The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-10
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
The Fisheries Question-A Brief Discussion
Concerning Woman Suffrage.

WASHINGTON, April 9--Senator ingalls, (by
request) Introduced a bill to provide for the APP
pointmeut of a board Of arbitration to exawine
and settle differences between railroad COM
panies and their employees
The Chair laid before the Senate a letter from
Mr. Fairchild, acting Secretary of the Treasury,
transmitting letter from the Secretary of the
Interior submitting an estimate of $4,000 as
the amount necessary to complete the investiga-
tion of Indian depredations.
Mr.. Stanford submitted the credentials of
Hon. Geo. Hearst. The credentials having been
read, the new Senator was escorted to the desk
by Mr. Stanford, where President pro tempore
Sherman administered the oath Of Office.
Mr.. Corger called up the House bill providing
for the free transmission through the mails OF
the meteorological reports.
Much opposition to the bill was developed, and
the matter went over for the present.
Mr.. Frye then took the floor, and addressed
the Senate in support of the resolution hereto
fore submitted by him in relation to the fish
cries. The resolution declares it to be the sense
of the Senate that Congress ought not to provide
for the appointment Of a commission, in which
the government of the United States and Great
consideration and settlement of the fishery
rights of the two governments on the coasts OF
the United States and British America. He
contended that Great Britain had always had
the best of the United States in negotiating
treaties, and that this government had never de-
rived any benefit from the treaty Of Washing
ton. Our fishermen, he said, heard with amaze
ment and Indignation that Secretary Bayard was
making, without the lnterposition Of the Senate,
a new treaty and recommending joint commits
SInn fuy, Of <na Int ho
should take counsel only of the enemy; that he
should not have counseled with Mr.. George
Steele, president of the American fisheries. 1t
this hearing had been granted, neither
the President nor Mr.. Bayard would have
fallen into the diplomatic traps Mr.. West set
for them. Mr.. Frye then argued that no one de-
sired commission; we had nothing to ask of
Canada. he said-her shores and gulf fisheries
were useless to rs. "Now, sir" said Mr.. Frye,
what do these fishermen ask2 In this emergen-
cy, when England lie demanding one more sacri-
hce and the administration seems to have been
begulled by the allurements of the British min
lister, their first and most earnest prayer is to be
let alone. The resolution now under considera-
ton answers this demand. But. Mr.. President,
the Republic should demand more than this of
Congress 1t should insist, first. that Great
Britain must abstain from the assumption OF
territorial or any other jurisdiction over the
vessels of the United States navigating on the
open seas, under the flag of the United States
The Republic should insist upon the same
commercial privileges in the ports and harbors
OF the Dominion of Canada as she enjoys in ours.
If these not accorded, then Congress should
promptly resort to retaliatory legislation and our
government send into those waters armed cruis-
ers, not to perpetrate any wrongs upon or do any
injustice to our neighbors, but to protect our
own citizens from outrage"
Mr.. Morgan did not understand the Presidents
suggestion TO propose commission which. by
its action, should conclude all questions between
wa a o
was proposed by the President.
Mr.. Frye remarked that in that case the Pres
ident's language was unfortunately chosen.
Mr.. Morgan said it had been misnterpreted.
then placed before the Senate the pending ques-
ton being on Mr. Eustiss proposed amendment
limiting the right of the suffrage in the proposed
new State to qualified male electors only.
Mr.. Butler said he would vote against the
amendment
Mr.. Beck favored the amendment and spoke
in its support. He would do everything in his
power, be said. to advance the condition of
women. but was not prepared to give them the
right of suffrage now Senators could not give
the right Of suffrage to the most intelligent
woman in America without giving it to the most
ignorant negro woman of the South. He read
the provisions Of the United States Constitution
as to citizenship, and said they ought to apply
in Washington Territory. Men who might be
six months in a Territory, and might have de-
clared an intention to become citizens which in
tention they might abandon in moment were
not the class of men who ought to be allowed to
take possession of great Territory and frame
its Constitution and fundamental laws.
Mr.. Teller hardly expected that the Senator
from Kentucky would have thrown any obstacles
in the way of people becoming citizens of the
United States. If the Senator were now in his
own country. Mr.. Teller doubted very much
whether he would be a home ruler He doubted
whether Mr. Beck would be in sympathy with
the struggling people of ireland, or with the
great statesman who had just made the world
ring with noble utterances in behalf of self
government. Mr. Teller characterized Mr.
Gladstone's speech as the greatest ever made on
the subject to which it related and Gladstone
possibly the greatest man of the age. Refer
ring to woman suffrage. Mr.. Teller believed it
would be one of the great blessings to civlliza-
ton.
Mr. Eustis said that when Congress author
lied the formation of this Territory, it limited
suffrage to male citizens
Mr. Butler said the limitation was only as to
the first election under the territorial govern
ment.
Mr. Eustis was suspicious when he saw Re-
publican unanimity on question Of admins
tration of a State. He knew that under the
sanity leadership of the school of political
philosophers we were all ceasng to be partisans,
and were to become reconciled to life of poliu-
ical monasticism: but he would continue to have
one failing, namely, in his humble way to be
vigilant of the purposes designs and craft of the
Republican leaders, as he had endeavored to be
in the past
Mr. Butler said if he were to believe In woman
suffrage and had he the power to confer it, he
would be far from comforting it on all women
IT, too. he had the power of comforting male suf-
frage he would be far from conierring it on all
men. That form Of suffrage established by the
reconstruction laws in the South, with almost
universal ignorance among the class enfran-
chised had kept the South long in bondage He
thought the time was coming when the question
of woman suffrage would have to be faced
squarely and intelligently. He did not think
the time ripe yet.
Mr.. Blackburn thought the bill as il stood a
departure from the settled practice of the gov
eminent. He favored Mr. Eustiss amendment.
and said If the people of the proposed State
wanted to confer suffrage on women they could
do SO without interference from Congress- at the
first session of The new Siate Leoislatura He