Morning journal and courier., 1888-08-25
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
| THE MESSAGE CRITICISED.
1t Was Either A Bid For
Votes Or
TO BLUFF CANADA.
Retaliation Will Amount To
Nothing.
THE PLAGUE GROWING WORSE.
Fourteen New Cases Re-
ported At Jacksonville.
THE PLAGUE GROWING WORSE.
THE MESSAGE UNDER FIRE.

THE MESSAGE UNDER FIRE.
| Senators Discuss the Presidents Latest
| Literary Productf0n-He WAS Inc0n.
/ sfstentAComment ON the message-It
| was Either a Bluff to Brighten Cana
da or Bid for Votes.
| In the Senate to-day after Mr.Sherman had
| moved that the message be printed and re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions, Mr. Edmunds said he was in favor
of the motion but would like to say word.
After expressing his gratitude at the
| intentions of the President to protect
American interests he said the pecu-
liarity of the situation was found in the
fact that the President had been empowered
for eighteen months to retaliate and yet had
failed to do SO. off, he continued, "noth
ing has happened, if there have been no in
stances of injustice. of denial of American
rights, Of unjust treatment, of American citi-
zens, in the provinces of the Dominion, then,
of course, the President has been entirely
right in taking no step in respect of the mat
ter. If, however, in his opinion-as he now
states it-there have been instances of denial
of just rights to American citizens engaged
in the business described in the Act of 1887,
why is it that the President has not taken
any step in the exercise of the powers which
the law imposed upon him. and in the exer-
else of the high duty which the constitution
imposes upon him, of taking care that the
laws are faithfully executed
THE PRESIDENT IS INCONSISTENT.
"The President admits that in one instance
in 1886 an American vessel catching fish out
side of the ten mile limit was denied the
privilege by the Dominion government.
Now, the President says (and says JUSTLY that
that was a great and most important and
grievous injury to American rights. Why
has he been silent for eighteen months with
the government in his handsa And why has
he remained inactiye2
And now the President sends to mes
sage asking that additional powers bearing,
as he supposes, on broader neld of retalia
ton and covering other topics be given him.
must suppose under the principle which he
has already acted upon that until these pow
ers are given to him he will do nothing at
ALL"
On the point as to whether the 29th article
of the treaty of 1871 was still in force and as
to the intent of Congress in limiting the re-
taliatory law to matters connected with the
fishing interests Mr.. Edmupds said: Now it
will be seen that one of the very things about
which the President is now for the first time
apparently solicitous was brought to the at
tention of the houses of Congress pending
the passage of the law Of 1887, and that the
Senate was of opinion that the provisions
contained in that law, as it was proposed,
were entirely adequate to the protection Of
American rights. When the Canadian
authorities denied to American fishermen
their right to trans ship their fish from Hall
fax to Boston or New York, it was the duty
of the President to inform the British govern
ment that we regarded that both article of
the treaty as no longer in force because it
could not be enforced on the one side and
not on the other side at the same time"
BE WOULD NOT RETAL1ATE.
Referring again to the Presidents failure to
use his retaliatorY powers Mr.. Edmunds con-
tinued: Alas, Mr.. President, I think it is an
infinite pity that in SO simple case an ade-
ouate and full statute, the force or weakness
of which has never yet been tested by the
first step, should remain unexecuted-and in
a state of einnocuous desuetude'' until the
President of the United States may see
whether Congress will not put more ammu-
milton into his hands before he fires the FIRST
gun.
ton of the policy pursued in regard to the
purchase of the bonds. This administration
wanted to pile up great surplus in the treas
ury in order that it might be used as an argu-
ment for the attack on our protective system
and accordingly it acted to have grave doubts
whether the law gave power to expend the
surplus for bonds of the United States and
after the mischief was already done and the
surplus was piled up and distributed among
the national banks without interest the presi-
dent sent in a communication saying he
thought he ought to have authority to expend
1t in buying bonds. If the patriotic spirit of
the majority of tho Senate had not rejected
the treaty the American people would never
have heard from the executive lisp of de-
sire to affirm and maintain and defend and
establish their rights in relation to the sys-
tenn of transportation. 1t was idle for the
1 Of ffF to-
mp his retreat and cover up his surrender by
undertaking to come to the front In regard to
this matter.
Mr.. Hoar asked leave to add one remark TO
his speech, saying that for himself, and he
had no doubt for the Republicans of the SEN
ate, he was in favor of giving the President
any suthority on this matter If on examina-
ton 1t should be found to DO needed.
Mr. Morgan said the President had laid be-
fore the people in true, manly way the sctu-
al situation in respect to our relation with
Canada and no exhibition of the Republican
caucus could lessen the effect of that message
upon the honest American mind. Mr.. Nor
gan went on to defend the course of the
President and said he thought the country
would appreciate the fortitude of the man
who could stand up against the utteranees of
the senator from Vermont and perform his
duty without g tremor.
Mr. Hale criticised the Presidents message
as a desperate expedient to recover lost
ground and q confession that the attitude by
him and his administration to the treaty
was an attitude that had no force in it.
Nothing had shown the wisdom and patriot
ism of the course taken by Republican Soma
tors In rejecting the treaty as worthless SO
clearly as this message. Why, he asked, had
the President waited until now to call atten-
ton to the matter of tolls on Canadian canals
and other matters of injustice to Americans
It was because he and his administration felt
I'D IN a0fJ nVY
with the treaty.
Mr.. Sherman said the Presidents message
gave him more pleasure than he usually de-
rived from messages from such nlgn
source. But he thought it was movement
to supply lost ground. If the PRESIDENT had
in his message there would have been no diff
iculty about the treaty and 1t would have
been ratified by unanimous vote. The de-
bate closed without controversy between Mr..
Beck and Mr.. Sherman about the fiscal policy
of the administration and MIR. Sherman's re-
sponsibility for the tar1m ana the SINKING
fund and trusts.
Mr.. George took the floor fer speech on
| the message on Monday and the matter went
over.
The conference report on the bill for a cos
| tam house and appraisers warehouse In New
York was presented and adopted and the
Senate adjourned until Monday.
HousE.-The House agreed to the confer
| ence report on the bill for the rerection OF an
| appraisers warehouse at New York: 1t
provides that the si.s shall not cost over
$3.50, 900.
| A resolution was passed directing the
printing Of IL, 900 copies of the Presidents
message on the fisheries treaty.
The House went into committee OF the
whole on the deficiency appropriation bill,
the bending question being on the appeal by
| Mr.. Dibble from the decision of the chair
ruling out the provision for the payment of
| the French speliation claims on point of or