Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-02
ALARM IN THE SOUTH
Concern Excited by a Sensa-
tional Circular.
ALLEGED CONSPIRACY
CHARGE AGAINST LEADERS IN
THE ARBITRATION MOVEMENT.
Claimed That They Are Working in the
Interests of Holders of Re-
pudiated State Bonds.
ALLEGED CONSPIRACY
sBY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Record Herald.
A printed circular signed by a Philadel-
phia physician has been received by several
senators, and has been distributed extern
sively among officials and other influential
men in the southern states, charging Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland John
Hay, John w. Foster, Richard Olney, Cor
nelius N. Bliss, Andrew Carnegie, Cardinal
Gibbons, Archbishop Ireland, President An
CELL of Ann Arhor. Robert Z. Lincoln, Carl
Schurz, John Crosby Brown John Mitchell,
LambertTree. Judge, Gray, Jacob NJ. Dickn-
son of Chicago, Thomas Nelson Page and
other gentlemen who have heretofore borne
excellent characters with organizing "a
gigantic conspiracy to compel the payment
of confederate bonds and readjusted south
ern states bonds. under a pretext of pro-
noting international peace
An Alleged Conspiracy.
1t is asserted that these gentlemen under
the preteXt of securing the adoption of ar
bitration as a method of settling disputes
between the nations of the world, are ac-
tually working in the interests of and in
conjunction with syndicate of New York
spectators, who have boxes filled with
readjusted or repudiated southern states
bonds, readjusted Minnesota bonds, unpaid
bonds of Michigan and the republic of
Texas, repudiated confederate bonds and
doubtless many large rolls of confederate
money
While the circular exposes in indignant
terms, the wickedness of the conspiracy in
which these gentlemen are engaged, it
credits them with 'consummate skill and
sagacity, evinced in avoiding national jeal-
ously by inviting not only England, but all
Europe to participate in the financial car
niVal.' And the success of Secretary Hay,
who is the heavy villain of the conspiracy,
IN entlcing the several European powers
into the scheme, according to the circular,
ankle bears proof 'of the legal acumen en-
ployed and the vast amount of money ex-
pected to be derived from the southern
states by the passage of these arbitration
treaties The circular goes to declare
that THE treaties of arbitration are pro-
Jected under the preteXt of peace. The real
OBJECT is to exact the price denominated
III the bond from the southern states. as is
now being exacted in Venezuela regardless
OF the cost in sectional animosity and in
creased taxation. 1t is to be hoped that
sincere, religious American men and wo-
men, dreading war and abhoring bloodshcd
VIII no longer permit their sympatlies to
be played upon by spectators who have
thus openly avowed their intention to en-
ofoll the southern states in a legal and
financial war with foreign governmental
The circular also charges that large sums
OF money are being spent in trying to Gre
ate sentiment in favor of arbitration in
the New England, middle and central west
for the parpetra tors
one would scarcely think that so pre-
posterous a proposition would receive at
tenuon from United States senators or
other serious men, but even stranger things
have. happened. For example an Illinois
man named Blaisdell has suit pending in
the Court of Claims to recover from the
United States government the value of STD
oCO,Ooo in Union Pacific railway bonds
which he claims to have given the late Sec
rotary Folger for redemption. Mr. Folser
died shortly after, nobody in the treasury
remembers anything about the transa elton,
ana Mr.. BlaiSdell is the sole witness for
the plaintiff. Yet reputable ATTORNEYS in
the city of Washington have continued for
years to accept large fees from him to in
vent new modes of procedure to recover his
claim, which has been repeatedly thrown
out of the court as founded only upon a
disordered Imagination
Alarm in the South.
This circular appears to have excited
Considerable alarm in the southern states,
and influential people are writing to fuenus
in Washington to ascertain if there is any
ground for the charges. The Episcopal
bishop of one of the southern states for
example writes in great anxiety to an ac-
quaintance here, inquiring whether he has
become involved in a wicked and scandal
-lous conspiracy by lending his name as an
indorser of the arbitration movement. He
wants all of the facts, and appeals for adj
vice as to how he can get out of the
scrape.
Senator Foster of Louisiana is the only
member of either house of Congress who
publicly places any Importance upon the
charges though in private several south
senators and representatives have DIS
cuSsed the subject seriously, and there have
been articles in several southern newSpa-
pers admonishing the members of the SEN
ate from that section to go slowly and take
no chances by ratifying the arbitra ton
treaties. The board of trade of New Or
leans, which is composed of six or seven
hundred business men of that city, took ac-
ton upon the arbitration treaties some time
ago and passed resolutions urging the Sena-
tors from Louisiana to support them. In
public letter Senator Foster declares that
he is in thorough accord with the board OF
trade as to the beneficent results of ar
btration but says that in view of the dec1-
sion of the United States Supreme Court,
in February, 1904 in the case of the state
of South Dakota against the state of North
Carolina, the danger to which the southern
states exposed on account of foreign
holders of their repudiated bonds will have
to be carefully considered.
The North Carolina Bonds.
The case referred to was a suit brought
by the state of South Dakota against the
state of North Carolina to recover the
value of a block of bonds issued by the lat
ter in 1850 which have been practically re-
-pudiated. The holder of these bonds, hav-
ing been unable to collect either interest or
principal benevolently donated them to the
school fund of South Dakota and the attor-
ney general of that state commenced pro-
ceedings with hope of realizing some
thing upon them. The Supreme Court (192
u. S. reports, page 1850 by a decision of five
to four declared that the bonds were law
full lien upon property of the state of North
Carolina and are equivalent to a mortgage
subject to foreclosure Alarmists like Sem
ator Foster therefore argue that If the SUI
preme Court will aid in compelling a state
to pay it's debts an international arbitration
tribunal would be very likely to take SINH
lar action.
Senators Opposed.
Senator Morgan of Alabama has declared
his opposition to the treaties, but ignores
the charge of conspiracy. He takes the
ground that 1t Is impolitic for the govern
ment of the United States to pledge itself
in advance to any mode of procedure or to
any principle that may be likely to inter-
fere with its interests in the future. His
colleague, Senator Pettus, takes similar
ground and both of them will resist ratifi-
| cation of the treaties in the Senate. For
similar reasons they and other members
of the Senate have prevented the ratifica-
| ton of treaties entered into between the
United States and the several Central and
South American republics, as agreed upon