The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-09-21
HIS LATEST TRICK.
PRESS OPINION OF cLEvELANp,s
RETALlAToRY MESSAGE.
Two Great Republican Journals Condemn
the Eombnstio Document. and Third
Laughs ct TIT Is ''Dad Diplomacy
and Good Politics."

the Bombnstio Document, and q Third
Laughs at TIT is "Bad Diplomacy
and Good Politics."
The New York Tribune says of Presi-
dent Cleveland's message asking for
power to retaliate on Canada:
A direct answer may be made to the
presidents message on the rejected treaty.
He asked for enlarged retaliatory powers,
on the ground that these with which he
has already been armed are inadequate.
If he had enforced either of tho retalia-
ton acts he would have been in a position
to decide whether they were or were not
adequate for the protection of American
interests. If he had availed himself of
Che legislation already enacted and had
found il, insufficient, he would have been
justified in recommending moro stringent
measures. As it is. he simply begs the
question. Having persisted in negotiat-
ing treaty in opposition to the ad-
vice given to him at his request
by the senate in 1885,. and having
Systematically neglected to make use Of
the retaliation acts, he is not justified in
complaining that the powers conferred
abruptly decided to reverse his entire
policy in dealing with Great Britain and
Canadian corporations, it would have
been more becoming If his message to
congress lad been less defiant and ag-
gressive in tone He has tried to have
his own way and has made o wretched
failure of diplomacy. In submitting to
the will of congress, as expressed in the
retaliation acts, meelness would have
been a graceful virtue on his part. Ac-.
tual experience from the operation of
chose acts ought to have preceded shrill
demands for additional retaliatory powers.
Tho New York Press says: President
Cleveland's message upon the rejected
fisheries treaty is by long odds the fun
niest of the many exhibitions of himself
which our FalstafEian chief magistrate
has ever given to the public. For months
he has been trying to scare the senate
into accepting his diplomatic added eggs
by referring to the trouble he could make
under the retaliation act of the last con.
gress That scheme having failed, he
now, without using any of those powers,
steps up jauntily and asks for more
weapons with which to force England to
act justly by US.
This, Of course, is q retaliation upon
the senate for rejecting his treaty. Els
heart was set upon paying the stakes for
diplomacy with Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain.
But tho people and the senate discovered
that the latter used marked cards, and
would not chime in with his scheme.
Therefore, President Cleveland asks for
additional powers of retaliation which
may be so used as to bring about war.
The senate is not likely to be alarmed
by this thunder and lightning talk. Tho
presidential buffer already has his boots
and belt stuffed with retaliatory revolvers
and sabers, and there is retaliatory
bowio knife down the back of his neck.
He will not get into serious trouble if he
gets retaliatory cannon cracker besides.
If he wants retaliation acts, by all
means let him have them-not this alone,
but as many more as he asks for. Then
the country will see how quickly law
can pass into "innocuous desuetude"
under an unpatriotic president.
The Philadelphia Press, after remark
ing on the presidents peculiar policy Of
using messages as campaign documents,
says:
He is defeated on his free trade message.
Even he knows it and his party in every
doubtful state has seen it for q month.
He tries "a new tack. He starts new
issue. lie appeals to national feeling,
tion-where an American executive and
his cabinet should always stand-in dc.
| fense of the rights and privileges of all
Americans. But he does this on lines and
in q way to get all the politics he can out
of it.
| Continuing, The Press says: This is
bad diplomacy and shrewd '.politics." 1t
may not be worthy of an American presi-
dent, but it shows o keen sense of the
needs Of tho Democratic candidate. It
risks much for the nation, but it does all
it can for the Democratic campaign. It
has been possible, as we have said over
and over again, ut any time before and
still moro after the retaliatory act of 1887
was passed to put pressure on Canada
which she could not resist and against
which Great Britain could make no effect
ual protest. This could be done by simply
altering the treasury regulations for the
transhipment of Canadian goods in bond.
He has taken an international pose before
all the world, defying Canadian lightning.
Suppose-which is out of the questio.,,-
ne were able by this vigorous" attitude
to get in o serious snarl with Great Brit-
ain in the next sixty days. What stock
in trade this would be for presidential
candidate beaten in August OH the ground
ne uau CHOSEN III -OecemDer ana Sn11tlnG
the issue TO new field in the last two
months of his campaign! What chance
to befog the economic issue between free
trade and protection, on which the doubt
full states nre going one way, and the
wrong way, for President Cleveland, with
this new appeal But this will not do.
Mr.. Cleveland has taken his ground. He
will have to make his fight on it.
why They Want American Free Trade.