The evening times., 1900-10-15
Circulation statement.
Mcr<inIey,s aelpfu, British Friends


Considering the strcng interest that the
present British Government and many
important British interests have in the
reelection OF Mr.. Mckinley. it was to be
expected that whatever could be done on
the other side to promote his campaign
would be- We have been locking for ac-
tive work in London on his behalf as soon
as the Parliamentary elections should be
well out of the way, and 1t is evident that
1t has begun.
II is equally evident that it has been
fnaugurated with the time-honored clum-
siness which always charaeterizes cur
transatlantic cousins when they under
take to meddle with American things po-
Itical Their intentions are invariably
of the most friendly sort, as far as their
objects are concerned, but the results are
not, as a rule, what they are intended
to be.
The Mckinley campaign in England has
Just been brilliantly opened by the publ
cation of an extremely yellow story in the
London Daily Mail" which has Webster
Davis and his visit to the IransyaaI as a
text II is to the effect that Davis wend-
the American Secretary OF State; assured
the Beers that it was he alone who elected
Mr. Mckinley in 1896. and held up Dom
Paul. Kruger for one hundred and twen-
ty-fiye thousand dollar bonus. to repay
him for the time and trouble necessary 10
unseat his former beneficiary and to elect
Mr.. Bryan.
Should he succeed in accomplishing this,
so goes the story, it was understood that
the new Democratic President would at
once proceed to recognize the independ
ence of the Boer Republics, order Great
Britain out of the Dark Continent, and
fer all we know, send Otis and Sampson
over there to terrify John Bull into get
ting out quickly, by a demonstration of
solemn and matronly force,
OF course the London Daily Mail" and
its inspiration, imagine that a startling
sensation has been sprung upon the Amer
lean people in the publication of this tale;
but nothing of the kind has happened.
Nobody in this country cares a pinch OF
dust whether Webster Davis milked the
Beers for his passage money or for a
fortune. If he got anything out of them,
is that much less for the British Govern
ment to seize, and we do not believe many
tears would flow over here on that ac-
count. Otherwise there is nothing worth
speaking Of in the report, or canard. or
whatever 1t may be called.
One thing about it contains a germ of
truth, however. 1t is true that if such a
thing could have happened as that Mr..
Bryan should be elected President OF the
United States before the extinguishment
of the Boer States had been accomplished
irreYocably, the attitude of the American
Government toward England in the con-
nectfon would have been very different to
that which the Mckinley Administra tion
has assumed. But that goes without say
ing.
II Lord Salisbury and his official and
seml-offieiaI press are under the mistake
that they are hurting Mr.. Bryan's chances
BY asserting that, as President he would
have shown active sympathy for the
Beers. which Mr.. Mckinley did not, they
are entirely and heartily welcome to the
delusion. Mr.. Bryan undoubtedly would
have helped the struggling republics if
he could, Just as he Will smash the Hay
PauncefOte Treaty, and the eession OF
American territory in Alaska TO England
If given the opportunity. Our advice to
our endeared relative, J. Bull, is to KEEP
out of the American china shop.