Arizona silver belt., 1900-03-01
Senator Mason Defends The Action of Declaring War
 Against England.
AN APPEAL FOR SYMPATHY
Why the United States Should Side With the South African Re public-Cause Leading
 to Hostilities.

juStifying the Boer invasion of British territory in south Africa wrote and signed the following statements:
 Ut is charged against the people who favor the Boers that in seeking to have a resolution passed through con greSs we are interfering with English politics. The answer to that is, that the present fight in South Africa is q fight between monarchy and a re- public, and since the days early in the century, when the monarchs organized the monarchical trust, this republic organized republican trust, and has followed the advice of Washington.
 Tn ISIS, when Greece was seeking to establish republic, President Monroe, whom we honor above all men because he was the author of the new doctrine: devoted about one-half a column as type goes nowadays, to eX- pressing sympathy and hope for the Grecian republic. The greatest speech Webster ever made was in favor of America passing vote through congress expressing sympathy for those who struggled for self-g0y- ernment as against monarchies.
 "Since ISIS every struggling people have had word of encouragement from the American congress. This in- cludeS the Greeks, the ArmenianS, the inhabitants of BuenoS AyreS and all other South American republics, as we'll as the Irish people, who now, as a fettered nation, are forced to fight for England in her attempt tO force the irons on the wrists of the free resi- dents of the South African republic.
 "The people of the present genera tion know that our congress passed a resolution of sympathy for the Cuban people and can any man, save a few of Atkinson stripe. say that we were wrong in our sympathy for Cuba and her own people:
 This, m brief, is enough to show that we are not interfering in Europ can or English politics, but simply carrying out the plan laid down by Washington, Monroe. Clay and Web ster.
 But outside of the fact that this is fight of q republic against a mOn- archy, the truth is that the Boers are right. No American lawyer or stu dent of international laws who has read the treaty of 'Sl and the treaty of 'Sl between Great Britain and the South African republic has ever denied the proposition that England had no right to interfere in the local affairs of the little republic, which has strug- gled so hard to maintain its relnS of government. In June of last year, when Sir Alfred Milner met President Kruger, they discussed, but not to ex- cess, three important points. Kruger offered for the republic to adult to citizenship the uitlander, which, of course, included the Englishman, to a vote, if he would take the oath of al- legiance and renounce his allegiance to his former sovereign. The English representative demanded more. The proposition is so simple that every American school boy would say, If you vote here under this flag you must swear that you will fight here if ncces- sary' There were disputes about the districts and about the syndicate that manufactured dynamite. Kruger offered to surrender everything con sistent with national honor.
 Indeed, the English representative said he thought kruger's offer for d peaceful settlement of the troubles would be satisfactory to his home gov ernment, but the home government, under the influence of 'robber' Rhodes. declined to accept it and demanded war. Kruger finally said, and quote now from the official report published in the English Blue Book: If we can't agree let's arbitrate, to which Miner replied, and if is shown by his letter tO Chamberlain last June. that Under no circumstances would he submit to arbitration.
 "kruger's ultimatum was rejected. and now he is complained of by Eng iand in that he declared war and en- tered British territory.
 T have friend in Chicago known as Mr. Dooly,' but he is best de- scribed as Finley Peter Dunne. who said; Kruger saw John Bull coming, and hit him while the other fellow had his fist in his sleeve which sim ply shows that Kruger had the divine conception of Patrick Henry when he said: Shall we wait until a British soldier is stationed at our very door? etc.
 "When Great Britain declined to ar bitrate it was q declaration of war, and it is simply childish to say that the South African republic declared the war. Great Britain was massing her troops on the borders of the Boer