The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-11-03
Webster Davis Got No Money
from Boer officials.
IS A VICTIM OF MORAL ASSASSINS
Newspaper Correspondent is
Unworthy of Cpedence.

| A few weeks ago one Douglas Story,
war correspondent of the London
Daily Mail, the organ Of Cecil Rhodes
charged Webster Davis with taking
$125,OO0 from the officials of the Boer
republic in compensation for cham
pioning the cause of the South African
patriots in the United States, and Mark
Hanna, the unscrupulous boss of the
Republican party, repeated the charge
on the stump. When Michael Davitt,
the Irish patriot, read the charge he
Immediately cabled the following to
the New York journal and exposed
the rank English lies about Davis and
two other noble Americans.
1 have read with Indignation the
charges made by Douglas Story
against Webster Davis, Mr.. Macrum
and Consul Hollis, of Lourenzo Mar
quez, in the London Daily Mail, and
desire to offer Il few comments upon
what believe to be the baseless fab
rications Of a person who has dis
graced the profession of journalism by
prostituting 1t to purposes of deliber
ate political calumny.
1 met Story in Pretoria on several
occasions. He obtained entry into the
Transvaal on the profession of pro-Bo-
er sympathy, and saying that he had
been for some time connected with
the London edition. Of the Standard
and Digger Of Johannesburg, a strong
pro-Boer journal.
Webster Davis assailant was, there
fore, in pro-Boer service. At one time
Mendelsohn Il Bruce, whom he now
quotes as having received loans from
the Netherlands Railway Company.
But these previous occupations gave
him no better means of obtaining pri-
vlte information from the Boer gov
crnment while in Pretoria than were
open to such journalists of standing
and character as Thomas Millard,
Howard Hillegus,- Richard Harding
Davis and other representatives of
the American press who were in the
Transvaal.
Has any of these journalists Of re-
pute confirmed in any way the stories
of the Daily Mail representative? Is
it ut all probable that person Of
Storys limited capacity Us n Journalist
representing Il paper than which oil
lingo England could not produce a
more venomous anti-Boer sheet-would
be likely to ferret out more informa-
tion from the Boer officials about
prominent Americans than American
journalists on the spot?
trust the American people will con-
slider these points before accepting as
true the uncorroborated testimony Of
a man who, having enjoyed the Beers
hospitality, and having earned Boer
money, turns round upon his former
employers and supplies unfounded
charges and calumnies to the order Of
the London Daily Mail when the Boer
government ceases to exist.
This Story says he has discussed the
standing of Webster Davis with State
Secretary aeitz and Attorney General
SHUTS. Yes, but he dare not say that
either Of these honorable men ever said
word about Webster Davis or Mr..
Macrum having received money from
the Boer government for pro-Boer
agitation in America.
also had the privilege of discussing
not only Webster Davis, but Douglas
Story, with these and other members
Of the Pretoria government, and should
this letter ever met the eyes Of Messrs.
Reitz, ,Smuts or Grobler, they will prob
ably recollect the warning given to
them against placing any confidence Of
any kind in the representative of the
Daily Mail.
1t is absolutely untrue for this man
to say that any money was given by
the Boer government to Webster Davis
or to any other American, with the
object of helping Mr.. Bryan in the
Presidential contest.
! had far greater opportunities, while
in Pretoria, of learning the views Of
the government about what was being
done for their cause outside the Trans
vaal than any Englishman could COM
mand, and I am absolutely certain that