The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-11-01

Inc whole country 10 excited over % letter
written by the British Minister at Washing
pondence Is given herewith, a matter Of gem
eral interest, without any Of the assertions,
denials or explanations which are given BY
politicians and party journals.
THE
The following il the letter to Minister West
which called for the much criticised reply:
POMONA, Cal, Sept. IA, 1S88.-To the
British Minister, Washington, D.. C.-Sir:
The gravity of the political situation here
and tho duty Of hos voters who are of En-
glish birth, but still consider England the
mother land, constitute the apology hereby
offer for intruding for information. Mr..
Cleveland's message to congress on the fishery
question justly excites our alarm and com.
pels US to seek further knowledge before final
~ casting our votes for him as we had in
tended to do. Many English citizens have
as they thought no good would accrue
from the act, but Mr.. Cleveland's
administration has been SO favorable and
friendly toward England, so kind in not en-
forcing the retaliatory act passed by con-
gress, SO sound or the free trade question
and SO hostile to the dynamite school OF
Ireland that Englishmen by the hundreds
yes, by the thonsands-they have become
naturalized for the express purpose OF help
ing to elect him again. The one above all
American politicians they consider their own
and their country's best friend.
l am one Of these unfortunates with q right
to vote for President in November. I On I'M
able to understand for whom / shall cast my
ballot, when but one month ago ! was sure
Mr.. Cleveland was the man. If Cleveland
was pursuing q new policy toward
Canada temporarily only and for the sake
Of obtaining popularity and continue
ton of his office four years more, but intends
to cease his policy when his reelection is se-
cured in November and again favor Engiand's
but go forward n vote for him. / know of
no one better able to direct me, sir, and I
most respectively ask your advice in the mat
ter. / will further add that the two men-Mr.
Cleveland and Mr.. H~arrison-are very evenly
matched and a few votes may elect either one.
Mr.. Harrison is q high tariff man, a believer
on the American side of oil questions and un-
doubtedly an enemy to British interests gen.
orally.
This state is equally divided between the
parties, and a mere handful of our natural.
lied countrymen can turn it either way.
When it is remembered that a small state
(Co]orado) defeated Mr.. Tilden in 1915 and
elected Hayes, the Republican, the impor-
tahce OF California is at once apparent to all.
As you are at h efountain head of knowledge
on the question, and know whether Mr.. Cleve-
lands present policy rs temporary only, and
whether he will as soon as he secures another
term of four years in the presidency, suspend
it for one of friendship and free trade, l
apply to you privately and confdel-
turn be treated as entirely secret. Such in.
formation would put me at rest myself,
and if favorable to Mr.. Cleveland enabled me,
on my own responsibility, to assure many
Of our countrymen that they would do Eng
Ian a service by voting for Cleveland and
ain th4 Dnn~tl.nn~ - A--:A A.
! before observed, we kno not what to do,
but look for more light on q mysterious sub
ject. The ooner this information comes the
better will it serve true Englishmen in cast
ing their votes. Yours very respectfully.
E. MURCHIsoN. .
THE REPLY.
The following is a copy of the letter which
Minister Sackville West wrote in answer to
the above:
Private-sir: I am in receipt of your letter
of the 4th inst, and beg to say that l fully
appreciate the difficulty in which you find
yourself in casting your vote. You are prob
ably aware that any political party which
openly favored the mother country at the
present moment would lose popularity, and
that the party in power is fully aware of this
fact. The party, however, is | believe, still
DESTROYS OF maintaining friendly relation with
Great Britain, and is still DESTROYS of settling
all questions with Canada, which have been
unfortunately reopened since the reject
ton of the treaty by the Republican
majority in the Senate and by the Presi-
dents message, to which you alude. All al
lowances must therefore be made for the
political situation as regards the presiden-
tial election, thus created. It is, however,
impossible to predict the course which Presi-
dent Cleveland may pursue in the matter of
retaliation, should he be elected, but there ia
every reason to believe that, while upholding
the position he has taken, he will manifest q
spirit of cancellation in dealing with the ques-
ton involved in his message. I enclose an
article from the New York Times of Aug. %,
and remain, yours faithfully,
L.. 8. SACKvILLE WEST.
Beverley, Mass, Sept. Is, 1883.