The St. Johns herald., 1889-11-21
Democracy and the PaR-Ameriean
 Congress.

In his speech at Greenfield, Mass [ Saturday evening, ex-Congressmar
 Russell spoke as follows: You have all seen the claims put forth by Republican organs and speak CTS that the Pan-American Congress was called by Mr. Blaine, and is to the credit of this administration. Never was there a more false and impudent claim. In my speech at Boston I took the opportunity to show that the bill providing for the congress and directing the Presid- ent to call it, was introduced by a Democrat, James B. McCreary, of Kentucky, reported by a Demo cratic committee and passed by a Democratic House. It was stopped temporarily by the Republican Sen ate, with amendments, but a com mittee of conference, of which l had the honor to be member, succeeded in getting it through, and it was signed by MT. Cleveland. Now, men like Mir. Hoar are disin- genuous enough to claim the credit of it for Mir. Blaine. 1 also stated from my own knowledge that this bill was devised with the expecta- tion that Congress would change the tariff, lifting some of the bur dens from our commerce, especially making wool, a staple article of South American export, duty free, so that such congress might be held in a country that encouraged commerce, instead of one that maintains laws to hinder or pre- vent it. We failed to establish grounds upon which such a con gross could expect to be useful, though the law establishing it re- mained, and we have the absurd spectacle of congress to encour- age foreign trade in country and under an Administration that makes laws to prevent commerce ] We have also another absurd spec tacle. Failing to establish the on- ly reason for the convention, the State Department has packed the unfortunate delegates into sleeping cars and is railroading them about our part of the continent to show our success and contentment under a prohibitory tariff or to make the usual boast of our wealth, numbers and power. This is the course adopted when delegations visit Washington from distant Indian tribes.
 Several of these delegates were educated in this country, all of them are familiar with Europe. They know why our commerce has disappeared from the seas, and the obstacles in the way of it's renewal ; they know very we'll the diploma tic history of James G. Blaine, and their private comments on the out come of this business would be more edifying than amusing. But if we speak aloud of the facts in the case we are called malignant critics" and opposed to the advance ment and prosperity of our country. There is another important conven- tion now in session at Washington -the international maritime con ference. I see Warner Miller, who was lately lying cold and stiff out side the breastworks, where he was scalped by his political associate, Thomas Platt, claims this conven- ton as part of the foreign policy of the Harrison Administration. This important convention was one of similar acts in favor of com merce proposed by the last Admin istration. MT. Cleveland sent a special message recommending it. The bill was introduced by Mr. Bel mont, of New York, and it was in o,,oru ,1o rKio,,loro noponorofio m ooo