The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-08
WEBSTER DAVIS TALKS.
He Says He VIII Make Speeches for
the Dem0crats This Fall.

the Democrats This Fall.
Webster Davis, who was on the Bryan
train, was interviewed by a Journal re-
porter. He said that he intends to make
political speeches at the behest of the ma
tional Democratic committee and also in
response to private requests. When asked
as to his present position he said with
emphasis: 81 stand upon the Kansas City
platform in toto. l shall deliver addresses
in Missouri. Kansas, Minnesota. Wisconsin,
Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, ohio ana New
York. / shall talk mostly, as l think now,
on the question of observation-disclosures
and oppose the alliance with Great Britain,
the conduct of the United States towards
Great Britain and the Beers. L shall prob
ably also touch up the attitude of the ad-
ministration on the pension question"
Mr.. Davis was asked as to how he in
tends to mention the Beers in his cam
paign speeches and replied: Il shall con-
tinue TO make references to the Beers in a
certain way. OF course I shall not spend
much time on that question, but 1 think
il is part and parcel of the campaign. l
do not believe the American p~eople-the
masses of them-are in favor of siding in
with a monarchy. L think they prefer to
- WAN
Gratis in South Africa rather than the aris-
tocrats of Great Britain. In other words, l
still think that patriotism is alive in this
country and our people are still Americans
regardless of the attitude of the leaders
of the Republican party in toadylng 10 the
English aristocracy and &2llowing along
the lines laid out by the .32ritish govern
ment. / believe that the war with spain
was proper up until the point where we
carried liberty to the Cubans. Porto Ricans
and Filipinos. Our government should
have stopped there and protected the Gu
bans and the Porto Ricans and the Fill
pinos in their efforts to establish self-gov-
eminent"
Have you thought out any plan by
which that could have been done?" Mr..
Davis was asked.
why, simply by ceasing to fight the
Filipinos," he replied. 1.-The Fflipinos are
capable of self-government; in TACT, they
have a very good government which we
have undertaken to overthrow-haVe over
thrown. If the Filipinos were good enough
TO give rifles and ammunition to TO hght
with with our soldiers, they are certainly
capable of being given an opportunity for
establishing self-government."
Have you anything to say about the
present status of the Boer conflict with
Great Britain?"
81 do not think the Beers will ever sur
render. L mean all of them. l think they
will continue the fight indefinitely. L heard
President Kruger and President Steyn say
hAAett th1l WYNN 81 ~ hOho
was left able to handle a rifle, and when
he was killed off children as they grew to
manhood, would continue the fight. We are
now getting, as usual, the British side of the
news; that is, the news favorable only to
the British. We are getting nothing favor
able TO the Beers. The Beers have provis-
ions stored in the mountains in the Ley
uenburg district which will last them more
than two years yet. They also nave plenty
CT guns and ammunition there and they are
able to hold their own in the passes of
these mountains against the whole Brit
iSh army for several years. 1t Is known
10 be a fact that, Notwithstanding there
were SOC, 900 British soldiers In the Trans
vaal and Orange Free State at the time of
the taking of Pretoria, yet 1T is a fact that
since that time in the neighborhood of 49,
600 British soldiers have been sent from
Great Britain to South A~frica-proving that
the war is not over by any means. In the
valleys of the mountains where the Beers
are now located, the valleys being very
fertile with plenty of streams of running
water, the wives and daughters of the
Peers, with the aid of the kafir boys,
heretofore workmen on the Boer farms, are
raising 'mealies,' which is something like
our indian corn, and taking care of their
herds of cattle and f1ocks of go(-s and
sheep. Thus they are furnishing food for
ing the mountain passes which are ex-
ceedingly well fortified and are sending
cut bands to harass the British army.
These are facts which / know to be true
WHICH Il 6oihto u
vate sources and also from personal obser-
yation during my visit to that country"
Mr.. Davis was asked for his opinion of
the heavy reverses which the Beers have
met with, such as the capture of Pretoria
and Johannesburg by the English. ut was
expected by President Kruger and Presi-
dent Steyn," said he. land by the govern
ment officials generally, that the British
army would in time take johannesburg and
Pretoria. They were prepared for that
event, and in preparing for that event they
were storing provisions In the mountains,
certifying passes and moving their herds
and fiocks there with the intention of hold
ing their own for several years in the
mountains. The mountain range or ranges
in which they are now located are some
what similar to the Rocky mountains, with
only two or three passes where it is pos
sible for the British army to get through,
and 10000 Beers, well armed as they are
and sharpshooters as they undoubtedly are,
could hold those passes against a quarter
of a million British soldiers. This is the
actual condition to-day. i believe that the
Beers will be able to hold out until after
our election. and then the world will know
that the masses of the American people do
not sympathize with Great Britain in her
unholy war against the two republics. but,
on the contrary, that they do ~sympathize
with the patriots struggling for liberty In
the Transvaal and in the Orange Free