Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-01
AN EXTRADITION TREATY.
RIDDLEBERGER WANTS IT DISCUSSED
 IN OPEN SESSION..
Why the People Should Know tho Con- tents of the Measure-The Means by
 Which England Could Have American Citizens Tried by Packed English Juries.


 tents of the 1Ieasure-The Means by
 Which England Could Have American
 Citizens Tried by Packed English Juries.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-Senator Riddle berger did good thing yesterday in moving that the extradition treaty between this country and Great Britain be discussed with open doors, so as toilet the people know what it proposes
 The extradition treaty between this country and Great Britain has lain in the secret rec ords of the senate nearly two years Unless it has been changed in the meantime, it con- tains some provisions which, if the public were permitted to know them, would secure its re- jection. These relate to the surrender of per- sons charged with political offenses, and are, or were, of such nature as to enable the British government to claim the surrender of persons here, not only foreigners but Ameri- can citizens, on the mere charge that they had by contributing money, or in other ways, fostered dynamite conspiracies and attempts
 Considering that the main body of the new treaty, and of the present treaty as well, grants extradition for the crimes of murder, arson, and attempt at murder or arson, and thus covers the crime which an actual dyna- miter would commit the provision of the treaty which gives Great Britain the right to claim possession of men on the charge of being remotely connected with conspiraces against her is rather strong. The treaty, and all extradition treaties, ought to be considered in public.
 The people have right to know before a treaty of this kind is confirmed, for what offenses it is proposed to surrender citizens to a foreign government to be tried by possibly packed juries. It is very easy to go too far in this matter of extraditing persons charged with crime. When Napoleon III. demanded the surrender by Great Britain of per sons concerned in Orsinis attempt upon his life, the English people howled derisively at him, and he com pelled to withdraw his demand. Times have changed since then, and the British govern ment now finds itself embarrassed by similar attempts and schemes to get men it suspects of them into its power. Dynamiting is pos sible crime, and men who choose to commit assassination in this way deserve neither mercy nor pity. They commit or attempt murder in the vilest way, and deserve the most prompt and severe punishment.
 But it is matter for very careful consid- eration, not by little body like the senate in secret session, but by the people themselves, and by the ablest lawyers and journals in open discussion, how, under what suards and limitations, a foreign government, attacked because it persists in the misgovernment of a part of its subjects, shall be permitted to claim the possession of men in this country whom it chooses, through spies, informers and other subterranean means, to charge with being concerned in political ofenses
 It is said that the objectionable features o1 this treaty have been amended But nobody except the senate ill secret session knows any. .hing about this. The public has a right te see the treaty before it is acted on by the sen ate, and it has a right to hear what senators have to say for and against it.
 All extradition treaties, as they concern tho surrender of residents and citizens of thi: country into the power of a foreign govern ment, ought to be very closely scrutinized by tho people and the press before they are acted on. They ought to be published when they are concluded and before ratification, ant their discussion by the senate ought to be il public.