Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-09-06

Inc uemOcratlc papers were but q short
time ago telling Mass aohusetts and Name
that their contemplate little onestion
over few Goldfish on the banks of New.
foundlaud was not worth consideration
in the national Congress. and that if they
kept annoying the country about il they
would, in the end, drive Congress into
giving the free markets of the United
States to all fishermen OF the Dominion,
and applaud the presidents new move
Perhapsvthe national administration of
the democratic party and It's newspaper
organs think this dodge will put them in
a heroic attitude but to the average
mind OF the American citizen it merely
places them in supremacy ridiculous
position, What possible sense Is there,
gentlemen, in disturbing the commercial
relations between our country and the
Dominion at remote western points, be-
cause there Is dispute between Halifax
and Gloucester that can be easily settled
on the groundG Why should the railways
of the United States, that annually trans
port S50000000 Of Canadian goods a
transit, be deprived Of their business and
endure large loss on account of sud
den whIU Of the PRESIDENT Why should
the transit from Detroit to Buffalo and
New York over both American and Cana
dian lines OF rail be suspended, when it
has no relation whatever TO the fisheries
questions Why should the large traffic
between Quebec and Montreal on the one
hand and Portland on the other, by which
Portland becomes the winter port of
Canada, be summarily stopped at the
caprice of the president, on chagrin over
the course of an pendent but as he
says, REFRACTORY senate?
1t is the design of the president to
make the fishery question odious by em
barrassing commercial relations and com
merciel exchange along the thousand
miles of q frontier, and intlict upon
American communities Q needless, = vex
atious, perilou7 confusion OF trade?
Does he not practically Say to his sup
porteEs that il the republicans will not
join him in surrendering our fishery
rights to England he will give them some
medicine on the other, and if they will
give MIN the enactments which he asks
that he will give them retaliation until
they cry hold enough, and will allow him
TO settle the fishery question in the pre-
NAHN AAAhAAGi AZ hhAIl' lAAN4L ttnalb NOW
contemptuously rejects it. After all, fel-
low citizens, Is not the presidents pc
sition mere political device to divert
the attention of the American from his
free trade message and from the Mills
tariff billY Ia not this bluster on the
fisheries to be the plan of tho campaign
for the democratic party? Are not per
mits for bravado to be used by the politi-
cal agents of the administration, marked
on the back, Good till after the frht
Tuesday of November"Y
My friends, history repeats itself. Let
me call your attention to a remarkable
parallel between the course Of President
Cleveland and the course of President
Johnson, after he returned TO the demo
cracy, in a more weighty negotiation with
England than that relating to the fisheries
You will remember that under instruc-
tions from Andrew Johnson's administra-
tiUn, our minister to England, the late
Reverdy Johusen, negotiated a treaty
designed to settle the Alabama claim, II
was negotiated with Lord Clarendon, the
foreign secretary of England, and is
known as the Johnson Clarendon treaty.
1t was communicated TO the senate just
before the expiration of JOhnson's term,
and the senate had it under consideration
when President Grant was inaugurated.
II was rejected with emphasis and indig-
nation, just as the senate has nov rejected
the fisheries treaty. few months later,
Presidents Grant sent to the senate a com
mupication on the whole subject of Ala
bama claims. Referring to the Johnson
Clarendon treaty he used these weighty
words, which beg to read to you: BE
lieving that treaty thus misconstrued
in it's scope, and inadequate IN its pro
visions would have not produced the
hearty, cordial sentiments of pending
questions which alone is consistent with
the relations which | desire 20 have firm
Nv established between the United States
and Great britain. ! regard the action
of the senate in rejeoting the treaty, to
have been wisely taken in the interest OF
peace, and as a necessary step in the in
terest of perfect and cordial friendship
between Il the two countries
In his next annual comm unicatiOu,
President Grant recommended 20 Con
gress the appointment Of commission
TO take proof OF tins accounts and the
ownership of tho several Alabama claims
on notice TO the represer' atiye OF hsr
maiesty's government ~ Washington
ane that authority be given for settle
ment of these claims By the United
States ana that the government
have the ownership Of the private claims
az well as the responslble control of all
the demands against Groas Britain. The
result, you know, was that the British
government proposed joint connie
SION to set lie all claims between the ccuu
tries; that President Grant, unlike Presi
Gent Cleveland, secured the assent of tht
Senate before appointing commissioners
Ia return, aud that the joint commission
made a settlement which, on the whole
was satisfactory to both parties. This
was brought about to the honor OF both
nations, in consequence Of the firm presi
ton assumed by President Grant WIS
would not like attitude OF to-day Oh the
part of the president produce like re-
suit, peacefully honorably aud 70 the last
ing advantage of both natiOus'
The truth is my friends, the democreti,
party has never been fortunate il con
Quoting diplomatic negotiations witt
Great Britain. The English party loy,
for the democratic party is not difficult {,
-plain Il Ia not solely because the