Washington sentinel., 1900-07-28
local Notes


certain documents all decryIng the cause
ofthe Beers in South Africa, which were
furnished him. They were carefully
tucked away in a corner OF Mr. Richard
sons ample desk, after which a state
ment was made public of what the
committee had discovered about a
clever little game put up 5Y the manag'
eTs of the Republican mpaign. The
charges made are of a serious character,
politically speaking, and involve the
employment of clerks n the Bureau OF
Education Tor the distribution OF anti
Boer, or pro. English li'erature,to school
teachers and theirs in the Middle West,
where there are numerous doubtful
States in this Pres dential and Con-
gressional campaign. Thescommittee's
statement follows;
BY secretly circulating English
literature stating Engiand's case against
the Boer Republics in South Africa, the
Administration has become the partisan
of EnG land and the enemy of the Beers,
and is guilty OF a most serious offense
For quite a number Of days employees Of
the folding room Of the Bureau OF
Education, which is a part Of the Interior
Department, have been busily engaged
in sending out a large mass OF leaflets
and pamphlets. issued by tile Imperial
South Africa Association, GO Victoria
street, Westminster, ). w. uondon.)
The strictest secrecy was observed
about this work which Is quite natural,
as it is ia violation OF law and decency
alike. The ,strictest secrecy was also
enioined on all employees engaged
therein, who, it is needless to say, are
all Republicans, and when the chief OF
this bureau. Prof w, T, Harris, who
inaugurated the work, left for Europe
few days ago, he instructed his private
messenger to carefully nail up the huge
box, five feet each way, containlngthese
pamphlets, every night, and to keep out
all intruders,
Nevertheless, as murder will out, 1t
happened a few days ago that a former
employe OF the Office visited the bureau
on business, and, as is his habit on such
occasions, picked up one OF the packages
prepared for mailing and drew out its
contents, This aroused the ire Of the
foreman OF the folding room, who
pounced upon him, snatched the papers
from his hands, and said to him: How
dare you interfere with the work OF the
Government in this manner 1t is no
business of yours what the contents Of
these pamphlets are, and furthermore it
is the express orders Of the commission.
er (Proi. Harris) that no one shall be
allowed 10 know their contents or TO
examine these pamphlets. Not even
the employees who are at work on them
are allowed TO know the contents or
examine them, and /, myself, do not
know for what purpose they are being
sent out, In view Of these facts, It is
piece OF gross impertinence for you,
man who has no connection with the
Office whatever, and who has no business
or right in here at all, to deliberately
pick up papers which do not concern
you and proceed to read them
The gentleman tried to explain that
he was innocent Of any intention to do
wrong and had presumed they were
public documents, but all was in vain,
and he was invited~to get out Never
theless, a set of the pamphlet was
procured and they are titled as follows:
First-The British case against the
Boer republics.
Second--Lett=r to Senator Hoar on
the rransvaal war, by John Bellows
Third-Boer and blacks.
Fourth-The treatment OF the Cape
Beers by the English government, and
the treatment OF the English by the
Boer Government.
FIfth-The witness of the churches.
Sixth--The future Of South Africa.
Seventh--Essentlals of settlement,
All these are published by said
Imperial South African Association
Every package contained each OF these
publications.
Ttatranspires that this literature has
been sent out to public school teachers
in the Middle West and other States
considered doubtful politically, and this
work can have only one purpose, that
of creating sympathy among those
teachers for England and against the
Boer republic, in order that the flu
ence Of those teachers may be enlisted
to destroy the symDathies OF their
neIghbors for the Beers, who are so
heroicallV struggling for their liberty
and independence, and thus justify the
altitude OF the Administration
The Administration by thus prostitut'
ing the Bureau Of Education, which,
more than all others should be free from
political intrigue and partisan service,
has committed a serious violation OF
law,
Government employees have performed
this work at the expense OF the Govern
ment, though it is stated that "some
one else" has furnished the stamps to
carry these pamphlets through the mail.
But this IS not all. The Administra.
ton, by defending Eng lands action and
condemnIng that OF the Beers has shown
that its pretentions TO neutrality IN this
deolorable war were absolutely false,
ahd that it has really sYmpathized with
England from the beginning; this also
explains why the Administration has
permitted:England to do many things
that should have been resented, being
violations OF international law and
injurious to the cause of the Beers, as
for instance the seizure OF articles OF
American production, not contraband
OF war, the purchase OF war materials
here by England, &c, not contrabsnd