The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-08-29
CIeveIand's "Change Of Base. 4"

terday at a bound, we might say
somersault, to the stand on the Fish
cries question taken by Secretary Mau
ming, which both parties in Congress
aud part Of the Administration helc
until Mr.. Manning retired, aud which
is and was the only sound national po,
sition. For nearly two years after
taking up the question all Secretary
Bayard's correspondence was based on
the Interpretation of our treaty rights
to which President Cleveland now re.
turns, and the inevitable corollary Of
all the early Bayard Phelps dispatches
was the action which President Cleve.
land now urges on Congress.
Smitten with judicial blindness, Sec.
retary Bayard went into the Washing.
ton conference last December. In it
he abandoned his own position, re
canted his own logic, eat his own
words and accepted a treaty in which
he gave up what we have always
claimed in the intervals when we en-.
joyed freedom of action under the
treaty of 1918, unhampered by unwise
and unnecessary supplementary nego.
tistions and treaties. The Admins.
tration was followed in this surrender
by the votes of all the Democratic
senators. We do not envy the posi-.
tion in which they are left as they see
the President going back to the posi-.
tion they once held and left for his
sake. We do not envy the plight of
President Cleveland's newspaper sup
porters, who, having praised the treaty
as the sum of diplomatic wisdom, hear
now from the President that the right
course and the course be proposes to
follow is the one which Republican
senator's have supported and upon
which they have acted in rejecting the
treaty. Perhaps President Cleveland
did right in assembling his policy,
but is it fair, is it just, to kick these
faithful supporters down the stairs
Democratic senator's have climbed in
humiliation, abandoning the policy
they had once loudly advocated2
But this President Cleveland must
settle with them. 1t is enough to say
now that ia the midst of a campaign
for reelection over whose effect on
candidate in the White House be elo.
quently enlarged four years ago, Pres.
ident Cleveland turns his back on the
policy Of his Administration accepts,
with few natural tears and a few
weak pleas, the condemnation passed
upon the Bsyard Cham berlain treaty
and adopts the plan, the policy and
the practice upon which the Republi.
can party has long insisted. 1t was
possible two years ago, when Canada
refused to let our fish go in bond over
her territory, to refuse her the like
privilege with dignity, without heat
and without bluster or bravado. We
hold all the cards Of the game. We
need to make no boasts and assert no
purpose of compelling the consent of
Canada. We can let time, the icy
logic of Canadian Winter sealing
the st. Lawrence and the invincible
argument of advantageous boundaries
and open ports do their work,
But it is misfortune of weak, an
uncertain and vacillating policy that
it does not comport with dignity or
consort with the seemly and decent
exercise of great power. "Great en-.
pire and little minds do i'll agree"
The course which lay clear two years
ago is now clouded over with the pale
cast of Secretary Bayard's irresolu,
tion. The work, which was easy then,
has been made difficult by the nego,
tiation of the rejected treaty. No
man can read the extraordinary mes.
sage in which President Cleveland re.
verses the policy of the Administra
ton without seeing this. 1t is pain.
ful position for an American president
to occupy; but, regret it as we may,
it is the only course open to President
Cleveland unless he was to face through
the rest of the campaign the merited
charge of supine Indifference to Amer.
ican rights in which he was already
involved and to which he now confess
es judgment. The House Committee
on Foreign Affairs made haste yester
day to aid Mr.. Cleveland in the most
rapid "change of base" known in oul
diplomacy. The maneuvre has its
past connection with Democratic pres
idential candidates. 1t meant defeat
then. 1t means defeat pow.-PhiL1