Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-10-04
STRANGE ELECTION BET.
an Exile for Life as . Re-
suit Of 1t.

suit of 1t.
From the New York Herald.
The most remarkable election bet yet
recorded is one in which the penalty stip-
ulatea is that the loser shall promptly
leave the United States and remain an
exile from his native land for the remaind-
er of his life. The narties to this wager,
which entails so great sacrifice. are Z.
N Donaldson and Fred w. Burke. of Mil
waukee. Wis. Both are men of prominence
in the business and social circles Of that
city and are in the prime of life, and
neither has made any definite plans in re-
taking up a residence in foreign lands.
As may be imagined. both the principals
to the bet are men who hold strong con-
victions. and who. when once convinced
that they are right. are not only courage
GUS enough to express them, but are will
ing: if necessary. to suffer martyrdom in
their defense.
1t is difficult to see, however, Just where
in either is to be benefited by the other
exiling himself forever, unless the feeling
between them makes the United States
too small to hold both of them at the
same time.
Mr.. Donaldson is a great believer in the
principle for which William Mckinley has
SO long fought in public. and is an ardent
man. Being satisfied in his own mind that
the defeat of the great protectionist would
plunge the country into all sorts OF trouble
and that business I would promptly go u
one night to party of friends that If sill
yer won he did not want anything more
to do with such country and such a
people. Somebody asked him If he was in
earnest. and Donaldson gravely announc-
ed that if Bryan was elected he would pull
up stakes and make tracks for a gold
standard country.
The only condition he made was that in
the event of his party. winning. some
other milwaukee, man should suffer eN-
patriation while he remained at home and
on hn itp hat In n
fellow Mckinley's election.
Now it was we'll known about town that
Burke was as rabid silverite as Donald
SON was goldbug. and self-aupointed
committee. made up of prominent men OF
both factions. notified him of the McKin-
ley mans defiance. and he could not say
lenge and would pay the penalty. should
he lose. though 1t entailed the loss of
every dollar he had In the world.
men of means and position had made such
an extraordinary wager, their acquaint-
ances; who knew what one or the other
were bluffing and that the whole thing was
a practical joke. This got to the ears of
Burke and Donaldson. and in order to
show that they were In dead earnest they
met at a prominent club and drew up a
paper setting forth explicitly the condi-
tions of the bet.
Then the principals. accompanied by a
big crowd of their friends. adjourned to
the office of a prominent lawyer. who,
when the signatures of both men had been
affixed to the contract and duly witnessed,
placed upon it his notarial seal While
each man was willing to sacrifice every
thing and start for other shores just as
soon as one or the other Of the candidates
was proved to have been elected, their
friends insisted on the time of departure
being extended. to enable the loser to
settle up his business affairs and make
the necessary arrangements for his life
long sojourn among strangers. in a strange
land.
Recognizing the strength Of the argu-
ment. both men agreed that the defeated
one should take pains not to be found
within the borders of the United States
after the 1st day of January 1897.
Both men are now busy studying I'D on
geography. and welcome all information
regarding the commercial opportunities Of
fered by any inhabited section of the
globe, from the Transvaal to Van Die
mans Land.