Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-30
A SENATE NOVELTY.
EXECUTIVE SESSION HELD WITH THE
DOORS WIDE OPEN.

| Gen. sheridan PIucking Victory from
Defeat Agam-Reviving the Grade of
| General in His Honor-Both Houses
| Adjourn Over Decoration Day.
| WASHINGTON CITY, May 80 The novel
| spectacle of an executive session
of the senate held in public drew
a large audience to the chamber
yesterday, and Frye began the debate on the
fishery treaty. He apologzed for his lack of
preparation, saying that he did not expect to
speak in open session on this subject. He
said tho question before the senate was no
| trfling one; it involved the dignity and
| honor of the great republic and the rights of
| its citizens 1t could not be belittled by any
| talk of localization, by charging that it con
cerned only New England industry of little
| account, and that Yankee fishermen alone
We're interested. 1t could not be obscured by
the president of the United States ntimating
that in event of the failure of the treaty he
would resort to the laws passed by congress
in such way as to jeopardize,
and possibly destroy. all the bust
ness interests of the great north. The
question before the senate was: Shall Amer
lean citizens be protected against injustice
u
boring nation, emboldened to it only because it
rested under the protection of IA mighty power
beyond the seas. He paid glowing tribute
to the valor of the yankee fishermen" in the
various wars of this country, and asked
whether such men were entitled to contempt
When they asked for bread, should the senate
give them stone, and when they asked for
fish, a serpent9
He gave the British government great
credit for the protection it extended its sub
jects in foreign lands This powerful gov
eminent had utterly neglected the rights of
fishermen.
When the war for independence was over
we met to frame treaty of peace and there
were men in the Land who loved their co un-
try and who secured in that treaty of peace
provision for the rights of the republic; nay,
more: Great Britain had accorded us the
rights of fishing on the grand banks and other
banks, over which she had no more right or
control than over the mid-ocean. She never
surrendered anything that was her own We
were again victorious in the war of 1872 and
when that war was over, and we met to make
a treaty of peace, Great Britain said: "You
have forfeited every right that you ever had
in these northwestern waters" We had men
then-patriotic and courageous men-who
said to Great Britain empbatically: "Youput
never make peace with you" The result was
the treaty was entirely silent as to this fishery
right.
The treaty of 1878 was negotiated at a
very unfortunate time for our country
when we were staggering under the burden
of the war of 1912. Great Britain was more
arrogant than ever, having just conquered
Napoleon on the field of Waterloo. Under
these circumstances we made dishonorable, |
humiliating and cowardly surrender of our
rights, but we did have courage enough to |
insist that if our fishermen We're driven by |
stress of weather into any of those surren.
dered waters they should have shelter the |
right to purchase wood, refill their water |
tanks, and repair their vessels, but no right |
to enter these waters for any other purposes |
whatever.
The United States grew in power, in popu- |
lation, in Importance, and grew immensely |
as to her markets. Great Britain and |
Canada looked upon these markets with |
avaricicus eyes, and determined to possess |
them There was no hesitation no question
Of rights, of decency or hospitality. Great
Britain proposed to have our markets, so that
Canadian fishermen might be quadrupled,
and when she needed sailors she would know
where to find the bravest and the best in the
wide world Canada drove our vessels to sea
and searched them; she put aboard them
armed men, and literally confined the cap
tains and crews on their own vessels with the
American flag flying over their heads. They
were tried in colonial courts, their vessels
one after another, until the perils
of the sea were not half so many as the ter
rors of the law on shore.
Under the treaty of 1854, known as the
treaty, we were permitted TO fish
within their waters, and they within our
waters and they were permitted free en-
trance to our markets for their fish, and
they thus had all they wanted-just as the
senator from Alabama [Morganl the senator
from Delaware [Saulsburyl and the senator
from Ohio [Paynel within two days had
threatened as the result of the failure of this
treaty they should have again if this treaty
was not ratified
Morgan and Payne both disclaimed having
made any such threats.
Frye maintained that their speeches in the
secret sessions embodied plain intmation
hat free fish would result from failure to
-atify the treaty.
Morgan replied that he had said, and would
ay again, that if the senator from NJ aine
placed before the people of the United States
he question of a war with Great Britain as
against that of letting fish in free of duty he
would raise very serious issue.
Frye declared that the modus vivendi only
ecured to US by the payment of 81. 50 per ton
rights which already belonged to
is. He referred sarcastically TO the meeting
# the plenipotentiaries at Washington, with
heir rooms furnished with $40 orchids liv-
ng like princes. and said the result of their
abors was a treaty, the most dsgraceful,
Iumiliating and cowardly surrender that the
lir ha1