willing to take their abilities and their capital to the Transvaal, in
which he promised them rights of citizenship and assured them of his
protection.

But the matter of invitation is of little account. Let us allow that
there was no invitation. Neither did Fra Diavolo invite the travellers
he despoiled; _ergo._, according to Dr. Kuyper, he had the right to
despoil them. The Uitlanders are travellers, at whose expense the
government of Pretoria has the right to live, and to support the Boers.

Such is plainly the idea of Mr. Krueger and of the majority of the 29
members of the Volksraad, and we shall see that that idea underlies the
whole of its political economy.

Mr. Krueger was, however, in error in supposing that he could practise
this system indefinitely in these times of ours, and with respect to the
citizens of a country which represents the modern conception of
industrial civilization.

Professor Bryce, a strong opponent of the present policy of England,
says in his _Impressions of South Africa_ (p. 470):

"A country must after all take its character from the large
majority of its inhabitants, especially when those who form that
majority are the wealthiest, most educated, and most enterprising
part of the population."

Mr. Krueger has aimed at realizing this paradox: the oppression and
plunder of the most enterprising, most educated, the richest and most
numerous portion of the population by the poorest, most ignorant, most
indolent of minorities.

CHAPTER IX.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GOLD MINES.[12]

1.--_That Gold is Mine!_

Let us see in what terms Dr. Kuyper justifies the Boer policy of
exaction:

"The Leonards and their set are very ready to tell us that the
taxes in Johannesburg exceed in proportion those levied in every
other country.... As to the quota paid by Uitlanders to the State,
we beg leave to remind the British of two points: first, that they
are exempt from all military service; secondly, that it is a far
more serious matter for the Boers to pay with their lives, and the
lives of their sons, than it is for these wealthy owners of gold
mines to pay so much per cent. upon their enormous dividends; and
that if they do pay the Transvaal some thousands of pounds, they
pocket their millions. Moreover, love for the Transvaal has never
entered their metallised hearts."

This little gem merits careful analysis