New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-23
MIR. BAYARD'S BARGAIN.
THE TREATY TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE
SENATE IN OPEN SESSION.
A VICTORY FOR THE EIDDIEDERGER REsoLU'
TIoN TURNED ASIDE BY AN ACCIDENT
SENATOR HALE VOTES WITH THE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FEARS
nISrIrCSInN
IaY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE

SENATOR HALE VOTES WITH THE
EMoCRATS-DEMoCRATIC FEARS
OF AN OPEN DISCUSSION.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON May 22.-Ihe Fisheries Treaty
will be discussed by the Senate in open session.
This decision, which will commend itself TO the
Judgment of the country, was adopted by Repub-
lican Senator'S in caucus yesterday. 1t would have
been formally ratified by the Senate to-day but for
an accident which could have foreseen.
! When the doors were closed this afternoon, upon
the proposition to consider once more the Riddle
berger resolution vote was Immediately taken.
| Every Republican, with the exception of Senator
| Hale. of Maine supported the resolution; every
Democrat opposed it. The result was ~ votes
cast in favor of open doors and 2S votes against IT,
Senator Hale's course was surprise to his col
leagues He had attended the caucus yesterday
and, though not in any sense bound, according to
Senatorial precedent by its decision was generally
| supposed to have abandoned setting up his judg-
ment against that of his thrty-eight colleagues.
| The vote proved the contrary to be the case. 1t
is supposed that Mr. Hale, who has on all occasions
shown himself to be great sticbler for Senatorial
| tradition, did not see his way clear to abandon,
even in this instance, what by many Senators is
considered to be Senatorial prerogative of the
| highest order No one who knows Mr.. Hale can
doubt his sincerity but many will deplore his lack
| of Judgment. That Senator from the State OF
! Maine whose fishermen have vital interest in the
| consideration Of this treaty and who have re-
peatedly demanded that it be discussed with open
doors, should be the only Republican Senator to
vote against resolution looking to that end is
certainly to be deplored on his account
WHY THE RESOLUTION MAY YET BE PASSED
Even Mr.. Edmunds whose Senatorial pride and
devotion to established usage must have received
serious blow by the decision of the caucus found
heart enough to absent himself to-day from the
Senate while the vote was to be taken on the
Riddleberger resolutions. He, for one was I'M
willing to be put record as opposing step
which was demanded by public opinion and by the
dictates of common sense. There is good reason
to believe however. that since the vote was taken
this afternoon Mr.. Hale has undergone change
of heart. He may not openly confess it to. morrow
by change of his vote, but like Mr.. I1dmunds,
will probably consider discretion TO be the better
part of valor and stay away when another vote
is taken. This indeed is the next move proposed
in order to secure discussion of the Treaty win
open doors. Even with Mr. Hale absent, IL is
evident-talIing to-days vote as an lndlcatl0n-
that the result would be but tie: But to-day
vote is not in any true indication OF what
will be the outcome of vote to be taken 10
morrow. Here comes in the accident already re-
ferred to. -,
1t so happened to-day that a certain Western
Senator's vote not recorded in the affirmative,
though he had distinctly voted aye" and his
colleagues about him had heard him voting so;
The result, however, had already been announced
by the presiding officer and the vote, OF course,
could not then be changed. The same mistake, IL
lis safe to say, will not happen again tomorrow;
This additional vote and Mr. Hlale's absence VIII
probably secure the passage of Dir. Riddlcbergers
resolution.
THE ACTIVE SUPPORTERS OF OPEN SESSIONS.
There may be persons to-day inclined TO belittle
the services of Mr.. Riddeberger in behalf of open
sessions of the Senate while discussing the Fish
cries Treaty, which were so universally demanded
by the fishermen, the press of the country and the
public at large The credit for opening the doors,
however, belongs in the first instance TO him.
Notwithstanding the fact that he has been snubbcd
by many of his colleagues on account of what
they considered his eccentricites, and notwith-
standing the discourtesy with which his crude,
though welmeaning, efforts in behalf OF common
sense treatment. of the question have peeh re-
ceived, he has persisted in urging upon the Senate
the propriety of setting aside tradition ana prcce
dent and yielding to public opinion. There are
other Senator's who also were, in favor OF aDonsn
ing the absurdity OF locking the doors on seventy
six men with the expectation that what trahsplreG
inside would never find its way to the outer world
but they never came prominently forward. AMONG
these should be mentioned Messrs. Teller PIatt
Spooner Allison Stanford, Chandler ana MtcheI
The fact that not single Democratic vote wa,
cast in favor of the Rlddleberger resolution Is moi
so surprising after all when 1t is taken into con
sideration how difficult it will be for them to de,
fend Secretary Bayards shameful bargain. AL
| along
pronounce in favor of open discussion: Az nc
time have Democratic Senators been sincere III
their professions of eagerness TO show Just %na'
the alleged advantages were (which secretary l1a!
ard secured for the fishermen Of the Atlantic
Coast. They will in all probability raise the cry
that Republican Senator's concluded to open lnT
doors for the sole purpose OF making ponUica
capital Nothing could be more dlslngenuouS
however. o.-
THREATS OF PRESIDENTIAL RETALIATION.
The Fisheries Treaty is unlike any other tc
begin WITH that was ever considered by tne
Senate. 1t was negotiated by the Administration
in direct disregard of the resolution passed pract
callv by unanimous vote by the Senate in open
session. which requested the President not tt
make treaty with Great Britain on the subject
of the fisheries 1t was concluded by negotiat
ors" the legality of whose appointment is seriously
questioned by constitutional lawyers OF great
ability 1t assumes on the part. Of the Government
a position which Secretary BaSard not once, but
more than a dozen times, in official dispatches &c
Minister West, TO Lord Salisbury, to Mr.. Phelp:
and Others, declared untenable. and which the
senior Democratic member of the Senate Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, Mr. Morgan de
ilIonicai and unpatriotic Now the Senate and
| the country are confronted by a soma Democratic
The Democratic minority, moreover refuses to
offer any amendments, asserting that lhe treaty
cannot possibly be improved upon; Ihey LOUDLY
declare that the Republicans Will vote against
the Treaty. simply because it was negotiated Dy
a Democratic Administration. They assert that il
the Treaty is rejected, the President Will oegln q
policy of retaliation, not merely In I<ind but Sc
com prchensive as TO include every interest, ir-
respective of locality, which will in their opinion
dsOreaniZe the business relations this country
may have with Canada and cripple certain In
dustries TO such an extent as TO make an agree
mett to the terms of the Treaty appear as happy
relief from an unbearable condition OF things
They venture to say that the responsibility for all
this would rest upon the shoulders OF the Re
publican majority in the Senate.
1t would be comparatively easy for Democrats
to msrepresent the motives of Republican Sen
ators. The latter. considering the treaty behind
closed doors, would be unable to explain thel
position. That they desire to do So and th'
desire moreover, TO take the public into thc
confidence in this instance is but natural They
wish to place before the country the reasons
why they cast their votes against the treaty
The Democrats who do not wish them to d.
so, oppose the proposition. This, too, is quit