The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-17


passed Mr.. Webster Davis en- route.
That now famous American envoy
reached Pretoria ON January "a. In the
Boer capital he speedily attained toTa
remarkable popularity. To assist his
dignity, he was frequently introduced.
as the United States secretary OF stnte.
and the rumor was assiduously circu-
lated that Mr.. Mckinley owed his sue
cess at the last presidential election
wholly to his electIoneering. 80 h,
I'm him was recognized the savior Of
the Beers. and daily he was received in
secret audience In the government
buildings. AT those councils were also
present Mr.. Schalk Burger. Mr.. Worl-
marans, the peace envoy md State Az
torney SHUTS. The rrault Of these corr
ferences was that MIR. Webster Davis
received from the Boer government d
handsome gratuity, in return for which
he was to set the United States anre
with enthusiasm for the Beers.
ION February Mr. Davis returned to
Pretoria, having visited the positions at
LadysmIth and having formed the most
enthusiastic impression OF the Justice OF
the Bocr cause and the burghers' Prov
ess In the field. In very few days he
had left for the United States. the riches
by fortnight's experience OF South AZ
rican politics and 925,o0O In Transvaal
gold.
Before had waded through the vast
umouat OF evidence that jusiiies me In
writing this uI1icla / wns greatly aston
is..cd 4; the value which the Transvaal
statesmen placed upon Mr.. Davis medi-
alton In America MIR. Reitz assured
me thut It was 70 Mr.. Davis oratory
Mr.. Mckinley owed the presidential
chair. Bir. SHUTS and Mr.. Grobler said
that upon him depended the hope OF
United States intervention. A week AZ
ter his departure signed photographs OF
Mr.. Davis lay In the drawing rooms OF
all OF the heads OF departments in Pre-
toria- r
Expected Him to Insure Bryan's Vic
tory.
THE theory upon which the Beers
founded their faith was that in the
United States Is large anti-EnglIsh
public composed OF Germans and Irish
men. AL these were, by assumption,
pro- Beers. II MI. Webster Davis, with
his fine oratorlcal gifts and happy
ignorance Of South Africa, could arouse
them to false enthusiasm. Mr.. Bryan's
election would be n certainty. and his
Intervention on behalf Of the Beers an
assured corollary. And SO to-day such
Beers as are still fighting remain in the
field to await the announcements Of the
polls on November 6.
THE Beers, however, did not rest
content with this heavy disbursement.
They dispatched Mr.. Montasu White,
recently consul for the South African
republic In London. with some E2oO, 900
10 expend on pro-Boes meetings In the
Un!tcd States. That money has been
widely circulated in America anu the
purchase OF American sympathy has
not been an absolutely worthless bar
gain"
Memorandum Purporting to Show
Payment to mr.. Davis.
For come weeks past reports of q
character similar to the statements con-
talned in the preceding article have
been floating around newspape. offices
In the United Stats. American corrcs-
pondants who have returned from South
Africa declared that they had sccn at
Pretoria memorandum which purport-
ed to show that Mr.. Webster Davis had
accepted gratuity from the Transvah
executive.
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