Evening star., 1909-04-26
NUMBER OF DIVERSE VIEWS
Attitude Of Various Parties on the
Proposed Union.
CAPE COLONY IN OPPOSITION
Most Serious Dissenting Voice
Against New Order Of Things.
Labor Leaders in Transvaal.
Special Cablegram. to The Star.

| Special Cablegram. to The Star
| JOHANNESBURG, April 24.-On the
whole the draft constitution has been
wonderfully well received throughout
South Africa It would b. going too
far. to say that 1t has met with enthu-
siastic welcome or unqualified praise In
any part of the subcontinent That was
hardly to be expected or d sired. for the
best ultimate chance of carrying tie
| constitution through must depend on the
| fact that it embodies series OF COM
promises and mutual concessions En-
| thusiastic approval in one colony would
lean enthusiastic disapproval in another.
1t is therefore healthy sgn that there
| should be certain amount OF criticism
and discomfort all around. Thus. one
| party at the cape, headed by Mr..
| Schreiner, is denouncing the constitution
| because 1t does not bestow the franchise
| on natives of the Transvaal and Orange
| river colony.
! On the other hand. the white labor
party IN the Transvaal is denouncing 1t
with equal vehemence. through the mouth
OF Mr.. Wybergh. because The Cape native
/ is allowed to retain his vote Again.
neither the extreme states rights men
have got anything like all they want.
L
In single sovereign legislature. a single
supreme executive. and in the pooling Of
public revenues. The states rients
men. on the other hand. have secured the
boundaries. with corresponding provincial
| councils and executives and the recogni-
tion of the separate identity of states.
i This latter appears in the equal repre-
sentation given to each colony in the SEN
ate, and In the special treatment Of Ma
| tai and the Orange River Colony in
the allotment of the members of the lower
| house.
Question Of Capital.
| Even the question of the capital which
| 1t might have been thought would admit
of no compromise, has been settled by
one, and, of course, both Capetown and
Pretoria are dissatisfied. Discomfort OF
this nature. however. which proceeds
| from not having got all that one want
| ed in bargain. is not likely, among
people so well provided with common
| sense and practical experience In busi-
| ness as both the English and Dutch in
South Africa, to lead to a serious attempt
| to break of the bargain altogether. There
| is always a tendency In this country to
| make the best of the accomplished fact,
and the parliaments and people Of the
different colonies are far more likely to
ratify the bargain which has been struck
! for them by the delegates at the national
convention than they are to arrive at any
| fresh basis OF understanding by public
| discussion. 1t is too early yet to say that
| the successful passage of the act of
union is assured. but, at least, the pros
poets seem favorable for it.
| What opposition that has raised its
head has been of different kind in
| different colonies. There Is no party ex-
listing in South Africa as whole which
is against union. or even against this
act of union. There are sections in each
1 which
poets or particular clauses Of 1t, and
which apparently In some cases would be
prepared to reject the whole measure il
they cannot obtain an alteration to their
satisfaction.
The most serious dissenting voice heard
up to the present has been in the Cape
| Colony. where the Capetown branch of
the Africander bond. under the leader
resolution demanding amendments in the
constitution which. IL carried, would al
most certainly lead to its complete rejec-
tion by the other colonies.
Cape Colony's Hope.
| 1t is difficult to follow the tortuous
ways Of the bond. especially when it Is
guided by Mr.. Hofmeyr; and 1t is there
fore doubtful whether their present ac-
tion has as Its motive a determination to
oppose the act OF union as it stands or
is merely a desire to reopen the haggling
process In the expectation that some fur
ther local advantages may be secured for
| the Cape peninsula-a point on which Mr..
Hofmeyr himself is reputed to feel
| strongly.
Be that as it may, the amendments
demanded. though not In themselves of
| meet with determined resistance from
one or more of the other colonies. Mr..
Hofmeyr, of course. is perfectly we'll
| aware Of this, and. considering his great
inf to- hA f1e
| Of the bond, his action In supporting what
can only be called a wrecking resolution
| gives ground for apprehension 1t Is
| certain. however. that II his present
maneuver is the beginning Of q real and
| not feigned attack on the act of union
he will not carry the whole of his party
with him.
pledged to support the constitution. and
although the bond would probably al
ways follow Mr.. Hofmeyr as against Mr..
Merriman and Mr.. .Sauer. another minis
ter. Mr.. Malan. has a large number Of
adherents in the younger section Of the
party. and. II it came to split. might
not be. left in a minority. 1t will, how
ever. be a curious spectacle II the act Of
| union Is carried through the Cape parlia-
ment by the present minister with the
| help of the progressives and Of the mill
tant section Of the Africander bond
against the votes Of a large number Of
| their own followers.
In the TrAusvaal.
In the Transvaal the threatened oppo-
sition is much less formidable. The irre-
| concilable Mr.. A. D. Wolmarans, the
| leader of the "Old Guard" Of Krugerism.
| Is reported to be gathering his forces.
But his forces are small. discouraged and
badly equipped. An organization calling
| itself the third party has been formed
| in Pretoria and johannesburg by q coaH-
| tion OF the odds and ends of politicians,
| with the declared object OF opposing the
present scheme Of union on the ground
| that 1t comedies too much to the Cape
Colony or too little to the Transvaal.
This organization. however, is not strong
either In numbers or intelligence, and Is
not likely to give the government any
| serious trouble.
Finally. the labor party, which from
| the beginning has been somewhat sus-
| picious and unfriendly toward all pro-
| posals for closer union, Is passing resOlu-
tions Of qualified disapproval.
The points to which exception is gen
orally taken by this party are, first. the
| nomination OF the senate by the provin-
| cial councils in place Of direct election
by the people; secondly. the small salary
thirdly. the absence Of provision for q
| referendum on the constitution itself. 1t
| Is doubtful. however. whether the work
tng-class voters really take much inter
est In these points. which are brought