The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-04-07
WEBSTER DAVIS RESIGNS.
He is an Ardent Friend of the Struggling
Beers, and Could Not Hold his once
and Give Them Aid.

WASHINGTON, April 2,-Webster
Davis announced his resignation to-
day as Assistant Secretary of the In
terror. He said that he asimpelled
to take this step as the result of his
recent visit to South Africa,
In an authorized statement given
out today, Mr.. Davis says that as a
result of his visit to the Transvaal
he feels impelled to tender his resig-
nation as Assistant Secretary of the
Interior He will at an early date
deliver a lecture in this city in the
interest of the South African re-
publies. Mr.. Dayis feels that this
is the best way to arouse the enthu-
siasm of the American people in be-
halt of those republics.
When taking his departure for
home from Pretoria, 1000 people
gathered to take leave of him at the
station. They appealed to him in
tears to state their cause to the
American people, and Mr.. Davis
says his conscience would haunt him
if he proved recreant to that pitlful
appeal, He believes the American
people are not truly informed on the
situation.
Mr.. Davis friends are talking much
more freely than Mr.. Davis himself.
One of them attributes this state
ment to him: My conscience
would not let me sleep if | failed to
tell our people and tell the world the
awful facts which the whole world
ought to know as | know them"
In one of the interviews between
the President and the Assistant Sec
rotary of the Interior the latter is al
legged to have said; "Mr President,
| have seen with my own eyes the
battle for liberty which honest, Cod
fearing people are making against
tremendous odds. | talked with
President Kruger and | promised
that Cody man that | would ask
my Government and my fellow-citi-
zens to come to his relief. | have
fulfilled that promise and, since you
take no interest in that cause OF hui
mainly, | must insist upon the ac-
ceptanee OF my resignation. | am
determined to tell the people what |
have seen and know and cannotdo
so as a member of your Administra-
ton"
Mr.. Davis said to-day; Invent to
South Africa unprecedented. visited
both armies, saw much of the Brit
ish soldiers and people and also much
of the Beers. After seeing what l
did | made up my mind that the
cause of the Beers was just, that the
two smallest republics in the world
were struggling against the greatest
empire in the world for home, justice
and independence. The struggle
seemed to me very unequal. The
whole number of Beers, including
men, women and children, is not
greater than the population of The
city of Washington, and yet these
brave people have the courage to
put up the greatest fight in history
an empire of 40O,000,00O.
II concluded at once that my svm-
pathies were with those struggling
for liberty, and feel that the Ameri-
can people should sympathize with
them in their fight for justice and in
The English cores
pondendents have no trouble in get
ting their dispatches over the cable
lines, as they are controlled abso-
Iutely by the British, while it is inn
possible for information regarding
the situation from the Beers stand
point to reach the American people.
If did not, as a free American, de
eide to listen to their appeals, my
would burn and the faces
of those suffering people, as brave
and as noble as God lets live, would
haunt me as long as live. | am,
determined to do every
thing in my humble way to assist
them. Their cause is just and in
God is their trust, and in the light of
the past history of the American
people, who went through the same
struggle, | believe the Beers will
win"
Mr.. Davis was asked what course
he would have the people of this