Hope for Bette
Times Under New Government.
SELECT COMMITTEE MAY DO GOOD WORK
AGvoeates OF Lord Miners Plan
Profess 20 see Hope for His
Policy After Report
a. Made.

JOHANNESBURG. April n--Cspecial Ca
blegram 70 The Bee. AS r. well known in
the terms of the surrender OF the Beers Il
was agreed that military administration in
the Transvaal and the Orange river colony
should as soon as possible, be succeeded
by self-government. representative institu-
tons leading up 20 self-government being
introduced as soon as circumstances permit
As Is we'll known, the Boer leaders have
placed their own Interpretation on the
phrase representative institutions" and
by pretending that 1t refers solely to NUM-
cipal representatives have not hesitated to
accuse his niajestys late ministry OF a
breach OF the terms of surrender. The
Beers do not appear 10 understand the
difference between the expressions self
government and responsible government"
In using the word "self-government" the
Boer leaders might have been expected TO
interpret It in the Light Of their own ex-
! perience. that Is to say, self-government
on the only lines familiar to them in the
Transvaal and the Orange Free State The
distinction between representative and
responsible government was quite un-
known TO them or at least was as far from
their thought a sthe Prussian three-class
system Of election. Unfortunately, before
effect all OF the provisions Of the terms
Of surrender an agitation was started in
the Transvaal by a section OF the British
population to obtain without any inter-
mediate stage the fullest measure Of politi-
cal freedom known in the British empire.
The Roer leaders I'm the Transvaal at once
learned to appreciate the difference between
the two forms of government. and threw
the weight Of their influence at once into
tho responsible" scale. They appeared TO
ignore the facts, and urged that the system
OF government enjoyed by them before the
war ought to be granted 10 them again,
and had no difficulty in convincing them
selves and their followers that responsible
government as understood in the empire
had been the political heritage Of the Beers.
Committee May do Good Work.
The appointment of a committee OF in
quiry into South African affairs is recog-
nized as a step in the right direction, and
the whole the personnel of the COM
mittee is favorably commented upon. BY
the Beers and a few others OF distinctly
liberal complexion it is considered emil
nently satisfactory, while those who re-
garded a royal commission as more in keep
ing with the gravity Of the issues at stake
are relieved to find that there is no chance
that partisan feeling will figure in the
committees report. After all every I'M
biased Engishman, from Lord Miner
downward. who has studied African prob
lens on the spot, has arrived at the same
conclusions. and there is no reason to sup
pose that the committee OF inquiry will
prove an exception to the rule.
Although the terms of reference do not
specifically mention the Chinese question
It is hoped that the committee will be al
lowed to form an opipion on the subject for
the personal guidance of the cabinet II not
for inclusion in their report.
1t Temains to point out the need Of the
utmost dispatch in the task OF the COM
mittee A crisis has undoubtedly arisen in
the history OF the colony which is none the
less grave because II is developing quietly
The Transvaal may be spared demonstra-
lions by unemployed, but the exodus OF the
class OF people most required in the colony
has begun, and long as the present
check on all enterprise continues the num-