Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-09-13
BLAINE ON THE FISHERIES.
The Maine Statesman Speaks His Mind
on the Political Issues Of the Cam
paign.
Ills Second Speech is Devoted to Oriti-
cism Of President Cleveland's Message
on the Rejected Treaty.
The Action Of the President About on a
Par With Previous Diplomatic Blum
ders Made by the Democracy.
Blaine Talks.


The secona public address OF Mr.. Blaine on
the political issues of the campaign was de-
ljvered in the, city OF Lewiston, Aug 25. Hon.
John A. Kasson, of Iowa, and Hon. Nelson
Dngley, DR., OF Maine, also addressed the as
semblage, which was the largest ever known
in that section OF Maine. Mr.. Blaine spoke
with precision and vigor, as follows:
did not happen to have an opportunity of
reading the full text Of President Cevelands
message on the fisheries subject until this
morning, and with all due respect TO the chief
executive of the nation. | must say that con-
sidering all the circumstances, 1t Is the most
extraordinary document that ever was sent
from the white house TO the capitol Here
are the main facts of the issue between CAN
ada and the United States, perhaps, 10 speak
more exactly, between Great Britain and the
United States, in respect to the fisheries. 1t
was our belief, and still Is that after the arti
Giles of the treaty OF Washington relating to
the fisheries had expired, the Canadian gov
ernment behaved in au unneighborly, un-
seemly and unjust manner towards our fisher
men, In denying them rights which they had
enjoyed by long prescription. In order to
bring the government OF the Dominic to q
just appreciation of the subject, congress
authorized the president In the spring Of 1887
to adopt at his discretion policy of suitable
retaliation directing among other things that
whenever and SO long as American vessels
were deprived of commercial privileges In the
ports OF Canada, Canadian vessels should be
deprived Of like privileges In the ports of the
United States. This, if | NAV indulge in ap
proprlate slang, was a genuine ut for tat
policy, in which the punishment was admira
bly, fitted to the crime. President Cleveland
declined to enforce the policy, and allowed
outrage after outrage upon fishing vessels to
90 unredressed. He was bent upon some
form of negotiation with England, even
against the express wish and will of the United
States senate, and in defiance of the large
share I'm the treaty making power which the
constitution assigns 10 the senate. As the
fnalitY, without the consent OF the senate
and practically against its protest, the presl-
dent organized commission to frame q
treaty that should settle all points of dispute
lie thus gave what was never Intended by the
constitutional partisan side to au iuterna-
tional discussion. IL was never designed b.
the founders of the government that inter
course with foreign nations sbou d be con
Quoted by republicans, or by democrats, or BY
wings, or by federalIsts 1t should only be 10y
the nation as whole. Why should the rail-
roads of the United States, that annually
transport 5000 900 of Canadian gooIs In
transit, be deprived of Their business add en-.
dure a large loss on account of a sudden
within of the president! Why should the
transit from Detroit to Buffalo aud New York.
over both American aud Canadian lines of
rail- be suspended when 1t has no relation
whatever to the fishery questions Why should
the large traffic between Quebec and sion
trcal on the one hand, and Portland on the
other, by which Portland becomes the winter
port of Canada be summary stopped at the
caprice OF the pres dent because of his cha.
grin over the course of an independent, but,
as lie considers, refractory seuaies 1t Is the
design OF the president TO make the fishing
question an excuse, iy embarrassing com.
mercal relations aud commercial exchange
along 800 miles OF frontier, 10 inf ct upon
American communities a needless, vexatious
and pcrilous confusion OF trade. II congress
will give him the enactments which he asks
he will give them retaliation until they cry
'hold, enough aud will allow him TO settle
the fishery question In the precise manner
which the senate now cOntcmptuOusy rejects.
For, after all .fcllowcitlZeus is not the presi.
dents position n merely political device 10
divert the attention Of the American people
IRON his free trade message aud the Mills
tariff bill! is not buster on the fisheries 10
be the plan of campaign for the democratic
party! Are not permits for brnvado to be is
sued by the political agents OF the admins
tration, marked on the back Good till after
| the first Tuesday OF Nuvember!"
