New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-23
--------------- - xx
a SHAMEFUL TREATY.

ever reached. It condones and to certain
extent legaIizes the wanton warfare upon Amer
lean fishermen by which the National honor has
been compromised. Secretary Whitney owes
Admiral Luce an apology. He ccnsured the
Admiral for obtaining official information from
the captain of the Coast Guard and for then
cooperating with the customs authorities Ill
dcpriving American fishermen OF their rights.
The State Department has virtually followed
in the Admiral's track. 1t Incorporates in this
treaty q system of forfeiturcs and penaltics'
not only for illegal fishing and preparations
for fishing within the threc-mle limit, but also
g. for any other violation of the laws OF Great
Britain. Canada or Newfoundland relating to-
the right of fishery in such waters" 1t LENDS
the sanction Of treaty law to the customs regu-
lations which have been enforced in a most
oppressive manner against American hshermen.
IT, stimulates that ono vessel shall be excused
hereby from giving due information to board
ing officers,n authorizes license system for
the purchase of supplies for homeward voy-
age and levies in the I" modus vivendf' tonnage
fees at an exorbitant rate. 1t confirms the
authority Of the customs officials and cooper
atcs with them, as Admiral Luce did, in de-
rriying American citizens Of commercial priv
lcgcs which are freely extended TO Canadian
fishermen in American harbors. In order to
appreciate the humiliating nature of these con-
cessions our readers have only to bear in mind
the fact that the Outrages on the DOMINION
scaboard during the last three years have been
caused by wantOn and spitcful prosecutions
by customs officials for technical offences. Sec
rotary Manning protested manfully against
these insults and acts of incivilty and hostility
so CALLING to National pride. Secretary Bayard
mcekly kisses the rod that has been smiling
him. He condoncs the outragcs and arms the
customs officials with international authority.
This is the craven spirit in which Secretary
Bayard has dealt with the wrongs Of American
citizens We pass now to the question of fish
ermen's rights and privileges. The State De-
partmcnt has announced with flourish Of
tIumpets that it has obtained everything which
the fishermen wanted Where is the proof in
the treaty? The right to obtain shelter, re-
pairs. wood and water has been more explicitly
Defined but this is not new privilege, for IL
was secured in 1918. These four rights are
extended so as to include exemption for twenty
four hours from reporting at custom house,
casualty and the recruiting of the crew; but
these favors are only granted to ships under
stress of weather and in need of repairs. These
are old rights slightly enlarged The only
new privilege, apart from the domination OF
Canadian waters, is permission to buy under
an official license provisions for the homcWard
voyage. This is most meagrc gam. The
privileges which the fishermen really want are
expressly denied TO them. These are grouped
under Article Nv. namely CD the purchase
of provisions, bait ice, seincs' lines and all
other supplies and outfits; CIV transshipmcnb
Of catch for transport by means of conveyance;
and 90 shipping of crews. These privileges
are withheld until the duty on fish and fish OIL
shall be abolished What the fishermen really
want and what they are legally entitled to have
undcr the international arrangements for mari
time reciprocity made in 1890 is reserved as
a bid for free market for Canadian fish. Under
the Treaty of Washington the inshorc fisheries
were an offset 20 the free market. Under Sec
rotary Bayards treaty the right to buy bait
and supplies. the transshipmcnt OF fish in bond
and the recruiting of crews is the equivalent
for the free market and so long as the duty on
fish remains American fishermen must content
themselves with the old privilege of obtaining
shelter, repairs, wood and water. and with the
hcggarly favor of buying fresh meat and eggs
for the bomeward voyage. Yet Secretary
Bayard would have the country believe that the
fishermen have got everything they wanted.
Throughout these transactions Secretary
Bayard seems to have stood before the British
Commissioners. cap in hand obscquiously ask
ing them how little, if anything at all, they
would be pleased to let the Americans have.
Not content with condonng the insults to tho
flag and the wrongs which American citizens
have endured he has reduced the fshermen's
rights to a minimum and with amazing credulty
has accepted the Canadian estimate of tho
value of the privileges withheld under Article
XIV as an equivalent for free market for fish.
His Difference for the British Commissioners
who have outMltted him is so abjcct that he
receives with grateful heart the proposition
fer a "modus vivcndi' by which American
vessels can obtain their commercial rights on
the payment Of from 800 to $500 in tonnage
licenses-rights which Dominion fishermen en-
Joy gratuitously in American ports. This last
touch of submissivcncss on the part of the
American Commissioners reminds us Of Stcrnc' $
meek donkey: I" Do not beat me, my masters
| bcsecch you: yet you may beat me if you
wish' The SeCrctary'S masters certainly were
merciless. The treaty is shameful one; with
the "modus vivendi" it is an intOlcrablc dis
grace. The Senate should make short work
of it, We hope the convention may be voted
down and buried out OF sight as soon as pos
siblc.
GOVERNOR HiLDN WISE ECONOMY.