til the oath of allegiance was to
be tendered. This they refused, preferring to resign and to provide arms
from other sources--Mauser rifles by preference. This happened some
considerable time before the outbreak of the war.

Boer Arguments Denying Uitlanders' Complaints

Many plausible arguments are proffered to prove that Uitlanders'
grievances and irritations are purely fictitious, but few, I venture to
say, will bear examination. Taxation, for example, is stoutly averred to
fall alike upon burgher and Uitlander, but a glance at the long rubric
of articles specially taxed will show that the selection is contrived to
hit the latter and to spare, or even to protect and benefit, the burgher
section.

The gold industry is not charged with a royalty as is customary in other
gold-producing countries, but with 5 per cent. only upon the net
profits; but here an intolerant and corrupt domination proves much more
prejudicial than a heavy royalty would be.

Proper representation would be the remedy and afford contentment, even
with higher taxation, but that is refused upon Bond principles.

The Anglo-Boer War is attributed to base motives on the part of the
British Government, operating in collusion with capitalism--to England's
passion for annexation, her rapacious greed for the Transvaal gold, her
inordinate ambition to universal commercial supremacy, etc. What a
confusion of assertions and of self-refuting contradictions!

Would England really acquire the Transvaal gold by the annexation of
that State, seeing that its mines are already capitalized and as good as
expropriated in favour of the host of shareholders, some of whom are
English, but the greater portion German, French, and of other nations?

What advantage would accrue to shareholders? Would England, in case of
forcible annexation, not be under the necessity of incurring a heavy
charge in the increase of her South African garrisons, and so be
justified in levying a considerable royalty upon the output, which would
materially reduce the dividends? What advantage would arise to England
by substituting an unproductive and costly war in South Africa for
conditions of peace and prosperity, which alone can yield her commerce
profit? England can only derive profit from wars waged between other
peoples. And as to the incentive of commercial supremacy, England, while
possessing that to a large extent already, freely and voluntarily allows
all comers from other natio