Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-20
PLEA ron CONTRIBUTIONS.

The Inter Mountain is in receipt of a
letter from the T%ransvaal junta in New
York, asking this paper to solicit and re-
ceive subscriptions in aid of the Boer
cause With all due respect for the gem
interests they represent with American
money. the Inter Mountain cannot bring
itself to the belief that conditions justify
the interference of any self-respecting
| citizen Of this country.
Aside from differences of opinion as t0
the merits of the controversy I'M South
Africa, every American citizen should
recognize the fact that the United States
is a neutral power, and conform to the
conditions thereby implied. While there
is no abridgement Of personal freedom
that would legally deny to anyone the
right to contribute funds in aid of either
Paul Kruger or the queen, the duty of the
citizen lies along the lines of neutrality
prescribed by the nation to which he be-
ongs. Adherence to this policy is es-
pecially incumbent upon our people in
view of the position taken by England
at the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war. Had it not been for the firm
and ~otltspoken attitude of that country it
is not at all unlikely that France and
Germany would have c%halnpioned the
cause of Spain and materially affected
the outcome of the conflict. A decent
propriety Of keeping hands off, when
American money is solicited for the pur-
pose of aiding the Beers to defeat the
English.
There is unquestionably a strong feel
ing in many parts Of this country against
the English government, growing out of
the Affections which Ireland has been
compelled to undergo: and it is to this
sentiment thai the appeal of the Beers
is made. Despite the neutral position
taken by this government, there has been
a great deal of wild ak about raising
regiments to assist the Beers, by such
men as Bourke Cochran, who is too big
an ass to be a patriot and too big a cow
ard to shoulder a gun. All such talk is
unpatriotic, for it is-theoretically, at
least-a violation of neutrality laws.
In a milder form, this feeling of antag-
onism finds expression through the po-
litical departments of the partisan press,
with tho oxnr-nI rr,~r
feeling Of hostility toward our govern
ment, because it does not take up arms
against England in the present %contro-
Versy IN South Africa. In perhaps IA
still milder form this political "graft'
is worked through the various DEPART
ments of our civil life, with a view to
the creation of sentiment. =
In Helena, the capital of Montana, it
is currently reported that the school,
ma ANS request the pupils to give ex-
preston to their sentiments respecting
the Transvaal war, by standing UP and
being counted for or against the promo
sition-yery like the reviyalist who
asked all those in his congregation who
wanted to go to heaven to arise. CATCH
ing those who sat still under such a re-
quest by asking all who didn't want to
go to hell to get Up. In this way he
made a clean sweep. 1t is said that the
Helena school children who favor the
English are shown the error of their
| ways, while those who favor the Beers
are complimented on their breadth of in
formation. Such exhibitions may be
comparatively harmless, either one way
or the other, but they are in bad taste
and ought not to be allowed by the school
board.
While the merits of the South African
war can be discussed with propriety. and
conclusions drawn favorable to the pol
icy of Paul Kruger, on the one hand, or
to that of the English government, on the
other, overt acts that reflect on the neu-
trail position taken by our government
should be condemned. Such acts might
consist Of furnishing arms and ammuni-
ton to combatants, or contributing
money with which to purchase such
supplies.