The Reformers' Dilemma.

Hastings Standard, Issue 437, 28 September 1897, Page 4

The Reformers' Dilemma.

At the time of the Jameson raid the people of Johannesburg were subjected to a good deal of indignant criticism for their apparent cowardice in not coming to the aid of the men who were striking a risky blow in their interests. The work recently published by Mrs John Hays Hammond, wife of one of the four leaders of the Reform Party, makes quite clear the reason for their inaction ; they were, in fact, unarmed. At the last moment they had contrived to smuggle a small quantity of rifles into the town but the number was utterly inadequate. The position of the Reform leaders when Jameson's movement was made know r n to them was rather desperate. f The leaders had taken as few men as was possible into their confidence so as to reduce to a minimum all liability of their plans being discovered by the Government. They had made almost no organisation, and Jameson's sudden oncoming had placed them in a terrible position. To confess at this juncture that the Reform Committee was short of guns would have demoralised the people, and placed Johannesburg entirely at the mercy of the Boers. These leaders played a losing game with splendid courage. Realising that all would be lost if the true situation were suspected, and feeling the fearful responsity of their position, they kept their counsel, and turned bold faces to the world, continuing to treat with the Government with the independence of well-armed men, and men ready to fight.' The result of this attitude was that, when Jameson's surrender became known, Johannesburg was furious

with its leaders, and madly demanded to Le led at once to his rescue, and when the . Boers demanded disarmament before coming to terms there was considerable trouble about the small quantity of arms which could be delivered up. One cannot (says the English reviewer from whom we are quoting) dispute the courage shown by the leaders when they got into the fix, but what can one say of the wisdom which brought them there ? Apropos of the death sentence passed on the four leaders, Mrs Hammond says :—" I have often been asked since if I did not realise that the Boers would never have darei to execute my husband? And many dear friends who were thousands of miles away assure me now that they never had a moment's real apprehension for his safety. We, however, who were in Pretoria at the time, a helpless handful in the power of a primitive population of narrow experience, a people inflamed by long years of racial feud and recent victory, were by no means so sure that all would end well. Two prominent men, standing high in authority, confessed to me later that that they were most anxious and fearful of results, although at the time their sustaining support helped to keep lry body and soul together. The gallows was prepared, and the order was to hang the four victims simultaneously.' After the sentence was commuted to imprisonment, it was long before the Boer Government could be persuaded that the case was better met by release and fine than 15 years' imprisonment.