The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-04
DID he BUY his OFFICE
Van Allen Gave S5O,O0O to the Campaign
Fund and is Appointed Ambassador to
Italy.
Especial to Atlanta Constitution.

WASHINGTON, d. c., September q.
The New York World Of this morn
ing comes out in three column story,
in which it intimates that Mr.. J. J. Van
Allen, of England and Newport, who is
chosen by Mr.. Cleveland to be the first
American ambassador to Italy, &C.
cured his appointment through liberal
subscriptions to the campaign fund.
Mr.. Van Allen is, 10 use his own words,
zone Of the gentry" and says: "Amer-
lea is no fit place for ladies and gentle
men to live inn For months the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Van Allen has been
discussed, but everybody who knows
him knew that his appointment could
not be justified by any worthy argu-
ment.
tt is a secret among Van Aliens
friends that he paid for his AMBASSADOR
ship, and one of his most cordial sup
porters said at a Newport dinner last
August: "If Van Allen does not get
that appointment the democratic party
need expect no aid from the gentlemen
in the future. A politician whom you
all know gave his word as gentlemen
that Van Allen would get the ambassa-
dorship. Van Allen gave $4,000 to
help Cleveland's election when the
Democrats needed the money badly.
He paid for the Office like gentleman,
and if he does not get it, the Democrats
may have to get along without the gen.
tleman's help in the future.
The World thus describes the man
who is to represent the United States
in foreign country: "Mr. Van Allen
has done nothingin politics, nothing
in any direction, that would make him
otherwise than contemptible in the
eyes of self respecting working Ameri-
cans. He comes to Newport for short
time in the summer. The rest of the
time he lives in England. He had
himself elected president of the New
port Democratic Club. The president
of the Democratic club made him am
bassador to Italy. It is funnier than
anything in opera boufet. 1t will in
terest Americans to learn what sort of
a bargain they made when they traded
the post of American ambassador to
Italy for J. Van Allen and S50,000."
"Van Allen is short and fat. he
prides himself on his resemblance to
the Prince of Wales. A string long
enough to reach around Van Aliens
body at the equator would reach from
his head to his heels. He wears a
single eyeglass, with heavy string at
tached. He speaks with what he is
pleased to consider an English accent.
It's weird bastard cockney, which
fills Englishmsn with wonder. It is
the sort of English:accent that a man
with no talent for initiating nightget
from hansom cab drivers and strand
barmaids. He is about forty-fve years
old. He wears white sprats and his
legs make him look like Diodati
Thompson. A prize fighting gentle
man of the bowery was brought to
Newport to train fat off Van Allen.
The work was begun in the cellar.
The fighting gentleman, called 'One-
eyed Connelly,' said to other Newport
men whom he had. trained, thath had
never in his hard life met a man who
seemed less fit to be on earth than Van
Allen. :....
"Van Alien has ali the vanites that
an American ambassador could: do
without. Heeis determined to drive
four:in-hand because it is his idea Of
what is proper, and he persists in it,
although he endangers precious hu-
man lives in the process. He informs,
whoever will listen, that he keeps
English mustard in mustard pot. Of
English silver, and French mustard in
a French mustard pot, He entertains
few convictions, except those which re-
fer to clothes, horses and Scotch wnis-
KY. His sole intellectual conviction is
the one already quoted, that America
is not a fit place for ladies and gentle
men to live in. This conviction be ex-
presses frequently.
"It has been said that William c.,
Whitney helped Van Allen, as a re-
ward for services Of a social sort, rem
dered when Whitney first went to
Newport. That is nonsense, as it is
only a few years ago that Van Allen
was received by nobody. Mr.. Clere-
land certainly does not know the char
acter Of the man whom he is sending
to Rome. He is sending secondhand
Englishman who. will be depised by
Americans and ignored by English
men. This appointment insults every
citizen who does not share the convic-
ton that this country Is unfit for ladies
and gentlemen. It insults every
worthy American who has represented
this country abroad from Franklin to
Bayard."
MR.. WHITNEY SAYS .THTRE WAS NO
BARGAIN.
Mr.. w. C. Whitney has address an
open letter to the New York World,
which was published in the New York
papers of last Thursday. 1t is con.
densed here as follows:-Ed. Fl. & NJ
I have had nothing to do with Mr..
Van Aliens candidacy, except what is
contained in communication to the
President, which I shall ask you to
print, together with the interview to
whi,:h it refers. With the President
personally I have never exchanged q
word on the subject. The letter and