ThE Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1908. THE FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 112, 4 February 1908, Page 6

ThE Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1908. THE FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICA.

In some recent remarks oil South African : Confederation, we cited, as amongst the problems to be solved, customs tariffs, railway rates, coloured franchise, inclusion 'of 'llhodesia,! and inclusion (for customs and railway rate purposes) of Mozambique, which is Portuguese territory. ' Most of these subjects can be relied on to. furnish niatter for very animated discussion, and also for some rapid changes in the groupings of the various delegates. In. the railway rates' question, for. jhstarice, the fight will be betwoferi the inland colonies on the one hand, and the two coast colonies on the otlier. The latter, by means of high rates, have for long lived on the former, to the exceeding benefit of their own taxpayers.. The coloured franchise question will produce yet another grouping, for on this point we shall find all the other colonies united against Cape Colony. As regards difficulty of . solution, it is believed that this will be the most important of any of the points mentioned. There are difficulties enough and to spare in most of the others, but, after all, they amount only to bargaining. Extravagant, hay, even absurd, demands Vill doubtless be made by each party. But all parties will come to ,the conference prepared to accept much less than they ask. On these matters, compromise will be written large' in the briefs of all the delegates. The .coloured franchise question is in a different category altogether. It is, 'with the majority of the colonies a question of principle of the deepest moment. It is the one 'point on which there .cannot be any compromise. It is the only rock which can and may prove fatal to the proposal to federate, though it may not prevent a federation of the four northern colonies, leaving Cape Colony to join at a later date, Eof the attitude of these colonies is that the native shall be treated with justice, but he.must not be given political rights. Our readers arc probably aware that in Natal, the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony, the franchise is restricted to white male adults. In Cape Colony and Rhodesia, coloured Juvmc. a certain jprojjerty and.

educational qualification, have been permitted for some years past to exercise the franchise. As regards Rhodesia, it may he said that this coloured franchise is resented by the white population. It was forced on them by the chartered company, but wifl be abolished at the first opportunity. In the Cape, the position at present is rather confusing—unsatisfactory is, perhaps, 1 a better word. Neither the Unionists' nor the Bond really like this franchise. They are beginning to realise its danger. _ In seven or eight of the eastern province divisions alone, the native vote governs the result ; in others, it exercises nearly as much power: in five only out of forty-five divisions is there no native vote. Neither party, therefore, has dared to say a word against the coloured franchise. Both of them, in fact, are'protesting with all their might that, federation or no federation, they will never consent'to the native being deprived of his vote. If this attitude is maintained after the election, which has just resulted in the defeat of the Jameson Government, [ there will be no federation so far as Cape Colony is concerned. It is;difficult to express in words the strength of feeling which animates the whites of the other colonies on this subject. It is the oue and only point on which English and Putch universally agree. But this much may be predicted with confidence. Under no circumstances will these colonies consent to any coloured man, whether he be native, or Asiatic, or half-caste on the male side, having a Federal vote.

In 1905, an exceptionally' strong Inter-colonial Commission on the amative Question reported (inter alia) rather in favour of native representation on tlic lines of our .Maori representation here. But the proposal met. with a very hostile reception, and most certainly has not gained in favour since. It would certainly be rejected by the northern colonies, though Cape Colony would perhaps agree to it : . To prophesy now how the matter will eventually shape itself would be impossible. There seem to be three alternatives: —Either Cape Colony will abandon the "blanket'' in which case Unification (as distinguished from federation) will follow; or she will retain it for local use only, which may .mean Federation as distinguished from Unification; or she may continue to insist on the coloured franchise being used, so far as she is concerned, for Federal purposes, which will mean her exclusion from any form of Federation. With the rapid increase of .the native, population in all'the colonies, there is good ground for the aversion, and even fear, felt for this franchise by the four colonies. We cannot shut our eyes to the danger of the white population-be-ing out-voted in the hear, future, and though on paper it may seem safe to concede the scheme suggested by the Commission, in practice it would be found that the negrophiles and the Ethiopian Church would regard the concession merely as an .instalment pf full equality. Constant agitation would be the result, aiid an armed outbreak the not improbable finale. The South African- colonies ■ may, be _ expected to .adhere .closely io ~the; . advice given by the '' Tra,nSYaal.'Xe?dOT."'.(Octoter 15, 19045" The policy of- exclusion from equality must boi applied throughout South' Africa: .the dreamt Federation can never be realised upon any other basis than the frank and complete denial of the political, equality of the races," for even the Commission itself reports of Cape' Colony: " a situation has'arisen-requiring fair but resolute treatment, a situation not only .immediately unsatisfactory, but pregnant . with: future danger."