The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-16
MASON IS CHALLENGED
Spanish Journalist Wants the
Senator'S Life.
PUBLISHES sCURRILOUs LETTER.

The Jolly Illinois Statesman Says He Is
Ready to Crafty the Blood-Thirsty De-
sire of the Spaniard but Wants to Know
His Horizontal Measurement First
Text of the Challenge, which Is Pub
lished I'm taae Sender's Paper.
Washington, March Ex-senator Ma
son has been challenged TO an en-
counter on the field of honor. A
naughty Spaniard, offended by the sem
ator's structures on Spain in his re-
cent speech In the United States SEN
ate, has sent him a challenge, demand
ing blood.
The challenge Is contained In an open
letter printed in a paper owned by its
writer. and addressed to the newspaper
men of Madrid. On the margin of the
paper appear written several Spanish
words, which may be translated: This
Is for your honor. educated pig" AS
the paper was addressed TO Senator
Mason, II seems that this characterize
tion was meant for him by the writer.
How the Challenge Reads.
Following is the text Of the letter,
freely translated: III
There Is no Spaniard, not one, who,
has not felt his cheeks burn as he read
what an ignoble Yankee senator has
permitted himself to say of our coun-
try in the open parliament of America
We do not know the thoughts of our
patriotic countrymen who are in that
country, and whose fates are in the
hands of this grotesque fellow who
calls himself Mason, and who is either
one OF those crazy ruffians who every
where abound, or else worthless cow
ard, who scolds like woman without
having the valor to conduct himself
like a man. For our part, we desire
to make to him a worthy response, for
we are Spaniards, and Spain is bound
up In our affections, without which life
is worth little to us, much less. In
deed, than is that of the pigs of the
American republic.
NASTY Person i'm Question"
THE nasty person in question de-
clared that he would not sit at the ta
BILE with a Spaniard without keeping
his hand on his purse. This Is quite
creditable. The purse Is the noble pow
er of which Mason and his colleagues
boast, as they do of their explosive
balls and dynamite. But they are
proud OF nothing that becomes gen.
tleman. nothing which is reverenced by
the sons of a country. whose history Is
something more than record of the
butchery of hogs, and whose flag is
something more than the dollar. This
fool believes that all Spain is cognizant
of the loss of the Maine, because we
DO not demean ourselves by making
| denials. But we have no need to at
tack save by the sword, nor to dis
grace ourselves In making ready for
combat, and anyhow, 1t makes little
difference whether the Maine was
sunk by shameful carelessness or goes
down before the rain of our projectiles.
Directs ~ Modest Challenge.
Here / make this declaration which
| nv heart dictates. To your honor, oh,
degraded Mason. ] direct this so mod
| est challenge. Bring out your honor's
| fat bulk from behind the skirts of your
| honor's mother, or those of your hon
| or's wife and daughters, If your honor
| has any. Come out of your honor's
( sty, pass over the distance. and If your
\ honor wants to see how Spaniard
| fights, do not delay. Choose any place
( on the continent of Europe that pleases
I your honor, and your honor shall see
| that the most modest of journalists will
meet your honor there. and will show
\ your honor what your honor has never
| learned. and will teach your honor
| that here abounds that pride that you
| and your honors friends so lack. But
} enough, loud-mouthed senator! Here
| is my challenges sworn to and sent TO
| your honored (?) hands. I ask that you
| will name the day on which the point
| OF my sword may be tried.
| MARQUIS DE ALTA VILLA"
Mason Is Willing.
81 am perfectly willing to fight this
| Spaniard" said Senator Mason. any
| where. with any weapons. / will meet
| him In the Isle of Wight. and IL he does
not like that as a dueling ground we'll
adjourn to the Chilkoot pass in the
| Klondike country.
"The only stipulation I make is that
| before fighting he shall send me his
| dimensions. l don't care how tall he
| Is. but / want to know his horizontal
| measurement That is only fair. When
YOU shoot at target you want your
rival to shoot at oneshs, the same size
| not one twice as lac. / shall make
| no formal reply to this polite Spaniard,
l because he has not made me for
| NAL challenge But IL he means busi-
ness am ready to fight him."
| Murder mt the Capital.