The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-09-25
washington Letter.l

struggling to maintain their liberty,
o. claiming that it has been the un-
broken policy of this country not to
intervene in European controversies.
It was the first time in American his
tory that a republic struggling TO
maintain it's liberty or any people
struggling for independence against
despotic power has failed to receive
the official assurance Of American
sympathy. But how does it compare
with the administration interference
IN China? The weak excuse IS put
forth that American troops and ships
are being sent there to protect the
lives of American citizens and to pro-
tect American interests. But the cold
fact is that the lives of American mis-
sionaries have been mora endangered
by the attempt of foreign troops to
force their way to PelIin than by the
Boxers themselves. Practically all OF
the American missionaries TOOK timely
warning and escaped to the coast.
Nine-tenths of the American missions
are far remote from the points whsre
she troops are operating. 1t is recog-
nized that it is the duty of this gov
eminent to protect the lives Of Amer
lcan citizens abroad, but there are
over two hundred claims Of American
citizens against foreign governments
for injury to person, for loss Of life
and for destruction of property. These
claims are sleeping on the dusty
shelves Of the state department.
The fact is that this excuse Of pro-
tecting American interests and Amer
team lives is the veriest mask of n.y.
pocrisy. Mckinley has gone into
China to help save Great Britains
waning prestige. Outside Of her laval
forces, Great Britain hasn't a regiment
of white troops in China.
Her forces are practically all troops
from India, and even these are limited
owing to the imminent danger of a
tremendous racial revolution against
British rule in that unhappy plague
and ADMINISTRATION country. Every
paper in Europe points ont that the
American forces in China are acting
under orders from London rather than
from Washington. The force that was
intrusted TO the leadership OF Admiral
Seymour to go to the relief If the
legations at Pekin met the usual fate
Of British generalship, and blundered
into an ambuscade of Boxers. 1t was
finally forced to retreat on Tein-Tsin.
AS it was, the foresight Of The Amer
lean commander, Capt. McCalla, saved
the whole brigade from annihilation.
He insisted on taking two weeks sup
plies for his forces, while the rest
had but five days provisions. These
supplies were all that enabled the
troops to Withstand the fifteen days Of
marching and fighting to which they
were subjected.
1t is apparent that every effort is
being made, especially by Great Grit-
ain, to keep the actual facts from the
public, and to furnish garbled, dis
torted and colored reports. The cables
sTe all under British control. and the
same game is being played over the
Chinese situation that has been
played for the last twelve months in
South Africa.
All the viceroys of China have unit
ed with the imperial government in
pointing out the danger of this foreign
invasion, yet the protest is treated
with contempt, and Secretary Hay out
Herods the English by storming at
Minister WI, the most intelligent and
cultivated Chinaman ever accredited
to the United States. and has threat
ened to send him his passports.
There are Chinese ministers at
every European court, but no Euro
pesn power has made such a threat
to them. Why all this truculence? 1t
is necessary to save McNinley's face.
ana to play politics by distracting pub
tic attention from the troubles in the
Philippines, in Cuba, in Porto Rico
and at home.
Mckinley has gone to Canton and
Hanna announces that the active Re-
publican campaign will moi begin before
August. There is reason for this. In
the hrst place, he wants to fry a lot
of fat. and he wants to have the no
litical situation clear up. Prosperity
is the principal card in the Republican
program, and prosperity is waning
with great rapidity for everybody ex-
cept the trusts.
The iron market, which is always
the best indication of commercial and
industrial activity has slumped to the
bottom. Pig iron has dropped from
s26 ton to SIT, and scarcely pur-
chase is made at the bottom figure
Over thirty furnaces have gone out
of blast, and twice as many more will
shut down in July.
Wheat has gone up because the crop
in the three states of Minnesota and
North and South Dakota has prac-
tically been destroyed.
Cotton has gone up because the ire
mendous floods and rains of south
ern Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi
have reduced the crop prospects a
million bales. The shoe business is
the best possible barometer of indi-
vidual prosperity, and it is in worse