entheTransvaal,theUitlanders,andtheBritishGovernment.
ThattheseUitlandershadveryrealandpressinggrievancesnoonecouldpossiblydeny.Torecountthemallwouldbeaformidabletask,fortheirwholelivesweredarkenedbyinjustice.TherewasnotawrongwhichhaddriventheBoerfromCapeColonywhichhedidnotnowpractisehimselfuponothers—andawrongmaybeexcusablein1885whichismonstrousin1895.Theprimitivevirtuewhichhadcharacterisedthefarmersbrokedowninthefaceoftemptation.ThecountryBoerswerelittleaffected,someofthemnotatall,butthePretoriaGovernmentbecameamostcorruptoligarchy,venalandincompetenttothelastdegree.OfficialsandimportedHollandershandledthestreamofgoldwhichcameinfromthemines,whiletheunfortunateUitlanderwhopaidnine-tenthsofthetaxationwasfleecedateveryturn,andmetwithlaughterandtauntswhenheendeavouredtowinthefranchisebywhichhemightpeaceablysetrightthewrongsfromwhichhesuffered.Hewasnotanunreasonableperson.Onthecontrary,hewaspatienttothevergeofmeekness,ascapitalislikelytobewhenitissurroundedbyrifles.Buthissituationwasintolerable,andaftersuccessiveattemptsatpeacefulagitation,andnumeroushumblepetitionstotheVolksraad,hebeganatlasttorealisethathewouldneverobtainredressunlesshecouldfindsomewayofwinningitforhimself.
WithoutattemptingtoenumerateallthewrongswhichembitteredtheUitlanders,themoreseriousofthemmaybesummedupinthisway.
1.Thattheywereheavilytaxedandprovidedaboutseven-eighthsoftherevenueofthecountry.TherevenueoftheSouthAfricanRepublic—whichhadbeen154,000poundsin1886,whenthegoldfieldswereopened—hadgrownin1899tofourmillionpounds,andthecountrythroughtheindustryofthenewcomershadchangedfromoneofthepooresttotherichestinthewholeworld(perheadofpopulation).
2.Thatinspiteofthisprosperitywhichtheyhadbrought,they,themajorityoftheinhabitantsofthecountry,wereleftwithoutavote,andcouldbynomeansinfluencethedisposalofthegreatsumswhichtheywereproviding.Suchacaseoftaxationwithoutrepresentationhasneverbeenknown.
3.Thattheyhadnovoiceinthechoiceorpaymentofofficials.Menoftheworstprivatecharactermightbeplacedwithcompleteauthorityovervaluableinterests.UpononeoccasiontheMinisterofMinesattemptedhimselftojumpamine,havingofficiallylearnedsomeflawinitstitle.Thetotalofficialsalarieshadrisenin1899toasumsufficienttopay40poundsperheadtotheentiremaleBoerpopulation.
4.Thattheyhadnocontrolovereducation.Mr.JohnRobinson,theDirectorGeneraloftheJohannesburgEducationalCouncil,hasreckonedthesumspentonUitlanderschoolsas650poundsoutof63,000poundsallottedforeducation,makingoneshillingandtenpenceperheadperannumonUitlanderchildren,andeightpoundssixshillingsperheadonBoerchildren—theUitlander,asalways,payingseven-eighthsoftheoriginalsum.
5.Nopowerofmunicipalgovernment.Watercartsinste