Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-10-05
BLAINE ON The FISHERIES
The Maine Statesman Speaks His Mind
On the Political Issues of the Cam
paign.
His Second Speech is Devoted to a Criti-
oi>m of President Oleveland's Message
on the Rejected Treaty.
The Action of the President About on q
Par With Previous Diplomatic Blum
ders Made by the Democracy.
Blaine Talk =.

| bEutuo aIhS.
The second public address OF Mr.. Blaine on
the political issues Of the campaign was de-
livered In the city OF Lewiston, Aug 25. Hon.
John A. Kasson, OF Iowa, aud Hon. Nelson
Dlngley, Jr., of Maine, also addressed the as.
semblage, which was the largest ever known
In that section OF Maine. Mr.. Il aine spoke
with precision aud vigor. as follows:
did not happen to have an opportunity OF
reading the full text Of President ClevelsDd's
message on the fisheries subject until this
morn ing, and with all due respect 10 the chief
executive OF the nation. must say that con
siderlng all the circumstances, II 10 the most
! extraordinary document that ever was sent
from the white house 10 the capitol Here
are the main facts OF the issue between Can
ada aud the United States, perhaps, 10 speak
more exactly, between Great Britain and the
United States, in respect to the fsheriea 1t
was our belief, and still fs. that after the srti
cles OF the treaty Of Washington relating to
the fisheries had expired, the Canadian gov
ernment behaved In an dnneighborly, un-
seemlv 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 Dominion to
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 aud SO long as American vessels
were deprived of commercial privileges In the
, pOIts Ol 1huhud, SAUaulAu Vessels SuOulu DC
deprived OF like privileges in the ports OF the
! United States. This, II | NAV indulge I'm APP
proprate slang, was genuine titfor- tat
policy, In which the punishment was admra.
bly, fitted to the crime. President Cleveland
declined to enforce the policy, aud allowed
outrage after outrage upon fsning vessels to
90 uuredressed. He was bent upon some
form OF negotiation with England, even
! against the express wish aud will OF the United
States senate, and In defiance OF the large
! m I'm VIZ shn
/ constitution assigns 10 the senate As the
! fnality, without the consent OF the seDate
aud practically against its protest, the pres-
| dent organized a commission 10 frame a
treaty that should settle all points OF dispute,
! lie thus gave what was never Intended by the
| constitutions partisan side to an interns-
| tional discussion. IL was never designed by
! the founders OF the government that inter.
course with foreign nations shou be con-
| Quoted by republicans, or by democrats, or by
wings, or by federalsts. 1t should only be by
the nation as a whole. Why should the rail-
roads Of the United States, that annually
transport $50,0OJ,00U of Canadian gooIs in
transit, be deprived of their business add en-
dure a large loss on account OF a sudden
within of the presidents Why should the
transl. from Detroit to Buffalo and New York
over both American and Canadian lines OF
rail, be suspended when it has no relation
whatever TO the fishery question! Why should
the large traflc between Quebec and Mon
treal on the one hand, aud 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 he considers, refractory senatel 1t Ia the
design OF the president TO make the fishing
question an excuse, by embarrassing com.
mercal relations aud commercial exchange
along 500 miles OF frontier, to inflict upon
American communities a needless, vexatious
and perilous confusion OF trade! If congress
will give him the ensctments which he asks
| he will give them retaliation until they cry
hold, enough" aud will allow him to settle
the fishery question In tue precise manner
which the senate now coDtemptuously rejects.
For, after all, owcitizens. is not the presi
dents position a merely political device TO
divert the attention Of the America people
from bis free trade message and the Mills
tariff bllll Is not buster on the fisheries 10
be the plan Of campaign for the democratic
psrtyl Are not permits for bravado to be is
| sued by the political agents Of the admins
| trstion, marked on the back Good till after
the first Tuesday OF November!'
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. indiv sibie American republic But this
was not done. The treaty was launched as q
democratic partisan measure, rather than a
patriotic measure, and the London papers
have been following their usual vocation OF
eulogizng the democracy aud abusing the
republicans with greatly Increased vltupera-
uon against the republican party ever since
IL found out that the senate was bent on
maintaining tue national dignity
1t plainly apparent from the text Of the
constitution itself hat the wise men who
framed II Intended that the ordinary ligisla-
tive power should be committed to the MA jor
ity, however small but that no treaty could
be framed without the overwhelming sup
port Of public opinion. They provided, there
fore. that IL should require IN all cases two
thirds OF the senate to ratifg treaty, but
despite this the national administration went
ahead, regardless OF results, aud negotisted
treaty so repugnant TO American instinct
of national self respect that instead OF secur-
ing q ratification by two-thrds OF the senate,
Il was abso utly rejected bv a majority vote.
What theni At the frat rebound the presi-
dent hal leaped SO far on the other side that
he asked authority to cripple all our CONNER
eial relations with Canada, from Passama-
quoddy bay 10 Vancouvers 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 cross
over 10 the other side OF the question aud out.
Herod Herod In his demands for redress. He
seems eager to-day to discharge whole bat
terry OF Krupp guns on the question, when
last wear a blank cartridge In pocket pistol
would have settled the whole affair.
After subjectiDg the country moath after
month 10 the humiliation OF an un precedent
ed surrender the presi Tents supporters with
extravagapt enthusiasm Of pretenders, are
now manifestiug 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 somersauit, auI In the
slang of the democratic heelers. they are
.'ibiretlng for Canadian gore" The demo-
cratic papers were but short time ago tellng
Massachusetts and Maine that their con-
temptible little co fish on the banks of New
Foundland was not worth consideration In
the national congress, aud that II thew kept
annoying the country about IL they would in
the end drive congress Into giving tue full
markets of the United States to all fsnermen
of The Dominion.
Ny friends, history repeats itself. Let me
call your attention TO remarkable parallel
between the course of President Gle leland
and the course Of President johnson, er he
returned to- the democracy, In more W ghty
negotiation with England. You will rcinem-
Der that, under Instructions from An rev
johnson, our minister 10 England, the late
Rev. DR.. johnson negotiated treaty design
ed TO settle the Alabama claims IL was ne
gotiated with Lord Clarendon. the 70 I'm
secretary of England and is known as the