s at least one impossible of
realisation, the dupe is always in the wrong; in the same manner, it was
Krueger's aim to be able to say to the Uitlanders, who did not obtain the
Franchise: "It is your own fault. You have not carried out the
conditions!"
Oh! Mr. Krueger showed again at Bloemfontein how very clever he is, and
how worthy of Bismarck's admiration--but, Bismarck only entered upon a
policy which he could carry through.
According to Krueger's proposal, every new-comer must within a fortnight
of arrival have himself inscribed as a candidate for naturalisation and
the Franchise; the former would be granted after two years; the latter
after five more years; seven years in all. But should the first
formality have been neglected within the stated time, the Uitlander was
to forfeit for good and all the right of obtaining either the one or
the other! The first condition having been fulfilled, the inscribed
Uitlander was to prove "his obedience to the laws"; but President Krueger
did not signify how he was to give this negative proof.
He had, moreover, to prove that he had "committed no act contrary to the
Government, or its independence." But to vote against any candidate of
Krueger's is, in the Transvaal, an act contrary to the Government. What
Uitlander then could ever have obtained his naturalisation? "Two years
of continuous registration,"--but are the registers carefully kept in
the Transvaal? These formalities accomplished, and naturalisation
obtained, there followed five years of registration, and the obligation
of permanent residence. A stay at the Cape, a voyage to Europe, would
have sufficed to forfeit the whole benefit of the formalities observed,
including inscription during the first fourteen days after arrival.
Finally, the retrospective clause demonstrates the cunning nature of the
methods employed by Mr. Krueger.
First it deals with a nine years' residence, _plus_ two years for
naturalisation, _plus_ six months' declaration, in all eleven
years-and-a-half, at the least.
The wording of the clause is as follows:--
"The Residents in the South African Republic before 1890, who shall
become naturalised within six months of the promulgation of the
proposed law, after giving six months' notice of their intention to
apply for naturalisation, shall obtain the full franchise two years
after naturalisation, instead of five years. Those who have not
been naturalised within
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