Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-01
THE FISHERIES DEBATE.
SENATOR FRYE'S ARRANGEMENT OF
THE ADMINISTRATION POLICY
The Most Cowardly Surrender the Ameri
can Republic Ever Made-Senator Ed
munds Relinquishes Charge of the
Treaty to Senator sherman.

Ni''N Ahl' bHCl ulii IIDNtl lHub lut
Senate proceed to the consideration of
the fisheries treaty in open executive
session, and Mr.. Frye proceeded to ad-
dress the Senate. He spoke of the change
from closed to ouen doors as an evolution
from darkness to light, being somewhat
disturbing to him, as he had equipped
himself for discussion within closed
doors with senators familiar with the
subject The question before the Senate
was no tutling one, it involved the dignity
and honor of great republic and rights
of its citizens. 1t could not be belittled
by talk of localiz1tion, by charging it
concerned only New England, was an
industry of but little account, that
the Yankee fishermen alone were interest
ed, and that the wrongs to be righted were
only upon the Northeast. 1t could
not be obscured by the presidents intima-
tion that, in the event OF the failure of he
treaty. he would resort to the law Cou-
gress mad passed so "a to put in jeopardy,
and perhaps destroy all the business in
terests of the great North 1t could not be
belttled by interviews furnished the Bos-
ton Herald nor letters written to a ban
quoting party in New York, in which it
was declared every man who opposed the
ratification of the treaty was either con-
trolled by personal prejudice, partsanship
or profound lgnOrence, nor by the admin
istratlon papers tlippantly and iperinglY
=
the Yankee fishermen and their fleet.
The question before the Senate was
should cltizens of the United States fish
ermen, but still citizens be protected
against injustice, wrong and Outrage
inflicted 10y a nelghboIing nation, embold
ened because II rested under the
cpgls of a mighty power beyond the seas
He proceeded to pay glowing tribute to
the valor, patriotic service of the Yankee
fishermen in the wars OF the revolution.
1919 and the rahpIlipn and usk-a1 bat hpr
such were enJiI led to be treated with con-
tempt. He recalled the British campaign
against \ Abyssiua for the rescue of one
English subject and said his admira ton
of such an incident almost tempted HIM
to forget the injustice and wrong that
great country inflicted dav by day on its
own subjects. He declared this powerful
republic utterly neglected the rights OF
the fishermen He theu detailed the his
tory OF the fishery egis latiou saying Great
Britain had accorded us the right of fish
ing on the Grand Banks and other banks
over which she had no more control than
over the mid ocean. She never sur
rendered anything that was her
markets since lSl2. so the Canadian
fishermen might be quadruped, so that
when she needed sailors she would know
where to 60 to find the bravest and best in
the world Therefore Canada commenced
by every conceivable outrage, wrong aud
injustice to drive our vessels away. Mr..
Frye detailed the long continued outrages
at length and then said Under the treaty
of 1854 we were permitted to fish within
their waters and they within our waters,
and they were permitted free entry to our
markets and thus got all they wanted.
Mr.. Frye traced the increase of the Ca
madam fishing fleet and gradual decrease
of our fishing trade down to nothing as the
result of the right OF ,ntry OF Canadian
fish free. He alluded 10 the successive
doubling the license tax upon American
vessels as a further means of CriDplng our
commerce. He declared the moduS vi
vendi was only secured to us upon the
payment of 81 20 per ton commercial priv
legeS which we were already fully enti-
tied TO-
Congress was just on the point of pass
ing the retallatOry law in response to
petition from the fishermen of New Eng
land when diplomacy was again reSOrted
to, resulting inIthe treaty of ISL Eug-
Land wanted Il southern market, and so
favored the South and joined France in an
attempt to build mp a monarchy in MeXi-
co. She sent troops to Canada and built
vessels and armed and equipped them and
sent them ont upon the ocean to destroy
our commerce. She then refused to pay
the damages till she secured another
treaty which stipulated If there was any
balance due Canada for the privilege she
gave rs of the rilht to fish, we should pay
it and that commissioners should be APP
pointed to see if anything was due. We
also gave them a free market for fish. Our
commissioner was a weak old man, unit
to cope with Sir John Macdonald aud
Tupper. The umpire was DelfOsse of
Belgium, man owned by Great Britain.
Through that commission We paid Canada
s., 10000. Great Britain had so good a
bargain she refused to allow us to abrO-
gate the treaty In T. years we remitted
over 81 ZOO, 600 Canadian duties, making
Sll 100000 the cost of tine treaty. Dur
ing the whole time we caught IN British
waters about 800 900 worth of fish and
the capture cost MS Sl,2OOOOO, ana during
the last three years of the treaty there
were not a dozen American fishing yes
sells in British waters
When the day came when notice could
be given to terminate the lnlqultous treaty
it passed the Senate unanimously. The
president gave notice in 1888 we had no
treaty except the treaty of 1850. If we had
taken the manly course this thing would
have ended then. But Secretary Bayard
had an itching palm for diplomacy. lie
was profoundly ignorant OF the nshery
matter, but Sir Lionel West was not. He
persuaded Bayard that conflicts between
the fishermen might lead to war with
Great Britain and Bayard SAID, What
can do | will do anything you say,
and he granted modus ,vivendi clearly
without any constitutional rights.
The nub of the treaty was this: That
the president recommend to Congress the
appointment of commissioner to settle
the fishery rights" The president sent
in his message and he Frye offered
resolution declaring it the sense of the
Senate that the United States wanted no
fishery commission and the resolution
was UNANIMOUSLY passed
Peace was once more broken. The next
year and half l20 American vessels
were seized in those waters under every
conceivable pretence, vessels driven to
sea in storms, refused hospitality and
treated so barbarously the democratic
secretary of'the treasury declared the treat
ment brutal. The Schooner Mollie Adams
which rescued II dying men and took
them to Canadian port was refused
the privilege of buying -four to feed the
starving crew, and this occurred in the
10Th century, in country called civilized
and Christianized, this terrible act of in
humanity was committed TO get American
markets
Referring to retaliatory measures he de