Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-25
RETALIATION.
The Presidents Message the
All-AbsOrbing Topic.
1T IS READ BEFORE THE SENATE.

Comments Provoked on Both Sides
the Water-Canada Feeling Very
Uncomfortable.
/ Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, August 24.-In the Sem
ate, Immediately after the reading of the
journal, the message from the President
on the subject of the rejection OF the
Fisheries treaty was laid before the SEN
ate and read hy the clerk. The reading
was listened to with close attention.
When it came to close Sherman moved
that it be printed and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations.
Edmunds-On that motion 1 would
like to say word. Although I am in
favor OF it. if had been five or six years
younger than l am 1 should have been
surprised at that message; but am not /;
and l am only highly gratifed at the
patriotic expressions of hopes, wishes,
and almost intentions of the President OF
the United States in reference to the
protection of American interests
and American rights. But the
popularity of the situation, as it
seems to me, is that, having
had statute providing for self-defense
approved by the President OF the United
States and passed by the substantially
unanimous vote of both Houses (if that
made any difference to his duty in faith
fully executing the law, and after full
consideration of all its points and bear
ings-the extent to which it should go,
the objects to which it should be limited,
and the circumstances under which it
could be brought into play-eighteen
months, in round numbers, have gone by
and we are now informed by the Presi-
dent of the United States (for l take it
that is what he means, although no word
OF that kind is in the message), that no
step of any kind has been taken to
carry into execution the plain provisions
of that law.
MORE AMMUNITION WANTED.
1t is true the law did not require the
President to put into effect the law of
self. defense until case should have
arisen of injustice sufficient to satisfy him
that American rights were being unjustly
dealt with. If there has been no instance
of injustice since the passage of the act,
the President has been right in taking no
step in the matter. If, however, in his
opinion, as he now states it, there have
been instances of denial of our lust
rights, why is it that the President has
not taken any steps in the excersise of
the powers imposed upon him in the ex-
ercise of the high duty which the Con-
stitution imposed upon him in seeing
that the laws are faithfully executed !?
Why has he been silent for eighteen
months with the whole power of the law
in his hands? l must express my sur
prise, not as partisan but as a
citizen, that he has failed to take any
such steps and now sends message ask
ing that additional powers be given him.
The Canadian Government has not re-
fused to trans-shlp fish on the ground
that Article 20 of the treaty of Washing
ton was not in force. 1t has refused to
trans-ship fish on the ground that that
article did not override the convention of
1878, by which an American fishing ves-
sci was not to come within the three
mile limit. When the Canadian authori-
ties denied to American fishermen the
right to trans-ship their fish from Hall.
fax to Boston or New York, the President
was justified in denying to Canadian fish
or other goods, transportation across our
country. That is the fact, and the Presi-
dent tells us that it has existed now for
two years. Following that fact,
which the President says is a gross
outrage, is statute of the United
States, which says if he is satis-
fed that such fact exists he shall apply
the means OF redress which the statute
has put in his hands. Why does he not
do it? Alas! Mr.. President, 1 think it
is an infinite pity that in so simple case
an adequate and free statute, which has
never been tested by the first step,
should remain unexecuted and in state
of "innocuous desuetude" until the Pres
ident may see whether Congress will not
put more ammunition into his hands.
Senator Hoar said the Senators on the
Democratic side had fairly laid down
before the demands and threats and pre-
tensions of the little Dominion of Canada.
They thought they were lying down by
the side of the President to comfort him
in his position; but now, behold the
President has undertaken to get up, and
shaking the mud from his own coat, to
leave them where they had placed them
selves.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS OPPOSITION,
Morgan said the evidence had clearly
established that the purpose of all this
opposition to the President in respect to
the fisheries had not been to get the Gov
ernment into better shape, but to entrap
the Executive and put him into a
straight-jacket, where he would do the
bidding of the minority of the people of
the United States represented in this
chamber. They even threatened the
President with impeachment if he dared
to disobey their commands and to coun-
tervail their will. He thought the coun-
try would appreciate the fortitude of q
man who could stand up against the ut
terances of the Senator from Vermont,
and perform his duty without tremor.
Morgan said he had discussed the
retaliation as looking to the treaty as q
result; the Senator from Vermont had
discussed it as law which looked to war
as result. The Senator from Vermont
had drawn the law, and if he had known
of cases that recently occurred that
violated the treaty of 1878 he ought to
have p1t them in and made then tho