Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-26

Capt. Charles s. smith. OF the Ordnance DEPART
M ment, @ who % has the reputation OF being an expert
on the subject Of guns and gunnery. His appoint
ment was generally regarded favoraby by Army
omcers. but another element had an opinion on
the subject the rumor said, In the person OF
Senator German, who made a vigorous protest
ooth to the Secretary and TO the President against
she the appointment poll Of capt. Smith on the board The
Investigation for many months
MINISTER WEsT,s LETTER.
Secretary Bayard Makes q Statement
About it and MF. Blatne Comment
ON it.
Secretary Bayard, on his return to the city, had
an interview with the President on the subject OF
| the Lord Sackvile West letter. and later freely
expressed his opinion on the subject He said:
II have read both letters have not seen the
British minister since he went to Europe last
spring until he called on me this morning.
AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
lord sackville has no other or better means OF
knowledge OF the Intentions OF the President than
any one OF the 81, 900 900 Americans His personal
opinion Is worth no more than that OF any one of
them on the ground OF knowledge, and much less
on the ground OF interest In the subject. While
Cnere must De consensus or opinion as to the Inn
propriety OF the expression OF Individual views by
any one holding the position OF foreign envoy,
the issues involved In the pending canvass with.
out the Importation OF foreign Interference or in
termeddling In our domestic Affairs The Ameri-
can people Will be prompt to resent and repei as
| lmpertlnent any such attempt, but they will
easily recognize the political pitfal arranged by
tne California Letter, with ITS object SO plainly
stamped upon Its face, and addressed TO the British
minister, into winch he has so surprisingly tum-
pied Such petty schemes 70 break the fall OF
0eSpa1r1ng politicians Will be held In proper esti-
nation by popular Intelligence"
| MINISTER WEST SAYS IT Is TRAP
Minister West, on reading secretary Bayards
statement said he did not care TO criticse It The
letter sent from California, he SAID "was undoubt-
edly written for the purpose OF entrapping me- In
pubic the manner In which the affair was planned
and the identity or the persons concerned in it.
The efforts which are being directed to the discov-
cry OF the tricksters were instigated by me- and
mink shall succeed In making everything plain. "
THE CALIFORNIA ''BRIroN."
With relation to the letter, Mr.. Harrison Gray
Otis, editor or the Los Angeles Times In which the
letter was first published, telegraphs from Los An
geles under date Of october "a: "The Pomona cor
respondent OF the British minister Is a genuine
Brlton and reputable citizen. His object in
writing is apparent. II was TO get the real views
pocs IN s1e sSo
the mother country and his private advice to
the writer as TO how be, naturalized English
service to Britain The writer's name is withheld
by his request but will be produced II necessity
require II. Vests letter is unquestionably genu-
Inc, body, coat-of-arms, signature, and all"
Mr.. BLAINEs COMMENTS.
Mr.. Blaine, In his address at the Irish- American
republican demonstration in Madison Square
Garden, New York, last night, spoke OF the Sack
ville-West correspondence. He said there was q
fear that majority or the IrisA votes in America
or the 1rSh.Amercan voters Will cast their ballot
on the 9th day OF November as the present govern
ment or England would desire them to cast It
For the last four months the democrats
affrming that the first and last and constant wish
OF England was that Nj: Cleveland's Administra-
should be sustained Dy the whole force and effect
OF English public opinion. And just when they
had Gegun to make an expression and I'm
such might not be the effect, we have the The
letter OF the British minister to Washington
himself know n You DO not IKE 70
the letter OF the British minister himself
He said that Minister West should be sent back TO
England at once, and criticised Secretary Bayard
and the Administration for not taking such
action at once. lie said: ''rhree ministers OF the
United States certainly two. have had their walk
ing papers for Onenses less grave than that, and
tonight II an American minister OF England
should write to an English voter, advising MIN to
United states he Would be politely invited to sail I
home by the next steamer. And then what does
the Secretary OF State do? Why, he says it was
sends private circular-suppose he issues 10000
OF them and marks them 'private" on the corner
as you mark them private and as long as you marx
them private they will have SO much more benen.
cial effect when they get into the public print"
Is MURCHIsoN MYTH
special dispatch to the New YORK Herald to.
dag from Los Angeles Cal. says that the West
letter scheme ''seems to have been q very pretty
little newspaper fake. ceverly concocted and ciev-
erly carried out the plan being confined to news
paper offices and withheld until the authors
almost unexpected answer came from the repre-
sentative OF her Britannia maJesty's government"
The Time: Of Los % angeles y given the credit for
TO the Heralds correspondent u supposed to be
Charles r. Lumnis, OF the Tines, sojourning in
was learned that there was no such person as
Charles r. Murchison, and that Minister Vests
letter to Murchison was delivered 70 an utter
says credits the plan to the county central com
mittee, inspired by promptings from New YORK,
West @ were Writ1en 70 two other prominent BTisssh
subjects, who had better sense than their 90.
patriots and made no answer Il is also said In
Der Of these letters were sent 70 men prominent IN
the prohibitonist party in the Eastern states and
s sDondensS however, ADVISED NJ SurcSi,SS G SSr %
vote the democratic ticket A few only were IN
favor Of the republican party.
All OF these communications, lt q oaid toQother
with Vests letters VIII be photographed and
scattered abroad for their eject on the prohibl-
tionista They are kept most sacredly under lock
soon as the necessary photography and engraving
You've GIBSON m cHIcAao-A New Haven dis-
patch 70 the New YORK 6sn, October 2A, says: A
Telegram was received BY George L Fox this even
ing announcing that Montgomery Gibson, the stu
dent VINO mas peen misstng nom here Tor the past
70 Mr. Fox comes nom Senator Gibson &C Hash-
ington. Az Tar - Can belearned he LEFT this CITY,
having become tired OF college hfa Young Gibson
was pecui1Ar Fellow. He made NV acQunfntauces
and was given % writing dime nove1S He often
While - k1ster. chalienged his classmates % nght
=
In the French chamber Of depur1a yosssgday u.
fegtrAl the minister a finance, spoke In deoonso
sns q CeossS -. Hs SO y ~ e ,mgsssuvs y
several yeafD longer. Tho war estimates f0e the
ourreut year amount 70 1SQ, ,ooQ.o0o fancA
1spors ro1 xsnz,sE aselass, tnss - asesa! e.