Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-25

Asks why the President Has Not Made
Use of the Powers Already Conferred
Upon Him-Defcnded by MIR. Morgan.
WASHINGTON, Aug a5.-Dscussion OF the
presidents message was the absorbing topic
IN the senate. The message was laid before
the senate, and was read in full When il
came 70 a close Mr. Sherman moved that il
be printed and referred to the committee on
foreign affairs.
Mr. Edmmds-If had been five or six
years younger than / am, I should have
been surprised al that message. But am
not ihe popularity Of the situation is that
having statute providing for self defense,
approved by the president Of the United
states, and paSsad by the substantially
unanimous vote Of both houses (if that made
any difference in his duty in faithfully exc
cutting the laws, and after full consideration
Of all its points and bearings, eighteen
months have goao by, and we are now in
formed by the president (for l take it that
that is what be means, although no word of
that kind IS IN the message), that no step Of
any kind has bsea taken to carry into execu-
ton the plain provisions Of that law.
If, IN his opinion, there have been instances
Of just right to American citizens engaged
in the business described in tho act OF 1887,
why is it that the president has not taken
any step IN tie exercise Of the powers which
the law imposed uponihin, and in The exer-
else Of the high duty which tho constitution
| imposes upon him, Of taking care that the
laws are faithfully execntedl He tells that
in one instance, ia 1886 an American fishing
vessel catching fish on the high soas outside
OF the ten and the twenty mile dalimitation.
and sailing TO a port of British North Amer
lea for the purpose OF sending her cargo OF
fish by rail TO Boston, was, by sweeping
orders, denied that privilege and excluded.
Now the president says land says iustivl
that that was great and most important
and grievous injury 10 American interests
ana to American rgats Aud why has he
remained inacsives Doubtless under tba
4 patriotic adFie9 Of the gentlemes who com
/ pose his cabinet, and doubtless with Tie iaea
/ that tho most patriotic move would bs t1 sub
NIT TO mha5 Is now declared to bB a gross
aiil grieYous wrong and to enter into 4 dis.
cassion vita the wrong doer to provide for a
new arrangement on a broader basis Of
I British territoriaiity, AMI a new arran-a
ment on a brosCicr bass Of British free trade.
"A must c9nioss my astonishlaent at such n
course of action on the part OF toe presidsag
4 Of the United States: I nsiiAt express nv
surprise and my regret that, for moro than
q year, with tue means IN his hands 70 re-
dress It, he mas failed to take any step. and
now sends @ rs a message asking that adj
dlfloAal powers, bearing (ss be supposesl on
a broader field Of retaliation, and covering
other topics be given him.
Mr. President, tits very odd, this business
] Here we find IN this message q discpseion
as to whether the twenty-ninth article 81 tbe
treaty OF 1871 is in force or not. The Cana
dian government has not refused to transbin
fish on the ground that that article was no.
in force II has made no suoa pretansion
II has refused 70 tranship fab on the ground
that that article did not override the CON
vention Of ISIS, by which an American fsb-
ing vessel was not to come within three miles
of the land
After an extended discussion OF the point
as TO whether the twenty-ninth article ~ ana
treaty was still in fores. and as 10 tia intaa,
Of congress in limiting the retaliation law 10
matters connected with the fishing interests
Mr. Edmunds said:
1 Nov, it will be seen that ons Of tho ,,a,,.
things about which the president is now for
the iirst time apparently solicitous. was
brought TO the attention OF the two houses
Of congress pending the passage OF the law
/ OF 1887, and that ths senate was OF the opinion
/ that the provisions contained in that Law as
it was proposed aud as it finally nasal
were entirely inadequate TO the protactio,,
Of American rights and interests. in M
respects in which they had been intru5ed
upon and assailed.
''fhe message Of the president contains
references to some topics Of discomfort which
he has for the first time communicated NJ
congress- although they are very old ones
This net Of 1887 does not touch those topies
- All, because the basis on which the presi-
dent Is to exert the powers given him in chat
act refer to tho treatment of American ves-
sells in Canadian ports, aud not 10 the treat
ment Of Americans ia the Welland or otbsr
canals.
when the Canadian authorities denied n
American fishermen the right to transship
their fish, it was the duty OF the president to
inform the British government that we re-
gard chat twenty-ninth article Of the treaty
as no longer IN force, because it could not n.
in force on the ons side and not on the other
side at the same times and il is that which
previous presidents and secretaries Of state
have done to the honor and benefit 81 tha
American name
"Alasl Mr. President, ! think it is an in
finite pity that, in 50 simple a case Al ado
quate and full statute should remain uuexe-
cuted and in a state of "innocuous des,ie-
tude until tne president may see whether
congress will not put more ammunition into
his hands before he fires the first gun
Mr.. Hoar followed Mr.. Edmnnds and
quoting the old adage that confession was
good for the soul, said it was a subject 81
considerable satisfaction to witness the work.
iLg of the grand Democratic confessional
establishment in the White house. The adj
ministration, he argued. had known all the
time that it had the right to retaliate, and in
the message was seen repetition Of The
policy pursued by the administration 10
spectiug the purchase Of bonds.
Senator Morgan defended the president
for the manly way in which he had pursued
a policy which seemed best to subserve pub
lie interests.
Mr.. Sherman 0nd Mr.. Beck also had some /
thing to say, and Mr.. George took the floor
for speech on Monday, when the matter
went over.
FOSTER HAS LITTLE TO SAY.
Ehe Canadian Minister of Marine Rsti. l
rant fha aEanaa~a