THE CLOSER UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2489, 12 July 1909, Page 8

THE CLOSER UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA.

During the past week a meeting of considerable importance as regards the union of the South African colonies has been held here in Johannesburg. In fact it has been a week of important meetings throughout South Africa. The strong Dutch political association of the Free State called 1 the “Unie,” or the Union, met in Bloemfontein and unanimously voted in favor of the Constitution.' The opposition party who call themselves the Constitutionalists have done the same. 'I he Dutch association in the Cape Colony, the Bond, is now in session, and it is expected that they will support the movement. One of the most remarkable things about this movement to secure the union of the colonies of South Africa is that no party linos have been drawn. The leaders of all parties have favored the movement, and any opposition that there is comes from free lances in any and all parties. The meeting to which 1 refer above as held in Johannesburg, was a meeting of delegates of "Closer Union” Societies. These societies have been formed throughout South Africa during the past year for the purpose of studying and promoting a closer union of the South African colonies. This broad term "closer union” was adoptee! by the politicians and Governments in the first place as a convenient phrase to describe what all believed in, without too closely indicating just how close that union was to be. These ‘‘Closer Union” Societies have done an important and influential work in preparing the public for union. I hey have prepared and published two works bearing on the questions involved. The first of these entitled, “The Government of South Africa,” in two volumes of about 900 pages, deals with the history and present Governments, and the problems arising from their separation. The second work in one volume is called “The Framework of Union,” contains the Constitutions of the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and Germany in full and a comparison of them. Thus we have in the first of those two works a statement of the problems to be solved, and in the second a thoughtful study of the methods adopted in solving somewhat similar problems in the countries named. When the name of "Closer Union ’ wa*, adopted by the societies the question whether the union should take the form of a confederation after that of Canada- or Australia, or whether the union should be a unification of the colonics, was an open one; but long ago the decision was reached by an overwhelming majority in favor of unification. Beginning with the present year, a magazine called the “State,” *thc organ of the Closer I nion Societies, has been published, and has ably advocated unification. Delegates ninety in number from about 50 Closer Union Societies gathered here and for three days discussed the _ Constitution. Many amendments were offered, discussed, and then voted down. Delegates from the Cape wanted the native franchise more firmly entrenched by providing that Parliament might not change the franchise for natives in Cape Colony unless a majority of members from the Cape voted in favor of the change. The provision now is that the franchise may not lie taken away from the natives unless two-thirds of the members of both Houses of Parliament so vote. The Cape delegates wished to further safeguard the rights of the natives by the proviso that this two thirds vote must contain a! majority of the Cape members. On the other hand other delegates wished to doubly lock the door against admitting the natives to the franchise in the other colonies. But these and all other amendments were voted down, and on the third day a unanimous vote for the Constitution as it is was carried. This of course does not show that all are perfectly satisfied. It only indicates that the feeling in favor of union is so strong that they are not willing to run the risk of failure by insisting on any amendments. it is generally admitted on all sides that union under the Constitution dooms racialism as between British and Boer. There has been nothing finer than the spirit shown by the leaders of both races. It was an English delegate at the Convention that proposed that the Dutch and English languages should be made absolutely equal throughout the Union, both being official languages. It was also an English delegate that proposed that the old name of the Orange Free State should be restored. All the speeches since the Constitution was published, so far as regards the leading men throughout South Africa, have been conciliatory as between the two white races. The only discordant note has come from Natal—the one preEnglish Colony. And even there it is the smaller politicians that have appealed to racialism and the fear of Dutch dominance in South Africa. Butunder proportional representation it will be impossible for either race to dominate.