The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1904-06-09

country aDlllty W SoPS VIII 10
contemporaries in military affairs.
To maintain this attitude it should
support an army, whose leaders are
competent and just, unbiased by
race prejudice or favoritism.
Ten years ago the men to whom
France entrusted her army were,
with rare exception, not only anti
Semitic, but they were men who en-
ployed the most ignoble and despica-
bic means to rid the army of any
lew regardless of right, caste or
ability. They were men, who had
not attained their positions through
labor, merit or successive promo
tons, but they had procured their
rank by fabricating lies, forging
documents and deceiving the gov
eminent. Neither were they in
spired by patriotism, which alone
has proven the greatest incentive
to right and justice, but an investi-
cation into their careers would re-
veal them as mercenaries, in the
employ of the ma i'm that would
offer the highest compensation.
But among this clique of petty
tirelrgs, there was one officer,
"a mere youth in comparison with
his associates), who stood out in
marked contrast with them. He
hid been raised a Frenchman, at
tended the French military school,
and his soul was burning with
patriotism. His virtue, ambition,
and stalwartness, together with his
rare ability were fast elevating him
t, one of the highest positions his
nation could bestow upon him. But
what distinguished him from the
rest of his colleagues? His homes
ty and Justice combined with his
desire for the advancement and de-
yelopment of his native country.
His energetic and illustrious charae.
ter, actuated by true and noble
purposes. Who was this officer lis
ing 50 remarkably ard advancing so
rapidly? None other than Alfred
Dreyfus, son of prominent Jew.
An opportunity now arose for
these profigate officers to drive one
more Of the sons of Shem from the
army in disgrace, and in doing so
to shield themselves from one of
the blacklist crimes that history re-
cords. A French spy had found in
the office of the German Embassy
an unsigned document. This borde-
reau contained information concern
ing the French army which an
officer of inferior rank. could not
have given. Dreyfus was at once
accused of beirg the infamous att
thor Of it.
Why did they accuse him of such
an ignominious crime? What mo-
tive could he have had for such an
odious action? Was he hard press
cd fer irrds? No, he was rich.
Was he a victom of passion and i'm
pulse? No, he was calm and deliber-
ate. Why would he risk all happi-
ness by committing such rash act?
Captain Dreyfus was an innocent
victom of horrible plot. He was a
Jew. He was a young man, lack
ing ext er.ence, and consequen ly
an easy scapegoat for the sins of
the real traitors.
The bordereau resembled his
handwriting. That was sufficient.
Without the slightest idea Of the
crime of which he was accused, he
was thrown into dark and filthy
prison. Fer seventeen days he was
bulldosed, tortured and starved, by
the very perpetrators of the crime,
that he might be compelled to con-
tess an act which he had never
commit ed. For seventeen days
the e same officers went to his
home and resorted to the basest lies
to drive his heart-broken, innocent
wife to an asylum, if not to her
grave
Meanwhile, the press, with the
real authors of the bordereau as in
fornants, published column after
column of degrading and false repre-.
sensations. This aroused the coun-
try to such an intensity and turmoil
CT excitement that, without the pri-
SON. mobs were clamoring for the
lite OF the traitor, while within. the
prison resounded with protests OF
innocecy.
AT last the time had come for the
trlai in which Dreyfus had placed
all his hopes. He thought that a