St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-01
AFRAID OF The LION.
Blaine Promised to Twist His
Tail, but Turned and
Ran.
Affect Surrender to Great
Britain by the Harrison
Administration.
10 Interruption Of British
SealePs on Behring Sea
This Season.
This Humiliation Of Our Gov
eminent Not Endorsed by
Voters.

cratic leaders. including LuZOn ID. MOT
us, candidate of that party for governor
Of this state. After the luncheon he
was driven to Allyn hall, where he was
greeted by 1000 people. He was intro
duced by eX-Uuited States Senator
Eaton. He alluded to the effects of the
Mckinley tariff upon the interests of
the laboring man and consumers of the
country, and stated the position of the
Democratic party on the tariff question
as enunciated in the platforms of 1884
and 1888. The Mckinley tariff placed
raw silk on the free list, while the
Republican party Stubbornly refuses
to accede to the demands of the
laborerS and consumers by placing
wool on the free list. He argued that
the effect of free wool would be to in-
part stimulus to the manufacturing
and labOrins interests that could not be
eQualed by any other act. In regard
TO our foreign policy Gov. Hill said:
Secretary Bayard'S wise and intelligent
attitude upon international questions
excited the partisan rancor of his polit
ical opponents and they acclaimed
loudly tor a Told and vigorous foreign
policy. With the election of Mir. Har-
riSon il was not strange that the people
looked to see what this vigorous policy
should be, and when the British lions
champion tail-twister was placed in
charge of the department of state peo-
pie generally felt that
The Policy Of VigOr
had been intrusted to its best known adj
vOcate. | shall not attempt to describe
to you how completely this aggressive
foreign policy of Mr.. Blaine's has failed
to meet public expectation in Samoan,
Haytian and other nations, but L wish
to point out what Illuminating sur
render the government of the United
States has been forced to make to Great
Britain IN the Behring sea contro-
versy. IG remember that Secre-
tary Bayard's negotiations with
Great Britain for a settlement of
our misunderstanding over the Behring
sea trouble were interrupted by the
political campaign of 1883 and the sub
Sequent change of administrations.
After Mr.. Blaine became secretary of
state. and about the time Sir Julian
Pauncefute came to this country DIS the
representative OF the British govern
ment, steps were taken for 2 renewal of
the negotiations. and Mr.. Blaine led off
with statement of the position of the
United States upon the questions in
yolved. he declared that the taking
OF seals by British vessels threatened
the eventual determination of the ami
mails; that to permit this gradual exter-
mlnatlOn was an in uStice not only to
the United States but to the civilized
world: that from 1867 to 1888 there had
been no intrusion of foreign vessels into
the fisheries, and that the United States
government was committed to check any
such intrusion. The negotiations pro-
ceeded, though rather systematically,
the disposition of our government
seeming to be for quibbling and eva
Si0ns rather than for sincere
effort to reach satisfactory con-
cusion, honorable to both countries.
While these were pending and when the
British minister had reason to expect
that matters would be satisfactory adj
juSted before the opening of the fishing
season in the summer, he was apparent
~ astounded when he read i'm the news
papers of MAY % last that Secretary
Window had signed sailing orders to the
commanders of the United States cruiS-
ers then awaiting directions at Seattle,
inStructiBg them to proceed to Behring
sea Immediately and to arrest all per-
sons and seize all vessels found to be
Illegally Killing Seals.
The instructions were more explicit
ana stringent than those of last year
even ordering the United States officers
to diSmantie the vessels found violating
the law. seize their logs and akinS and
deprive them of all means of further
violation. These were sweeping orders.
They would affect British vessels, al
though the British government dis
tinctly denied the jurisdiction of the
United States outside of terri
torial waters. and the British
minister was in a disturbed state
of mind. lie went Immediately to MIR.
Blaine and asked if the newspaper re-
ports were true. Mr.. Blaine told him
they were, whereupOn Sir Julian gave
notice that his government would file
formal protest. Then he insisted that
the secretary of state should give
assurance that the United States
cruisers should not interfere with the
British SPaling vessels. while the nego-
tlationS were pending. This Mr.. Blame
refused to do. Again Sir Julian
pressed him for such an assurance. say
ing in letter OH June 18th. twenty
days after Secretary WINDOWS orders
had been issued: II trust this is not a
final decision. and that in the course of
the next few days, while there is yet
time to communicate with the COM
manders, Instructions will be sent to
them to abstain from such interior
ence.' But Mr.. Blaine and the admin
istrati0n were working up their ''yigor-
Gus" policy, and declined to accede to
the British MINISTER'S request. Then
came the shock. The British lion
became fierce. lie had been INDUCED
long enough. Mr.. Blaine had given the
tail one twist too much and the ferocious
animal splang at him. Sir Julian, OH
June IA, filt d his formal protest. There
was no equiyOcation in this emphatic
ana significant document. 1t meant
business and said so plainly. 1t was
this vigorous protest echoed in the Lon
don press which, as you all remember.
greatly excited the country only a few
months ago and seemed to
Threaten a Serious Rupture
of the relations between the United
States and Great Britain. EngIand;s
determined attitude aroused appre-
hension among the business interests of
this country and Canada, which with
reason feared that if it should be fol-
lowed by British men-of-war being Or
dered to Behring sea. a conflict between
the vessels of the two nations would be
inevitable. Our foreign affairs had not
for long time assumed so threaten
ing an attitude. In the midst of
peaceful negotiations unusual and
defiant orders had been issued
to our cruisers; the administration
had refused to modify those orders at
the request of the British minister, and
now had come the British ultiinatum.
The American government had either
to maintain its attitude or back down.
President Harrison and Secretary
Blaine had taken their Stand-would
they uphold it? Here was an oppor-
tunity for an exhibition Of that ''vigor-
Gus foreign policy" they had promised
the country-would they seize it? The
answer to that question is shronded
in mystery. We do not know
from official records yet what
the administration did do. but
so far as public results show, the an
swer is as clear as daylight. Mr.. Blaine
backed down: the administration backed
down; the orders which 1t issued. and
Which Alr. Blaine refu sed TO modify