New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-10
rOIIdPSE OF EXTRADITION.


COLLAPSE OF EXTRADITION.
The State Department is itself responsible
for the postponement of the cxtradltlon treaty
II it had not persisted in the fatuous attempt
to settle the fisheries question by expedients
which the Senate had condemned unreservedly,
the convention which Mr.. Phelps negotiated
in London year ago might have been ratified.
The Senators who have reluctantly hung up tho
treaty until next winter have been influenced
largely by the argument that the time is mop
perfume for making any concessions 10 the
british Government. The Fisheries Commits
sion is still in session. and the Senate has not
been furnished with information respecting the
course of the negotiations or the tone OF the
state Department in dealing with questions
involving American rights and National honor
The facility with which the British Govern
ment has entrapped Secretary Bayard at vari-
Gus stages of his diplomatic career has warned
Senators that fatal compromise or unneces-
sary surrender may result from the prolonged
conferences of the Commissioners. They have
deemed it prudent in the circumstances TO defer
final action upon the eXtradtion treaty until
they are placed in possession of all the facts
relating to later and more important negotia-
tons. We do not know why they are to be
ccnsured for distrusting an Administration
which has been conducted for throe years so
largely in the interest of foreigners. The
State Department has been conspicuous for its
iimpness in the defence Of American rights and
for its docility in following advice received
from London and Ottawa. No Senator can
forecast the lengths to which this homeless
Administration may have gone in dealing with
Mr. Chamberlain. In the circumstances a halt
in treaty making may have been Judicious.
The immunity enjoyed by fugitive embezzlers
in Canada has been the strongest argument in
favor of the ratification Of the extraditiOn
treaty. There has been popular impression
that the Doodle Aldermen of the future would
have their lines Of retreat cut of under the
amended international code; but this, OF course,
was mistake since bribery was not added to
the extraditable list. Embczzlers, however,
would have been surrendered. and this would
have been great gain provided tho laws of
the two countries were found to be in accord
in their definitions Of betrayal Of financial
trusts. The treaty would have been greatly
improved in this respect il the phraseoogy had
been more explicit with regard to this class OF
crimes The same criticism applies also to
dynamite outrages, respecting which the laws
of the two countries are widely at variance.
Two dynamite criminals have been sentenced
within week in London to fifteen years i'm
prsOnment not for attempting to destroy pub
lie buildings, but for having in their possess
sion explosives and letters of introduction to
Irish members Of Parliament. With the same
evidence against them in America no such
sentences would have been executed. Ex-
tradition ought properly to imply closer APP
rroach in the laws Of the two countries than
has been made respecting this class OF crimes.
Technical questions Of law, however, are Of
secondary importance. The conduct of Secre-
tarv Bayard, and Of the President for whom
he acts. in respect to all questions involving
relations between Great Britain and the United
States. has been such that the extradition
treaty was from the first regarded with sus-
picion That suspicion was perfectly natural;
indeed. it was inevitable. In the selection OF
Minister Phelps and in his subsequent behavior.
in the treatment of the fishery question, In the
obstinate refusal Of the Administration to pro-
tcct American interests by the rctalatory
powers conferred by two successive acts OF
Congress in all discussions Of the tariff oucs-
ton, and especially in the Presidents latest
avowal Of the precise theories which constitute
the British Economic Gospel the President
and his Secretary Of State have wantOnly dis
regarded American interests and have served
the interests OF Great Britain. No treaty with
Great Britain negotiated by such an Admin
istrafion could have had a perfectly unpr"iu-
diced consideration in any body composed OF
ratriotic Americans. That may be a great
misfortune, but il is fact.