ape parliament. Proposals were made
to suspend the constitution, but this drastic course was not adopted.
The Progressive party, the name taken by those who sought a permanent
settlement under the British flag, lost their leader, and South Africa
its foremost statesman by the death, in May 1902, of Cecil Rhodes, a few
weeks before the end of the war.

_After the War_.--The acknowledgment of defeat by the Boers in the
field, and the surrender of some 10,000 rebels, did not weaken the
endeavours of the Dutch to obtain political supremacy in the colony.
Moreover, in the autumn of 1902 Sir Gordon Sprigg, the prime minister,
nominally the leader of the Progressives, sought to maintain his
position by securing the support of the Bond party in parliament. In the
early part of 1903 Mr Chamberlain included Cape Town in his visit to
South Africa, and had conferences with the political leaders of all
parties. Reconciliation between the Bond and British elements in the
colony was, however, still impossible, and the two parties concentrated
their efforts in a struggle for victory at the coming election. Mr
Hofmeyr, who had chosen to spend the greater part of the war period in
Europe, returned to the Cape to reorganize the Bond. On the other side
Dr Jameson came forward as the leader of the Progressives. Parliament
was dissolved in September 1903. It had passed, since the war, two
measures of importance--one (1902) restricting alien immigration, the
other (1903) ratifying the first customs convention between all the
South African colonies. This convention was notable for its grant of
preferential treatment (in general, a rebate of 25% on the customs
already levied) to imports from the United Kingdom.

The election turned on the issue of British or Bond supremacy. It was
fought on a register purged of the rebel voters, many of whom, besides
being disfranchised, were in prison. The issue was doubtful, and each
side sought to secure the support of the native voters, who in several
constituencies held the balance of power. The Bondsmen were more lavish
than their opponents in their promises to the natives and even invited a
Kaffir journalist (who declined) to stand for a seat in the Assembly. In
view of the agitation then proceeding for the introduction of Chinese
coolies to work the mines on the Rand, the Progressives declared their
intention, if returned, to exclude them from the colony, and this
declaration gained them some native vo