Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-25
GROWERS MESSAGE.
The Absorbing Topic Of Conversation at
Washington.
The President Hears From the People
and HaStenS to Hedge
BY Turning a Complete 6ummersault
and Facing the Other Way.

| The Presidents message is the all absorb
ing topic of conversation in Washingto
among the few members presentin the Hous
today.
Party lines are already drawn, democrat
praising the message and republicans gener
ally condemning it as purely political.
Representative Hooker, ademocratie mem
ber of the committee on foreign affairs, said
at ia a very able exposition of our right
under the treaty of 1878 and presents yer.
cogent reason for enforcing the act investin,
the President with power TO retaliate agains
Canadian exporters and importers"
Representative Payson, of Illinois, said
Without fully committing myself 10 it
think the President has sufficient power un
der existing law to express the sentiment o.
our people. There is more politics thai
necessity in the message"
Representative Crisp, of Georgia, said "A
think the message is the decidedly proper
thing under the circumstances"
Representative Bayne, of Pennsylvania
said: 1T is a remarkable document III
the first place the President sent a treaty tt
the Senate which confessedly now conceded
away our rights. After its rejection ht
sends the message insisting upon having
more power to carry out vigorous reIalitory
measures in the very face of Abundant leg
islation to warrant any needful step. There
is nothing in it but a scheme to recoop somt
of his first political influence and | predict
he will do the same on the subject of the
tariff"
Democratic Senators are bewildered; for
the complete somersault of the President
leaves them in an anomalous position. Last
week these same democratic Senators, urged
on by the President and Secretary Bayard,
were struggling to have the hereditary rights
of American fishermen surrendered. Today
the President seeks enlarged powers of re-
taliation.
Touching the message Senator Hale says
1.-The Presidents message is desperate at
tempt to recover lost ground. 1t shows
clearly that the attitude of the republican
Senators in opposing the treaty, was sound
and patriotic, and that their position that the
treaty met none of the grievances of the
situation was well taken.
In speech which delivered in the Sen
ate June 18th, took the ground that moth
ing of good could come out of the negotla-
tions because the negotiators declined
to consider many of the chief subjects of
complaint which we have against Canada.
The President now recommends legislation
covering precisely the ground taken by me
at that time. The treaty was good for moth
ing because it neither protected our fisher
men nor secured rights to them for the future,
nor dealt with any of the commercial sub
jects like free shipment of our fisheries
nor the advantages which Canada enjoys by
transportation over our railroads; nor the
unjust discrimination against us in the water
ways between the Great Lakes where she has
the control.
The resistance of the republicans to the
treaty and the discussion upon it have driven
the President to assume our side of the ques-
ton and to argue it from our basis. But
with the same hesitancy and lack of patriotic
action that has been the besettfng sin Of the
administration from the beginning, he still
declines to do anything.
Under the retaliation act of 1887 he has
authority, as he has had for nearly Is months
to put in force any measure of retalia-
ton which he now requires. The appeal to
the legislative branch for further authority
is only an instance of his ntdelity of action
and lack of capacity to appreciate the situa-
ton which involves not only the rights of our
citizens but the dignity and respect of our
country in its dealings with a foreign people.
The message will not help the President
nor the administration. The people see
clearly what Mr.. Cleveland has in view and
will credit him nothing for his tardy utter
ances as to American rights and American
privileges.
Had the treaty been ratified nothing that
he has presented would have been cured or
provided for. There wonld have been as
much point in his message without the treaty
the utter worthessness of which is shown
blythe present position of the President.
Senator Frye said: The only thing about
this message that mpresses me favorably, is
the evidence it offers that the President has
recovered from his temporary insanity, dur
ing which he seemed willing to surrender all
of our rights to Canada, condone all the
wrongs inflicted upon our fishermen by her
and waive all of our just claims. But what
this message has to do with the fishery ques-
ton, what necessity demands it, what lack
of authority of law justties it, fail to see
For over year the President has had ample
authority to defend our fishermen and tc
maintain the dignity of the republic. He has
done nothing; he does nothing now. He
only asks of Congress further neglect. The
fishermen and their friends, their advocates
in the Senate have never suggested anything
further than action responsive to that of Can
ada. The existing law is ample for this.