Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-10-05
Cieviand's Fisheries Message.


President Cleveland's special message on
The rejection OF the fisheries treaty Is intend
ed, Of course, TO serve partisan aud person.
al purpose. He has opened his eyes at last 10
the fact that he Is losing ground IN the pend.
ing campaign b. reason OF his pronounced
friendlness toward British interests, aud 80
be seize, this opportunity to repudiate bis
own record and discredlt his own policv, hop
ing thereby TO place himself In harmony with
a sentiment which he has heretofore steadily
and supercIlllously disregarded In other
words, after having exhausted all his re-
sources In a futile attempt TO adjust the fish
cries dispute according TO the wishes and for
the manifest advantage OF Canada aud En-
gland, he owmakes virtue OF necessity and
sauarely reverses his position. The legisla-
ton that he asks, on account OF the failure
Of his treaty, is nothing more nor less than
was contained in the retaliation act Of March
3, 1887, authorizing him 10 close the Ameri-
can ports against Can adam vessels under GER
tain circumstances He chose to ignore that
act and TO undertake a diplomatic solution Of
the difficulty. The republicans Of the senate
stood by the theory OF retaliation as the only
proper and selfrespectiug course TO be pur.
sued, and he now facility confesses that they
Is what his message implies He has been
beaten; and he pro- oses To break the force
of his failure by adopting at this late day
tue idea which he has done his utmost to
defeat
The expedient Is bold and desperate one,
but II will not succeed. His conversion to
the policy Of retaliation has been too long de-
ferred. He will not be permitted TO put the
rejected treaty out OF sight, and to escape
responsibility for his neglect to enforce the
act OF March 3, 1887, by suddenly asserting
himself as an advocate OF that policy The
American people know verv well that III he
could have had his way In the matter the ma.
tionaI honor would have been compromised
and the interests OF a large and wortnv class
of citizens sacrificed In obedience to the un-
lust and unfair claims OF foreign nation.
He can not purge himself and his pirty OF
the blame which attaches to an effort to pro.
mote The desires aud purposes Of rival
country at the expense Of domestic labor and
j Industry. His treaty was rejected by re-
publican votes exclusively; every democratic
vote In the senate was cast In favor of
Its ratification. IL he had cared to try re-
taliatiOn at any time within the last seven.
teen months, be had ample authority to
do so; but he turned deaf ear TO all petitions
| for such action, aud left our unprotected
| fishermen at the nercv of Canadian preju-
I dice and hostiIit,. This Ia not to be forgot
ten simply because he chooses now 10 affect
A miraculous willingness to resort to erbi-
trary measures lie will be held to account
1 for the scsndalous treaty which he caused to
| be negotiated the same as II II had not heen
| rejected by q republican senate His mes
cage Is too obviously d. signed to lift him out
| OF a very da maging rredcament by obscuriug
! the real Issus aud stealing the thunder OF
\ his opponeuts. He can not eepa.ate himself
} from his record IN that audac gu, and dis
honest manner. The policy that he would