The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-08-10

involved. This threat is about what
might be expected from President OF
Cleyeland's calibre. but be has missed
his reckoning in that he is not dealing
with the politicians and office-holders Of
his own party. He can use his dictato-
rial and bullying methods with them to
bring about his personal ends, but he is
very sadly mistaken if he supposes such
course will have any effect upon the
Republicans of the U. S-Senate.
The power of the "reprisals act" was
given to him to be used, and if he had
exercised it, or resolutely threatened to
do so, as Republican president would
have done, there would have been an
end of the fisheries troubles, a treaty
commission would have been unneces-
sary, and the government he is at the
head of would not now be in the humil-
iating position of submitting to Eng
lands fndignities and dictaoion without
murmur. The fact that he resorts to
this threat well illustrates the vile alb
jectness of the administration to Eng
land, and shows how supremely DESTROYS
Cleveland is that the treaty be ratified.
1t raises the suspicion that he has been
bargaining with the English emisaries in
advance, and guaranteeing them things
which he now finds he cannot deliver.
Is this part of the other scheme to
saddle free trade OH the country in the
interest of English manufacturers Have
British fish dealers also agreed to contri-
butte to the Democratic campaign fund
IN case they are given monopoly of the
fishing grounds which Americans have
always been tree to explore
There is another advantage which the
administration evidently has in view in
the matter. 1t proposes to 60 to bullying
England when it is too late to do any
good, and thus claim credit for a vigor-
GUS foreign policy. On this point the
Inter Ocean has word to say, as follows:
But who will allow the claim2 The fact will
remain that the administration groveled and
truckled and barga1ned and was cheated, and
that the Senate prevented the contamination
of National disaster and dishonor by rejection
deavored to perfect by cajolery, and finally by
threat. The organs of the administration
boast that the Irish vote will be made solid for
Clevelandism, free trade, and British aggran-
disement by the fact OF temporary resort to
exercise of the powers conferred by the re-
prisals act. This is assuming. on the part of
the administration. that the Irish voters are
without the attribute of reason. II is q false
assumption, for the Irish voters will ask of
the administration "Who endowed you with
the extraordinary power of the reprisals act?'
and will learn that he derived that power from
and by the consent of the Republicans in the
Senate. They will ask, why did you not use
the power when it was first conferred upon
your and they will learn that the power was
not used because the administration preferred
dishonorabe treaty to an honorable enforce
nent of the natural rights of the Nation. They
will ask, "Why is it well to use the power now
that the treaty is rejected, If it were wrong to
use it before the treaty were framedT And
they will learn that the administration is max
ing an unwilling pretense of spirited foreign
policy to mask its real design of conveying
the control of the American market TO Eng
land. The threat of the administration will
neither coerce the Senate or deceive the Irish
voters. sa .fE..- .r... .- ..' ..