We have our partisan differences at home
| and settle them on our own soil in our own
way, but toward all foreign powers on the
face OF the globe we should present one unit
| ed indy sib.e American republic. But this
| was not done. Tue treaty was launched as n
| democratic partisan measure, rather than a
| patriotic measure, and the London papers
| have been following their usual vocation OF
| eulogiZjng the democracy and abusing the
republicans with greatly Increased vitupera-
| ton against the republican party ever since
| 1t found out that the senate was bent on
maintaining the national dignity
| II is plainly apparent from the text OF the
| constitution Itself that the wise men who
| framed 1t intended that the ordinary iigisla-
| tive power should be committed to the ma jor,
| fly, however small but that no treaty could
| be framed without the overwhelming sup
| port of public opinion. They PROVIDE, there
| fore, that it should require In all cases two
| thirds OF the senatc to ralify a treaty, but
| despite this the national administration went
| ahead, regardless of results, aud negotiated
| treaty SO repugnant 10 American instinct
| of national self respect that instead of secur-
| ing ratification by two-thirds OF the senate,
| 1t was ABSOLUTELY rejected b; majority vote.
| What theni At the first rebound the presi-
| dent had leapcd so far on the other side that
| lie asked authority to cripple all our CONNER
| cial relations with Canada, from Passama-
| quOddy bay 10 Nancouvers Island. Having for
| three years offered to waive the rights of the
| fishermen and the national dignity at the
| same time. the president desires now to eros
| over 10 the other side Of the question aud out
| lierod Herod 10 his demands for redress He
| seems eager to-day to discharge a whole bat.
| terry OF Krupp guns on the question, when
| last year a blank cartridge in rocket pistol
would have settled the whole affair
| After subjectng the country month after
| month 10 the humiliation OF an unprecedent-
ed surrender, the Presidents supporters with
| the zeal of new converts or rather with the
| extravagaut enthusiasm Of pretenders, are
| now manfestiug such renewed and deep and
| keen sense Of the wrongs we have experience
ed from Great Britain in Canada In the mat
! ter of fisheries, that they second the presl-
| dents extraordinary sOmersault, and In the
slang of the democratic heelers. they are
| "thrsting for Canadian gore" The demo-
| cratic papers were but a short time ago telling
| Massachusetts and Maine that their con-
| temptible little co fish on the banks OF n ew
| FOundlhnd was not worth consideration In
| the national congress, and that II they kept
| annoying the country about IL they would in
the end drive congress into giving the full
markets OF the United States to all fishermen
| of The Dominion.
Nv friends history repeats itself. Let me
| call your attention to a remarkable parallel
| between the course Of President Cleveland
and the course Of President johnson, after he
| returned to the democracy, In a more weighty
| negotiation with England. You will remem-
| Der that, under instructions from Andrew
johnson, our minister 10 England, the late
| Rev. DR.. johnson negotiated a treaty design
| ed to settle the Alabama claims. 1t was ne
| gotiated with Lord Clarendon, the foreign
secretary of England aud Is known as the
Johnson Clarendon treaty. II was communi-
| Gated to the senate just before the expiration
| Of Johnson's term. aud tue senate had 1t I'm =
der consideration when President Grant
| WAS lnaugurated. III was rejected with en-
phasls and inclination, just as the
| senate has now rejected the fishery treaty.
| A few months later President Grant sent TO
| congress a communication on the whole sub
| ject of the Alabama claims Referring to the
| johnson Clarendon treaty, he used these
weighty words, which beg leave 10 read TO
you:
Believing that treaty thus misconstrued
| In its scope, and inadequate In it's pros isions,
| would not have produced the hearty, corda
sentiment on pending questions which alone
| Is cons stent with the rela ions which desire
| to have finally established between the United
States and Great Britain, regard the action
| NJ the senate in rejecting the treaty to have
been wisely taken in the interests OF peace,
and as "a necessary step IN the direction of
perfect and cordial friendship between two
| Countries
A sensitive people, conscious OF their pow
er, are more at case under great wrong,
| wholly undeserved, than under the restraint
| OF settlement which satisfies neither their
ideas Of justice nor the grave sense OF the
grievance which they have sustained.
| In his next annual communication Presl-
| deri Grant recommended to congress TO
author We the appointment OF a commission
TO take proof Of The amounts and the owner
| ship of the several Alabama claims on notice
-. fWv. Sd.