The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-22
FOR THE BOERs.
Agitation In Washington Has Not Made
Any Serious Hsadway.


Washington, March Slit cannot be
said that the widespread agitation In ia
vor Of the Beers has az yet aroused any
serious movement In Washington towards
securing any action In Congress- Some
OF the same element that eRged on the
Spanish war are now at work trying to
commit Congress 10 action hostile to
England; hut the movement Is very
much fsinter than the Cuban agitation,
and has scarcely raised ripple In ire
House Of Repre- s1ntAtivss, although more
Roadway has been made in the Senate,
OF course the Boer republics are much
farther off than was the Cuban, none OF
their bonds have fallen iato energetic
hands In this county, and there lie no
story Of outrage beyond the usages Of oiv-
ilizatioD, such as so stirred the public
mind when Spain was performing in Gu
ba. England Is far more popular among
beth people and statesmen In this country
than was Spain; and also Enland IL far
mighter, q consideration which has its
eject as q producer Of prude noe. Yet af-
Ter all this is said there still remains
9NoessANAh eAao hdtHutf 1aaet
circumstances, result In considerable az.
itation against England. The sentiment
10 favor Of the Beers appears to be strong
In the West. A prominent Republican
who came from that region few days
ago said that Lord Roberts's declaration,
a la Napoleon, that q republic In South
Africa had ceased TO exist, did not strike
the right chord. and that II had aroused
unpleasant reflections. Another gentle
man who lie well informed as to Western
sentiment, said the op inion was growing
that the Canadian soldiers should be back
In Canada; and that this government
shouli take advantage of this occasion to
CLOSE up our long standing dispute with
Canada and England over the Alaskan
boundary line. The idea 10 not pleasing
to the West that our own affairs should
be allowed to slumrer while Canada
strips herself Of troops TO put down re.
publics In South Africa.
4 1t may be said, however, that suoh ex-
treme views are not accepted seriously In
Congressional circles in Washington.
Rngland's friendliness In the Spanish
WAR 10 nub lofROttou IN BoNeruinonb oh-
oles, although public men know too
much Of the world to believe seriously
that one nation ever helps another from
anything but seltifh motives. Yet inter-
ested friendship Is still friendship, and
should have its.dues. But greater than
all this Ii the sentiment that IL IL the
duty Of the United States to to attend
ing to It's own busiuess and that there IL
an abundance OF effairs of Its own 10
keep our ststesme employed for some
years to come. 1t was this sentiment
whi,h. even lbsfcrs the Spanish war,
slammed for time the rising tide In
favor OF Intervention.
The ablest public men In Washington,
whether they sympatbizs with the Beers
or not, consider the idea of interfering
absurd. England Ia a fri'ndly nation,
and 1t 10 for the interest Of the United
States TO kesp on good terms with all
foreign nations, and especially with
friendly nations. Therefore 1t Is very
improbable that much win be heard on
the Beer question from the halls Of
national legislation.