Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-15
A REMARKABLE ELECTION BET.
The Loser Will Remain in Exile All the
Rest of His Life,

| The Loser Will Remain in Exile All the
Rest of His Life.
The most remarkable election bet yet
| recorded is one in which the penalty stip-
ulated is that the loser shall promptly
leave the United States and remain in
exile from his native land for the re-
mainder of his life. The parties to this
wager, which entails so great sacrifice
are c. N. McDonaldson and Fred W.
Burke, of Milwaukee, 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 regard to the occupation
he will follow on taking up a.residence
in foreign lands.
AS may be imagined, both the princi-
pals to the bet are men who hold strong
convictions, and who, when once con-
WINGED that they are right, are not only
courageous enough to express them, but
are willing, if necessary to suffer martyr
dom in their defense.
1t is difficult to see, however, just
wherein either is to be benefited by the
other exiting 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 ar
dent admirer of the republican candidate
as man. Being satisfied in his own
mind that the defeat of the great protec-
ZIONIST would plunge the country into all
sorts of trouble and that business would
promptly go to the bow-wows. Mr.. DON
aldson announced one night to a party of
friends that If silver won he did not want
anything more to do with such country
and such people. Somebody asked him
If he was in earnest, and Donaldson
gravely announced that if Bryan was
elected he would pull UP stakes and make
tracks for gold standard country
The only condition he made was that
in the event of his party winning, some
other Milwaukee man should suffer ex-
patriation, while he remained at home
and enjoyed the prosperity that was sure
to follow Mcinley's election.
Now, 1t was known about town that
Burke was as rabd a silverte as Don
aldson was goldbug, and a self-appoint-
ed committee, made up of prominent men
of both factions, notified him of the Nc
Kinley mans defiance, and he could not
say quickly enough that he accepted the
challenge and would pay the penalty,
should he lose, though 1t entailed the
loss of every dollar he had in the world.
When the news got about town that
two men of means and position had made
such an extraordinary wager, their ac-
quaintanceS who knew what the one or
the other would have to sacrifice, declared
whole thing was practical joke. This
got to the ears of Burke and Donaldson
and in order to show that they were in
earnest they met at prominent club and
drew up a paper setting forth explicitly
the conditions of the bet
Then the principals, accompanied by a
big crowd of their friends, adjourned to
the office of prominent lawyer. who,
when the signatures of both men had
been affixed to the contract and duly
witnessed placed upon 1t his notarial
seal. While each man was willing to
sacrifice everything 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 their departure being extended,
to enable the loser to settle up his bust
ness affairs and make the nee
essary arrangements for his lifelong So
journ among strangers in 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 LIST day of January, 1897.
Both men are now busy studying up
on geography and welcome all informa-
ton regarding the commercial opportuni-
ties offered by any inhabited section of
the globe from the Transvaal to Van Die
mans Land.