The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-21

several country branches. including such strongholds of the bond as stel- lenbosch and Burghersdorp heve ex- pressly disowned his views. MT. Hof- meyr may realize before he finally commits himself tha< in this matter of National Union he has backed the wrong horse. but 1t is impossible Co sup pose that he will ever again be an ef- fectfve factor in South African politics. ' The Colored Vote.
 Such reluctance to accept the con stitution a still remains at the Cape has It's origin in 6 nervous Anxiety about the colored vote-an anxlety which has been revived by some not altogether judicious speeches in the Transvaal. Tn the Transvaal the boot is on the other foot A considerable body of opinion is desperately concern. ed to prevent the future application or the colored franchise to the whole country. One or two prominent men. notably Sir Aubrey Wools-Sempson, are opposing the Act of Union on this ground. The opposition party nere. however, are concentrating their er- forts chiefly upon e vague demand for a referendum, to which the best answer is obviously that 1t is not re- quired. General Botha told his audi ence with uncompromising frankness tuhL HC W6o cpPSoOo " ~s.~ | and could not consent to 1t. The only dissent in the Orange River Colony comes from Bloemfontetn, where there Is still faint clamor Tor | further pickings. Natal remains a real danger point. But there are obvious signs that she Is rapidly changing her mind. People in Durban particularly are beginning to realize the poiitical and economic advantages Of scnems | innfeaGe in representation and definite pro portion of the traffic for their port | The country constituencies on the whole view the change with acQuies'
 cence.
 l Addressing a mass meeting at Pre-
 toria General Botha vigorously defend
 ed the work of the National Conven'
 tion. He warned his hearers Of th'
 danger of rejecting the constitution
 declaring that the only alternative wal disunion, which might involve blood
 shed or the intervention of the I'm
 perial government. They who had suf ferei in the past did not want to re
 vert to such a condition of strife H' appealed to the people to be not Lit tie Transvaalers" but Great Soutf
 Africans" to grasp the hand O. broth herhood over the graves of th'
 fallen, and to make one happy. united country.
 A Fine Constitution.
 Taken in its entirety, the Constitu ton is a fine piece of work. It is per haps the best ever drawn up In writing
 and men generally are gradually real izing this. It is likely to be accepted very much as 1t stands
 Interesting particulars are given bl the "Transvaal Leader" with reference to hidden treasure. said to belong tt
 the late King Lobengula. for whici
 search Is now being made. The treas
 ure, which consists of s14,000.0o0 il
 coin, thirty-six bars of raw gold. tel
 wagon-loads of ivory, and 400 dia
 monds, is believed to be secreted on tn
 banks of the Kori River. one of tn
 tributaries of the Zambesi. Only fiv
 persons knew of the whereabouts o
 the treasure. and of these only one John Jacobs, a native minister who wa at one time private secretary to Loben gula, is alive today. About year az Jacobs entered into negotiations witt } Johannesburg prospector. as the re
 suit of which both men. accompanie . by a small party, set out for the North trekking into regions rarely traverse : by white people. They started o January 8. 1908. from Johannesburg l and were absent for over a year. The . did not bring back the treasure. bu ? say they are firmly convinced the have found the spot where 1t lies. Difficulties of transport, and of ob } taininE food and water. etc. cause l the abandonment of the search. An other expedition Is about to be set O foot. Nl