THE

PUBLIC LIBRARY

Scotch Free Church Moderator

ON THE

1901

34

South African Question.

The Rev. Dr. JAMES STEWART, of Lovedale Mission Institute, South Africa, who, in May, 1899, was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Scotch Free Church, imparted his views with regard to the Transvaal question to a representative of the New York Tribune on the occasion of his visit to Washington in the autumn. of 1899, to attend the Pan-Presbyterian Council as a delegate from the Free Church of Scotland.

Dr. Stewart's title to speak on matters connected with the Transvaal rests upon thirty years' residence in South Africa.

On the morning of his election as Moderator of the General Assembly the Scotsman coupled his name with that of Dr. Livingstone as the men to whom the British Central Africa Protectorate was due.

The interview is published in the Tribune of September 24th, 1899.

Dr. Stewart said:

"As to the principle politically in dispute, the British Govern“ment asks nothing more than this—That British subjects in "the Transvaal shall enjoy-I cannot say the same privileges, "but a faint shadow of what every Dutchman, as well as every "man, white and black, in the Cape Colony enjoys. Every "Dutchman in the Cape Colony is treated exactly as if he were "an Englishman; and every subject of her Majesty the Queen, "black and white, is treated in the Transvaal, and has always been, as a man of an alien and subject race. The fran"chise is only one of many grievances, and it "is utterly a mistake to suppose that England is going to war over a question of mere franchise. Let us be just, however. "There are in the Cape Colony and out of it loyal Dutchmen, "loyal as the day, to the British power, which is the ruling power. They know the freedom they enjoy "under it, and the folly and futility of trying to upset it.

"No superfluous pity or sympathy need be wasted on Presi"dent Kruger or the Transvaal Republic. The latter is a “shadow of a name, and as great a travesty and bur"lesque on the word as it is possible to conceive. Four-fifths of "those who have made that Republic what it is by their energy, "brains, and capital, and their discovery of it as the richest "goldfield in the world for its size, if not absolutely, may "neither peep nor mutter. So far as public life is "concerned, they are like men gagged and pinioned. "Paul Kruger is at the present moment the real troubler "of South Africa. If the spirit and principles which he "himself and his Government represent were to prevail in this "struggle, it would arrest the development of the southern half "of the continent. It is too late in the day by the world's clock "for that type of man or government to continue.

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"The plain fact is this:-President Kruger does not mean to give, never meant to give, "and will not give anything as a concession "in the shape of just and necessary rights, except what he is forced to give. He "wants also to get rid of the suzerainty. "That darkens and poisons his days and disturbs his nights by "fearful dreams. There is no excuse for him, and, as I say, "there need be no sentiment wasted on the subject. "President Kruger and his supporters do Let "what is right, and give what is barely and simply and only necessary as well as right, and the whole difficulty will pass into "solution, to the relief of all concerned and the preservation "of peace in South Africa. If not, the blame must rest with "him.

"I am sorry I cannot give any information or views different "from what I have now stated. "residence in Africa. They are the result of 30 years' "that the British Government are rather being But I would ask your readers to believe "forced into war than choosing it of their own accord. I would also ask your readers to believe "that Sir Alfred Milner, the present Governor of Cape Colony, though undoubtedly a strong man, is also one of the least aggressive, most cautious, and pacific of men; and that he has "the entire confidence of the whole British population of the Cape "Colony. I know also that when he began his rule three years "ago he did so with the expectation that by pacific measures "the Dutch question was capable of a happier and better solu"tion than that in which the situation finds it to-day. The "question and trouble to-day is, briefly, whether the British "Government is able to give protection and secure reasonable rights for its subjects abroad."

Printed and Published by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., "The Armoury," London, S.E.

TOPROLIC LIBRARY

EDUCATION.

WHAT THE

35°

UNIONIST GOVERNMENT HAS DONE

(1895-1900.)

In dealing with the policy of the Government on various matters, the Radicals always magnify most unfairly any mistakes and shortcomings the Government may have made, and they make no mention whatever of the good solid work which it. has accomplished. This, perhaps, is specially the case with regard to Education. It is therefore necessary to put before the Electors what the Government has done on this subject during the last five years.

1.-The Grant made to Voluntary Schools in 1897, accompanied by a Grant in relief of the School Rate in certain places where its incidence was more than ordinarily heavy. No one who is acquainted with the facts concerning Primary Education in this

country will dispute that there is a great national demand for Denominational as well as for Undenominational Elementary Schools. Voluntary

Schools are as indispensable as Board Schools in our Primary system. By saving the Voluntary Schools from extinction the Government saved the ratepayers from an additional burden which has been estimated at between three and four millions a year.

2.-The Act of 1899, establishing a Board of Education which shall have cognizance of Secondary as well as Elementary Education, is the first great step towards the organising of our National Education as a whole. Such an organisation is of vital moment to our commercial and industrial interests, no less than to those of our general literary and scientific culture. The Lord President of the Council, by the Bill which he introduced this Session, has laid before the country proposals for completing the important reform inaugurated in 1899 by establishing Local Authorities for Secondary Education.

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3. The Elementary Education Code of 1900 has introduced a reform which, by the unanimous consent of all competent judges, is one of the most important and most salutary changes that has been made for many years in our system of Primary Education. This is the principle of the Block Grant, by which

Elementary Schools are delivered from the operation of a mercenary motive (or "grant-hunting "), and facilities are afforded for adapting the subjects of instruction to the circumstances of the children in town or country, and to the special needs of each locality. It is long since any educational reform has earned so large a measure of gratitude alike from teachers and from parents.

4. At the same time, a special Minute of the Board of Education has made provision for the establishment of Higher Elementary Schools, specially planned and staffed for teaching the higher subjects, and affording a thorough curriculum, which can be adjusted to the requirements of different localities.

Among other good services to Education, effected by administrative means (without new legislation) since 1897, may be mentioned the further development and improvement of Science Schools, one of the results of the revision of the South Kensington Directory which was carried out by a Departmental Committee in 1896-1897.

The Radicals never make any mention of these beneficial reforms, and would like to deprive the Government of the credit for carrying them out.