Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-07-23
The Fisheries.

The following is the conclusion of
Senator Hoar's magnificent speech
in the United States senate when
the fisheries treaty was under con-
sideration.
Nobody expects that until we
grant free fish and free-trade to Ca
madam products there will be any
change in the spirit, temper, policy
or purpose of Canada. What we
have to complain of is that Canada
has so framed her customs laws and
her fishing laws as to subject our
vessels to a series of seizures, con-
fscations, penalties, Interruptions
and outrages. This malice she has
deliberately enacted into law. Any
of twenty officials, some of them of
the pettiest order, may seize an
American ship and cargo. The bur-
den is put upon the owner of the
vessel to show that the seizure was
illegal. If the local judge shall
certify there was probable cause for
seizure, we get no cost and only
four-cent damages. This is the ex-
listing Canadian law-untouched, I'M
repealed, unaffected by this treaty.
You have full knowledge of these
things. You have complained of
them. You have declared that they
were put by Canada on her statute
book to harass your fishermen and
drive them to madness. You have
denounced them as an outrage. And
now, when you make your treaty.
you put in it few of the common
places of common right and leave
these outrages to continue. Worse
than this. You declare that this
treaty contains all that you can rea-
sonably ask. You not only leave
this Canadian legislation on her
statute-b book, but the president and
his secretary indorse it and estops
us, so far as they can, from ever
complaining of it again. You have
contented yourself with so much.
As to the rest, you must forever
after hold your peace. This is what
Conciliate? 1t just means to be kicked,
No matter how they phrase an tone it;
1t means that we're to set down licked,
That we're poor shotes an glad to it.
The fifteenth article is to take eff
feet when we remove the duty from
fish oil, whale oil, sea oil and fish of
all kinds. We are to have in ex-
change for that concession licenses
to enter the Atlantic ports, bays
and harbors of Canada and New
foundland to buy provisions, bait,
ice, seines, lines, supplies and out
fits to tranship catch to ship crews.
1t is difficult to overstate the alb
surdity of this position, even if it
were not a humiliation to be called on
to make a conditional bargain at all
under the circumstances.
The whole of this treaty recog-
nizes what we strenuously deny
the fitness of maintaining discrim-
HCh f,,r,,C
their ancient privilege and excep-
tional honor into badge of disgrace.
1t constantly affirms a dominion on
the part of Canada over the fishing
grounds which from the beginning
have been our joint property. 1t
establishes throughout relation of
control. License, license, license is
the stipulation at every step. What
we claim as right they compel us
to accept and hold only under their
license. Instead of a full, frank,
free recognition of general CONNER
cial rights, everything we are to
have is a privilege, constantly to be
the subject of difference and quar-
rel, until the demands of Canada are
fully yielded.
No, this treaty is not the road to
honor, to safety or to peace. 1t is
not the road to the respect of Great
Britain or even of Canada. Where
it removes one cause of discord it
will produce ten. Quiet, frmness,
adherence to treaties, submission to
the judgments of duly constituted
international tribunals, the same rule
for both sides, will give us security.
We can never have commercial re-
ciprocity till reciprocity of justice
and courtesy are first established.
The American who reads with
pride the civic and military history
of his country can feel the same
satisfaction when he comes to the
chapter which tells of her diplomacy.
In the days of our infancy Franklin
and Adams and Jay encountered the
trained diplomatists of England and
the continent-not merely as equals,
but as masters. The direct, open,
sincere, straightforward, untiring en-
ergy of brave and honest old John
Adams, "whose armor was his hon
est thought and and simple truth his
utmost skill,' alone made possible
the treaty with Holland. The con-
summate sagacity and personal in
1nence of FRANKLIN gave us the
French alliance. The courage of
Adams, the wisdom of Franklin, the
austere virtue and steadfast firmness
of Jay united in 1888 to save for US
alike from the power of our great
antagonist and the wiles of jealous
and suspicious allies everything that
was essential to greatness and glory