Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-09-02


same low rate, he is inevitably erecting an
industry which, if the same rate OF wages be
maintained throughout, will drive you out
oi business or lead YOU to the gates of his |
own poverty.
The situation is therefore plainl, discerni-
bic and demonstrable, viz: First-If the |
Democratic party shall succeed, as they have
been annually attempting for twelve years
past. IN destroying the Protective Tariff. The |
artisans of the United States will be thrown |
into direct competition with the highly |
skilled and miserably paid labor Of Europe. |
Second-f the Democratic party shall be
able TO hold control Of the National Govern /
ment, the colored laborer IN the Southern /
States will remain where the Southern Dem !
ocrats have placed him politically. subject to I
the will of the white man, and unable to iix
the price or command the value of his labor |
| he colored man will therefore. under those
conditions and influences, remain a constant
quantity in the labor market, receiving in
adequate compensation for his own toll. and
steadily orcwdlng down the compensation Of
white labor, if not to his own level vet far
below its just and adequate standard
At every turn, therefore, whether it be in
exposing the white American laborer TO the
danger of European competition by destroy
ing the Protective Tariff, OF whether it be in
reducing the wages Of the white man By un-
fairly making the colored laborer his fatal
competitor, in all the fields Of toll, the Dem
ocra,ic party North and South appears as
the enemy of every interest of the American
workman. With that party placed in full
power and with all It's measures achieved,
the wages of the American laborer will fall
as certainly as effect follows cause
THE FISHERY QUESTION
The Fishery dispute between the United
States and Great Britain has passed through
many singular phases in the last seventy
years but never before. think, was II sur
rounded with such extraordinary circum-
stances as We find existing at this moment,
Before discussing the merits Of the American
case II may be interesting to recall the pro-
cess by which the question has been placed
ID It's present attitude
On Ike 3lst OF January. 1855, several
months before the fishing season of that
year began, Preslden; Arthur ISSUED
proclamation giving notice 10 the people
ths, the fishery articles Of the Treaty OF
Washington (lS7D had according to the
conditions Of the Treaty. been formally ter
minated. The President made the results
that would ilow from this action plain and
unm!s,ak able by warning al! citizens Of the
[ nied States that "none Of the privileges
secured to them by these articles Will exist
after JULY l-t, lsSj." This termination Of
the treaty had been dccrcel by an over
Whelming vote Of both branches u Congress
and was nov made final and effective by the
Presidents proclamation. This course tad
been earnestly desired hy the American
fishermen, vas fully understood by them ana
was completed without protest from a single
citizen Of the United States,
Fave weeks after rrc.idcn, Arthur. pro-
c.amatlon Vas issued HIS term closed, aud
with the nev administration Mr. Ba}ard be
came Secretary Of State. In three or four
days after BE- had been installed III oificr the
British Minister. Honorable Sack He West.
submitted proposal 10 continue the recip-
FOCAL fishing arrangement, unit! January /,
l>N6. After a brief correspondence Mr.
Bayard accepted the offer. In other words.
Mr.. West and Mr.. Bayarl made a treaty Of
their own By which American fishermen
we're 10 be allowed 10 !i,G in British waters
SIX months longer. aud British fishermen
should freely h.t ~ american water, FOR
the same period. When Mr. West first
proposed ihls extension Of time. IN bis note
of March L. he based hi, suggestion solely
upon the generous ground that as the treaty
would terminate during the hshin. season
considerable hardship might be occasioned
10 American fishermen II they we're com
PEELED TO de-isi fishing at that tune" hi,
exact point had been fofeseen, had been
carefully considered by Congress. by the
President, By the State Department. and by
the American fishermen themselves H.
popular parlanoe they had discounted II
and were fully prepared for L, when TO their
exceeding surprise the British Minister
seemed 10 be moved with compassion f1r
their possible ,uterngs Apparently with
out other motive than dlslnteTestei beueyo-
lenCe, Mr.. West was anxious TO allow lhem
SIX months more OF that precious time which
the Halifax Commission had declared 10 be
worth 10 American fishermen half million
dollars per annum.
But reading little farther in this remark
able diplomatic spondence We find that
Mr. West instead Of acting from motives Of
pure generosity towards American fishermen
was really paving the way for ,hrewd trade
and new treaty. \ regular understanding
between himself and Mr Bayafd was re-
a
large consideration for l.aying the British
waters open to American fishermen six
months longer. The consideration was
pledge from Mr. Ba,ard under date of June
18th, 1855, that the President would at the
next session Of Congress recommend the
appointment OF Commission in which the
Governments OF the United States and
Great Britain shall be respectively represen-
ted, charged with the consideration and
settlement upon just, equitable and honor
able basis OF the entire questions OF the fish
ing rights OF the two Governments and Of
their respective citizens on the coasts Of the
United States and British North America
The stipulation was definite and reduced to
writing that IN rictc and IN consideration
Of such promised recommendations by the
PRESIDENT the British would for the next
SIX months enforce no restrictive regulations
against American fishermen. In addition to
all this Mr.. Bayard gave significant intima-
tion 10 Mr. West that the refunding Of du-
ties m@anw whie collected under our custom
laws upon Canadian fish might be brought
before the Commission thus promised.
Accordingly, in the following December.
SIX and half months after Mr. Bayards
memorandum pledge that the President
would make the recommendation to Con-
gress, the President actually did incorporate
1t 10 his annual message and gave IN Ian
guage which was a transcript rerbatim OF
the words which Mr.. Bayard gave 10 Mr..
West. 1t would certainly be apart from my
desire to pass any personal criticism upon
the President, of whom | wish at all times
10 speak in terms of respect but, viewing
this as public question and speaking only
with the freedom Of private citizen, | must
express my belief that this transaction was
throughout most extraordinary and unprece
dented. 1t was extraordinary and unprece
dented and altogether beyond his proper
power for Secretary of State in the recess
of Congress to revive any part Of treaty
which Congress had expressly terminated;
it was extraordinary for Secretary of State
to begin negotiations for the renewal of
treaty which every department of Govern
ment had Just united in annulling; it was
extraordinary for Secretary OF State TO en-
ter into trade with foreign Minister for
present benefit to be paid for by the future
action of the Government, and most OF all
was it extraordinary that pledge should be
given to a foreign Government that the
President of the United States should in the
future-more than half year distant-make
specific recommendation, on a specific sub
ject, in specific words to the Congress of the
United States That pledge was given and
was held in the British foreign Office in Lon