New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-31
A HOPELESS CAGE.

Secretary Bayard ought to have accepted the
| invitation which he recently received to ex-
| plain in Boston the advantages of the proposed
treaty with Canada. Those who desired his
/ presence were not identified with the American
| industry which he has neglected 90 defend, and
consequently would have heard his defence OF
his own work certainly with courtesy and posi-
bly with sympathetic interest. "The Boston
Commercial Bulletin" states that his enter
tainers would have been chocolate manu-
facturer, four lawyers, two bankers, two in
surance managers, two drygoods merchants, a
carpet manufacturer, merchant, gentleman
of leisure and consignee of Canadian fish
all ardent supporters of the Administration.
That would have been very friendly audience,
and the Secretary would have been cheered and
inspirited by its loyal support of 1.-THE states
manship of peace and amity." IL is great
pity that he did not avail himself of the oppor-
tunity for a full and frank conference with
representative men of New England" for the
letter Of declination which he sent is open to
much criticism in Boston and elsewhere that
might have been avoided by personal inter
course. For example, he would have escaped
many acrid structures on these extraordinary
passages:
Neither the conscience nor solfrespect nor the
pocket Of any American has been invaded by any pro-
vision of the pending treaty. Cancellation
and mutual neghborly concessions haNe
paved the way for relations Of amy and mutual adj
vantage. All this is accomplished by no enforced
changes in our tariff, the payment OF penny as
the price of concession, for the enjoyment OF
right.
1t has seemed almost incredible that the
Secretary after stoutly advocating the cont
mercial rights of the fishermen in diplomatic
correspondence for two years, should abandon
the American case outright and yet apparently
be unconscious of having surrendered any
right or principle. 1t is even more amazing
that he should be unable to understand the
plain text of the treaty which he has signed
| Under the modus vivendi American fishermen
will be required to pay tonnage licenses IN
order TO secure commercial rights which Cana
dian fishermen enjoy in NewEngland waters
without charge What then does the Secre-
tary mean when he says that not penny IS to
be paid as the price of a concession nor FOL
the enjoyment of right? What, too can
his idea be in representing that he accomplished
| everything that the conscience and seil-re-
spect of Americans demand "wiChout enforced
changes in our tariff? Article XIV OF the
treaty expressly withholds commercial priYl-
legcs such as the transshipment Of catch, the
purchase of bait and supplies and the recruiting
of crews until the duties on fish shall be taken
off. That is to say, the fishermen shall not
have their rights until there is a change in the
tariff. Nothing could be more explicit than
the language of this article; yet the Secretary
calmly assumes that he has protected Amcrl-
can rights and been successful in his diplomacy
without enforcing changes in the tariff % The
case is evidently hopeless one. The Score
tary does not remember his own letters whcr
he makes treaty and then forgets the treaty
/ itself whenever he writes fresh letter.