The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-12
essity caused the displacement OF Mr..

/
| Waller by Democrats consul, but the
| weight of Mr.. walters representations
| to the American foreign office still re-
| NAMED. and, in effect, the policy that
he had obtained their sanction OF, was
| not reversed.
| Night and day the French watched
| maternity and with the stealth of IL
| ger waiting until it was sure that its
| spring would fasten upon its proposed
| victim. Mr.. Waller for three long
| months gave no chance. In fact, know
| ing the precariousness of liberty under
! French rule, he wrote to his wife warn
| ing her not even TO men ton political
| matters or sympathy in her letters TO
| him or iIer son. But, nevertheless, the
| opportunity for which the French were
so untiringly waiting, came. A letter
in which Mr.. Waller referred to an Or
der for four reyolvers, which a young
Hova lad had in October, last, before
even France had presented her ultima
tum to the Mlagasy, asked him to exc
cute fell into their hands. At once
Mr.. Waller was arrested and placed un-
der a mock trial for being spy and for
supplying arms to the enemy, SubSe-
quently incarcerated for twenty years,
Il France is permitted her will in a
Corsican dungeon. Supplying arms 10
the enemy, forSoothi Is the French eX
petition TO Madagascar SO weak that
menace to It? Are the consequences
from supplying four evolvers SO wide
reaching that expiation must be done
10y twenty ears in jail?
The sentence is barbarous and sig
nificant as saveragery. Well may Ho-
va lads purchase revolvers, for men
who can infiict so monstrous a SEN
tence surely will not scruple TO perpe-
trate any atrocity, and revolvers may
be needed tossend the women Of the land
TO a better world.
The whole sum total Of Mr.. Wal
ler's offending was his indomitable OPP
position TO Madagascar being reduced
to a depot for the furnishing Of slave
laborers to French planters. 1t is no.
BILE effort that Mr.. Waller has made
and he has paid the penalty Of martyr
dom.
The issue Of April 81 contained these
headlines: THE Illegally of ex-Amer-
lean Consul Walters Arrest and Sent
ence-The United States Bound in Hon
or to Uphold the American-M alagasy
Treaty, and not Subordinate America
Foreign Policy to Europe's Convent
ence." The article states:
"EX- u. S. A Consul Waller Is much
hated by the French in consequence
of his represent atoms on the Madagas-
car question to his government being
the main cause Of their withdrawing
rived American consul to obtain his
official recognition by the Ma1agasy
government through the medium OF the
French resident general. Owing to that
he has for months past been the VIC
tim Of most malignantand persistent
persecution. This incident the outrage
particularly worthyofnote-as ii shows
what all not favorable to the French
pretensions have to expects that
some ten days before the French occu-
patton Of Tamatave, for the protection
of life and property, three French sol
diers came into the premises OF the
house of the American subject-an Am
erican old-time negro of sterling worth
and excellent characteristic. John Dub
lin by name, with whom Mr.. Waller is
lodging. and. finding Mr.. Dublin absent
made violent tons, which so
frightened the Malagasy on and around
the premises that the natives fled in
great fear.
Mr.. Waller was seated in the court
yard. The French soldiers went up TO
him and one of them asked why he had
not also taken to his heels and IL he
was not afraid of a French soldier. On
his replying that he was not afraid, one
of the soldiers matched a long knife
from his belt and made at Mr.. Waller.
Mr.. Waller sprang to his feet, seized
a chair on which he had been sitting
of violence was attempted he (WalleD
would dash his brains out. The three
soldiers then left. Mr.. Waller laid the
matter before the United States consul
but 1t is a matter of international i'm
portance, for the security of life, and
property in Madagascar. that the Incl
dent shall have world wide publicity.
THE court-rnartial of Mr.. Waller was
a mock trial. The evidence produced
against him afforded not a title of
title for his condemnation. He was pre-
judged. for the French thought not on
ly to silence him, but also to gag, to
terrify into submission 10 France,
American citizens in this island CONT
nent.
Important as Il IS. the liberty the
life of an American. is not the most i'm
porta mt issue at stake. The liberty. the
life, Of American commerce and enter
prise in this immense island. is that
which the French court-martial has
struck at. Were America 10 be silent
under the indignity. the insult, France
has placed upon her. the American
Malagasy treaty would be a dead letter.
and by silence America would have. to
all intentS and purposes. passively fol-
lowed the lead of Great Britain and ac-
quieSced in Frances assumption of
protectorate over Madagascar.
"But apart from the all-importont
principles al SI1hS-lHS VI
whether American citizens and inter-
ests in Madagascar are under the con-
troll OF France. the illegality OF the ar
rest and imprisonment of Mr.. Waller
stands out wildly from judicial point
of view.
Americans when once they put their
foot down. never bulge; the American
government. once IL has marked out a
course in reference TO its foreign inter
ests. never tramps backwards, pulling
up the heacons that II has dotted
down And with reference TO NADIA
gascar. whose government is remarka-
bly, favorable to American commercial |
enterprise. it is absurd of French Of
ficials, military as well as civil. 10 i'm
agine that the bullying and seizure OF
American citizens. will terrify the
American government into p reversal of
a historic policy Of intinidat ton that
French officials have pursued towards |
American citizens in this country. will
have precisely the opposite effect and |
We have not the slightest hesitation in |
stating that Uncle sam Will change |
his recent policy OF mastery inactiv- |
ity' to one Of hands off Americans and |
American interests.
American most certainly Is not GO |
ing II become Il political Lazearus. |
feeding on :he crumbs that fall from |
Europe's ables. She will. undouhted- |
ly. insist that Europe in its land hunger |
does not gObble up American patrimony |
her inalienably entailei heritage Of /
commerce and commercial enterprise"
THAT TILTED BEAUTY TALKS