CHAPTER 2. THE CAUSE OF QUARREL.

Theremightalmostseemtobesomesubtleconnectionbetweenthebarrennessandworthlessnessofasurfaceandthevalueofthemineralswhichliebeneathit.ThecraggymountainsofWesternAmerica,thearidplainsofWestAustralia,theice-boundgorgesoftheKlondyke,andthebareslopesoftheWitwatersrandveld—thesearethelidswhichcoverthegreattreasurechestsoftheworld. GoldhadbeenknowntoexistintheTransvaalbefore,butitwasonlyin1886thatitwasrealisedthatthedepositswhichliesomethirtymilessouthofthecapitalareofaveryextraordinaryandvaluablenature.Theproportionofgoldinthequartzisnotparticularlyhigh,noraretheveinsofaremarkablethickness,butthepeculiarityoftheRandminesliesinthefactthatthroughoutthis'banket'formationthemetalissouniformlydistributedthattheenterprisecanclaimacertaintywhichisnotusuallyassociatedwiththeindustry.Itisquarryingratherthanmining.Addtothisthatthereefswhichwereoriginallyworkedasoutcropshavenowbeentracedtoenormousdepths,andpresentthesamefeaturesasthoseatthesurface.Aconservativeestimateofthevalueofthegoldhasplaceditatsevenhundredmillionsofpounds. Suchadiscoveryproducedtheinevitableeffect.Agreatnumberofadventurersflockedintothecountry,somedesirableandsomeverymuchthereverse.Therewerecircumstances,however,whichkeptawaytherowdyanddesperadoelementwhousuallymakeforanewlyopenedgoldfield.Itwasnotaclassofminingwhichencouragedtheindividualadventurer.TherewerenoneofthosenuggetswhichgleamedthroughthemudofthedolliesatBallarat,orrecompensedtheforty-ninersinCaliforniaforalltheirtravelsandtheirtoils.Itwasafieldforelaboratemachinery,whichcouldonlybeprovidedbycapital.Managers,engineers,miners,technicalexperts,andthetradesmenandmiddlemenwholiveuponthem,theseweretheUitlanders,drawnfromalltheracesunderthesun,butwiththeAnglo-Celticvastlypredominant.ThebestengineerswereAmerican,thebestminerswereCornish,thebestmanagerswereEnglish,themoneytorunthemineswaslargelysubscribedinEngland.Astimewenton,however,theGermanandFrenchinterestsbecamemoreextensive,untiltheirjointholdingsarenowprobablyasheavyasthoseoftheBritish.SoonthepopulationoftheminingcentresbecamegreaterthanthatofthewholeBoercommunity,andconsistedmainlyofmenintheprimeoflife—men,too,ofexceptionalintelligenceandenergy. Thesituationwasanextraordinaryone.IhavealreadyattemptedtobringtheproblemhometoanAmericanbysuggestingthattheDutchofNewYorkhadtrekkedwestandfoundedananti-AmericanandhighlyunprogressiveState.TocarryouttheanalogywewillnowsupposethatthatStatewasCalifornia,thatthegoldofthatStateattractedalargeinrushofAmericancitizens,whocametooutnumbertheoriginalinhabitants,thatthesecitizenswereheavilytaxedandbadlyused,andthattheydeafenedWashingtonwiththeiroutcryabouttheirinjuries.ThatwouldbeafairparalleltotherelationsbetweentheTransvaal,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