The San Francisco call., 1899-08-15
MERCIER'S CHARGE OF
BRIBERY TO AID DREYFUS
Statements of the Discredited General May Cause
the Court-Martia1 to Be Lost to View and
Create Diplomatic Difficulties.

nARIs, Aug. 14-It looks as though
HDreyfus were in danger Of being
lost TO view in the incidents created
by General Mercier's evidence on Sat-
llrday before the court martial at
Rennes. Perhaps 1t would be more
correct to say Mercier's speech, for he
produced but little of anything ex-
cept hearsay twaddle, which one would
be ashamed to have dismissed ser
want upon. He harps on Captain Le-
brun- -Renaud's apocryphal declaration
that Dreyfus admitted his guilt, as
though the Court of Cessation had not
pricked that bubble. After all. why
should Dreyfus confess?
What, indeed, was the use Of a con-
fession when as many proofs as were
necessary could be forged as fast as
they were required? Another detail
p of General Mercier's lecture which
seems likely TO give him as much
trouble as he can handle is the state
ment that NJ de Freycinet told General
lamont. who told Mercier, that England
and Germany alone had subscribed
thirty-flve millions TO buy off Dreyfus.
The great thing about all the witnesses
In this too Infamous affair is that every
one of them tells about what some one
else told a friend of his that he had
heard from some myterious parsonage,
whom it would provoke a foreign war
to even name. In the present case,
namely. the matter Of thirty-ffve mil
lions, NJ. de Freycinet is for a wonder
given as the source of the declaration
so he has been called to appear, though
what the affair, even if true has to do
- Sc
is hard tG say. If a hundred millions
have been subscribed bv the lovers of
justice and humanity to defend Dreyfus
it viii only prove that there is rather
more philanthropy in the world than
people are inclined to believe, but it
certainly does not convince any man
with a grain of common sense that
Dreyfus has written the discriminating
document which Esterhazy admits he
wrote. The only Importance attaching
to the thirty-fve million idiocy is that
it was uttered by General MERCER, not
by some journalistic sensation monger.
NJ. C0rneIy devOtes his article in the
Figaro to-day TO this matter. He is
naturally indignant about the accusa-
ton that some nightmarish syndicate
has bought the service of all revision
lists
suppose" he says. that the journals
agreed to. declare that for a long time
past the Ministers of War had put
secret service funds in their own pock-
cts. it would be unjust, calumnious,
industrious. But not more unjust, cal
luminous, nor more monstrous than
General Mercier's accusation that
thirty five millions had teen collected
in England and Germany to buy Drey-
fus' acquittal. For this would amount
TO an attempt to dishonOr all those who
have fought for the triumph of truth.
This accusation does not date from
yesterday. Whom it is made by a
professional journalistic libeler and
slanderet it may be disdained. Conso-
lation may be found in the thought that
the inventor attributed his own Venality
to others But when it is former Min
lister. a general of division, an import
ant dignitary Of the Legion Of Honor,
who makes himself responsible for the
stupidity, when he fathers it upon NJ
de Freycinet and General lamont who,
l am sure he caumniates, the matter
must be thoroughly overhauled by the
defense. 1t is necessary that NJ. de
Freycinet and General lamont be called
TO Rennes TO say where they secured
the information they supplied to Cen
eral Mercier. Let some light be thrown
for once upon this syndicate
NJ. Clemenceau also wipes the floor
with MERCER this morning in reference
to the same point.
"Mercier," says renders US a SER
vice by putting US upon the track of
this Anglo German syndicate. We have
a right to know the truth. We must