THE Wairarapa Age. MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1909. UNITED SOUTH AFRICA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3199, 27 May 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age. MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1909. UNITED SOUTH AFRICA.

Now that the dream of closer union is approaching fulfilment speculation is rife as to which of South Africa's public men will be chosen to guide the new-born State through the critical opening years. /South Africa is peculiarly rich in statesmen of character and resolution, but two men stand out as the leading claimants for the Premiership. They are General Botha, Premier of the Transvaal, and Mr J. X. Merriman, Premier of Cape Colony. The two men are curiously alike in some qualities, and as curiously dissimilar in others. Both are clear-headed to an unusual degree, , and have the capacity of seeing beyond the immediate conditions of the moment Both, too, have the rare political virtue of courage. Both of them during the last two years—General Botha in the Transvaal and Mr Merriman in Cape ColOiiy, have forced their parties along unfamiliar paths, and in each case their followers have come to see the wisdom of that guidance. These successes were largely due to their great power of imposing their will upon others. But here the similarity ceases, and no two men differ more in political temperament or in the impression which each of them makes upon the political life of his colony. General Botha is noted for his tact; he has a positive genius for managing men. Mr Merriman, on the other hand, is impatient; he does not "suffer fools gladly." But this asperity of temper has died away with years; his splendid ability and integrity have come to be recognised, and to-day he is probably the most respected pjblic man in South Africa. He has had a long and varied political career of over thirty years, and it is probable that the post of Premier would be offered to him first of all, if only by virtue of his experience. He is by far the best debater of the Cape Parliament, and on occasion he can rise to the higher levels of oratory, when his tall, spare, commanding figure seems to add dignity to his rhetoric. He is a democrat in the best sense of the word; he has never faltered in his Liberal principles,

and bis faith in £ure democracy has remained unshaken. This is the more creditable to him in that he is by nature inclined to be autocratic; like other earnest and strong willed men he likes to have hisjawn way. He is singularly well read, and his speechhave a scholarly turn that is rare in the utterances of colonial statesmen. Mr Merriman's courage was never put to better proof than during last year, when he was pressing Pareliaraent the most drastic Budget in the history of the Cape. He had just been returned to power by a large majority, and the temptation to compromise with the financial situation was great. But having once made up hia mind as to the measures which -»ere necessary, he risked all has'popularity by insisting on their acceptance. New and burdensome taxes were proposed, and for a time he was the centre of a storm of obloquy and criticism. But he stood firm, and his Budget became j aw. During the height of the storm Mr Merriman said in a public speech that he would probably be the "best hated man in the colony," when his Budget had passed. For this he was prepared, but his character and resolution saved him from that fate. Under his guidance Cape Colony has slowly emerged from the financial slough of despond, which threatened to engulf her, and South Africa has reason to be grateful to the statesman who pointed the way.