The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-18
THE FISHERIES.
Great Speech of Senator Hoar Eloquent
Denunciation of the Treaty.


Denunciation of the Treaty.
The following is the conclusion of
Senator Hoar's magnificent speech in
the United States senate week ago,
when the fisheries treaty was under
consideration. Read it to the end:
Nobody expects that until we grant
free fish and free-trade to Canadian
products there will be any change in
the spirit, temper, policy or purpose of
Canada. What we have to complain
of is that Canada has so framed her
customs laws and her fishing laws as to
subject our vessels to a series of
seizures, considerations, penalties, in
terruptions and Outrages. This malice
she has deliberately enacted into law.
Any of twenty officials, some of them
of the pettiest order, may seize an
American ship and cargo. The burden
is put upon the owner of the vessel
to show that the seizure was lille
gal. If the local judge shall certify
there was probable cause for the seizure,
we get no costs and only four-cent
damages. This is the existing Cana
affected by this treaty.
You have full knowledge of these
things. You have complained of them.
You have declared that they were put
by Canada on her statute-book to-
harass your fishermen and drive them
to madness. You have denounced
them as an outrage. And now, when
you make your treaty, you put in it few
of the commonplace of common right
and leave these outrages to continue.
Worse than this. You declare that this
treaty contains all that you can reason
ably ask. You not only leave this
Canadian legislation on her statute
book, but the president and his secre-
tary indorse it and estop us, so far as
they can, from ever complaining of it
again. You have contented yourself
with so much. AS to the rest, you must
forever after hold your peace. This is
what you call Cancellation.
Concliate? 1t jest means be kicked,
No matter how they phrase an tone it;
1t means tibet we're to set down licked,
Tibet we're poor shotes an glad to own it.
The fifteenth article is to take effect
when we remove the duty from fish oil
whale oil, sea oil and fish of all kinds.
We are to have in exchange for that
concession licenses to enter the At
lantic ports, bays and harbors of Can
ada and Newfoundland; to buy pro-
visions, bait, ice, seines, lines, supplies
and outfits; to tranship catch: to ship
crews. 1t is difficult to overstate the
absurdity of this position, even if it
were not humiliation to be called on
to make a conditional bargain at all
under the circumstances. The senator
held it ignominious to undertake to
make terms for change in our tariff
laws in the face of the behavior OF
Canada to our fishermen, which the adj
ministration knows was adopted to
coerce us to that very action.
THE TREATY NOT A SAFE ONE.
The whole of this treaty recognizes
what we strenuously deny-the fitness
of maintaining discrimination against
fishermen. 1t turns their ancient priv
ilege and exceptional honor into a
badge of disgrace. 1t constantly af-
firms dominion on the part of Canada
over the fishing-grounds which from the
beginning have been our joint prop
erty, 1t establishes throughout rela-
ton of control. License, license,
license is the stipulation at every step.
What we claim as right they compel
us to accept and hold only under their
license. Instead of full, frank, free
recognition of general commercial
rights, everything we are to have is a
privilege, constantly to be the subject
of difference and quarrel, until the de-
mands of Canada are fully yielded.
No, this treaty is not the road to
honor, to safety or to peace. 1t is not
the road to the respect of Great Britain
or even of Canada. Where it removes
one cause of discord it will produce
ten. Quiet, tirmness, adherence tC
treaties, submission to the judgments
of duly constituted international tri.
bunals, the same rule for both sides, will
give us security. We can never have
commercial reciprocity till reciprocity
of justice and courtesy are first es-
tablished.
GRANT AND CLEVELAND-THEN
AND NOW.
The American who reads with pride
the civic and military history of his
country can feel the same satisfaction
when he comes to the chapter which
tells of her diplomacy. In the days OF
our infancy Franklin and Adams and
Jay encountered the trained diplo
matists of England and the continent
not merely as equals, but as masters
The direct, open, sincere, straight
forward, untiring energy of brave anC
honest old JOhn Adams whose armOl
was his honest thought and simple
truth his utmost skill" alone made pos
sible the treaty with Holland. The
consummate sagacity and personal in
fluence of Franklin gave us the French