ELECTION IN THE TRANSVAAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5861, 1 May 1897, Page 7

ELECTION IN THE TRANSVAAL.

A Victorian in the Transvaal thus describes in the Argus the manner in which \ an election is conducted : — " Vacancies occurred recently for Pretoria and Johannesburg. In both cases candidates opposed to Kruger topped the poll, but in both cases my esteemed neighbour was. equal to the occasion. At the time of the raid he promised to enfranchise some of the people of Johannesburg. This promise was made to the Uitlanders, and it was one of the causes which induced them to lay down their arms. Well, when the election was over and the top man declared elected, Kruger wired to the returning-officer to keep the election open a week longer. (You must understand that they vote in the old-fashioned way here, and not by ballot, so it is known who each elector votes for.) Then he caused to be added to the rolls 800 Germans and other foreigners who took up arms against the Uitlanders at the raid. They were marched to the polling-booth in a body and voted for Kruger's candidate, who was then declared elected ! Thus he fulfilled his promise to the Uitlanders, and also got his man in by one grand stroke of statesmanship. In Pretoria the Opposition candidate was also elected, but Kruger had the rolls revised after the election, and struck off the names of 250 who had voted for the successful man. The ' Krugerite ' was then declared duly elected. This is the first time the rolls have been revised for ten years, so people who have long been dead and buried continue to vote all the same. Another idea of Kruger's, when he thinks an election is in danger, is to march about half his standing 'army' to the district in question, and so swamp the local vote. And, over all, the gilded statue of Liberty continues to smile upon a free, enlightened and well-governed people/'