Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-08-29
The Presidents Message on the Fishery
Troubles in the Senate.

Troubles in the Senate.
The wise, able, and bold message of the
President sent to both Houses of Congress
Thursday, the 23rd inst, gave rise to some
discussion in the Senate on Friday. The
recommendations of this message were
rendered necessary by the unwise and
partisan action of the Senate few days
before in defeating a treaty that would
have settled all the trouble. The Senate
would not ratify the treaty nor suffer it to
be amended, but were determined that
there should be no negotiations looking to
the settlement of the fishery troubles, hoping
thereby to make party capital in this can
vass, but they were ''hoistei on their own
petard" by the message of the President,
which has defeated their s'well-laid
schemes. In reference to the debate in
the Senate on Friday, the Washington cor
respondent of the Baltimore Sun says =
SIN his speech Mr.. Edmunds attempted
to create the impression that the President
merely asks Congress for power to deal with
the Canadian question, which he already
the rejected treaty, thus getting in his
speech on that subject without technically
violating his resolution not to indulge in
the discussion of an executive matter in
open session.
The feature of the debate was Senator
Morgan's speech, in which he tainted the
Vermont Senator for his petty and spiteful
action of the day previous in forcing an adj
journment after he had been informed by
him (Mr. Morgan) that the message was
awaiting presentation to the Senate. Mr..
Edmunds only made matters worse by at
tempting to show that in making the
motion to adjourn he intended no discourte-
sy to the President.
Senator Morgan said the President and
the democratic party could stand such
small business on the part Of the republi.
can party. and then proceeded to commend
the Presidents courage in taking position
on this question which no doubt shocked
| the gentlemen on the other side.
| Republican Senators were exceedingly
cautious in commenting upon the message.
for the reason that several of them admitted
privately that they had been led into their
embarrassing situation through the infiu-
ence and advice of Senators Edmunds, Frye,
Chandler and their New England COL
leagues. Several republicans now claim
that they proposed in caucus to amend the
treaty in accordance with the wishes of the
New England people, but all such propo
sitions were rejected. 1t is evident that
they are very much exercised about the at
titude before the country which the Presi-
dent has forced them to occupy. As Sena-
tor Pugh remarked to q representative of
the Sun, they are now in corner, and they
must either cooperate with the President
or back down. They had ample opportuni-
ty to save themselves, but they stubbornly
insisted upon walking into the very trap
they had set to catch the administration.
| Senator Butler, of South Carolina, re.
marked that the republicans had placed
themselves in the attitude of the small boy
who refused to allow his mother to select
an available play ground for him. When
she had exhausted series of most tempt
| ing propositions without being able to
crafty the ill-natured youth, she finally
suggested that he might do as he pleased.
In the same spiteful spirit he screamed and
hallooed, 81 won't do as l please" The
Senator added that the republicans had, by
their previous action with regard to the
fisheries treaty, been engaged in an effort
to catch the Irish vote. Now President
Cleveland comes along with bold, aggres-
sive declaration which completely taxes all
the wind out of their sails.
Representative Breckenridge, of Ken.
lucky, and all Of the democratic leaders in
the House, agree that the President, by his
remarkable display of courage and wisdom
in this matter, has impressed all thinking
men with the idea that he possesses a type
of craftsmanship quite rare in this genera
ton. His, action in coming back at the
Senate two days after they had rejected
the treaty shows that he is not to be intimi-
dated or driven from what he considers to
be his path of duty. Even the most parti-
san republican newspaper writers at the
Capital to-day admitted that the President
had scored big point in his message, and
it is asserted that it's political effect will be
especially beneficial to the democratic party
in New York and along the northwestern
border"