The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-12-19
The Presidents Message.

S0OulO % nOtuAuS AOAN AA~
than q full, impartial and non-par.
tisan exposition of the condition OF
our government in relation to our
home concerns and our diplomatic
intercourse with other nations. But
in our judgment Mr.. Harrison has
neither discussed these points as
carefully as he should have done,
nor contented himself to stop when
his discussion Of them ended.
After telling us the great things
accomplished by the state depart
ment during the year, among which
is boastingly classed our so-called
reciprocal trade relations with such
petty countries, from trade stand
point, as Brazil, Spain's West In
dia possessions and San Domingo,
the message next informs us that
the terms of arbitration have been
agreed on in the Behring sea matter,
and that agreement as to the arbi-
traitors is all that is now necessary
to the completion of the convention.
Our governments efforts-and
failure-to bring about favorable
settlement of the Venezuelan boun-
Diary dispute is mentioned, but the
President does not inform the coun-
try as to what course his admins
tration will pursue in case Great
Britain persists in refusing to SUBJ
NIT that matter to ALTERATION, which
she evidently means to do. Yet
the time has now come, and the
Venuezelan boundary line is the
instance in which we must either
enforce the Monroe doctrine or
surrender it.
Treating of the New Orleans
lynching the President says:
It would, believe. lie entirely COM
petent for Congress to make offenses
against the treaty rights of foreigners
domiciled in the United States cognizahle
in the Federal courts. This has not, how
ever, been done, and the Federal officers
and courts have no power in such cases to
intervene, either for the protection Of
foreign citizen. or for the punishment of
his slayers. 1t seems to follow in this
state of law that the officers of the State
charged with the police and judicial pow
ers in such cases must, in the consider
alton of international questions growing
out of such incidents, be regarded in such
sense as Federal agents as to make this
Gov eminent answerable for their acts in
cases where it would be answerable if the
United States had urged its constitutional
power to define and punish crime against
treaty rights.
Either the Presidents memory
is very short or he has not read up
we'll in history. The above princi-
pie was claimed by the old slave
holders and was so thoroughly and
ably discussed, and its converse So
well settled by Judge Abram d
Smith Of Wisconsin, in the Sher
man Booth case that one is sur
prised to hear it asserted by a re-
publican President as constitutions
law. An amendment to our fedora
constitution would be required tt
make that into valid law unless tha
instrument is to be ignored alto
gether or has been habitually mis-
construed.
| Our relations with all countrie!
except China and Chile are salts
factory, and the President is hope
full of final peaceable adjustment
of our dispute with Chile. In TIL
case Of China he seems less hope
full. That government draws tn
line at Blair as United States Min
lister, which the President think
defers the selection Of any repre-
, sentative 80 long as existing law
) remain in force.
On the silver question the Pres
ident exhibits the usual ignoranc
{ and pigheadedness of Eastern pee
, pie, and cannot understand VIII
, Western people are not Statistic
: with the purchase by the govern
) ment of about the entire product {
5 American silver. A prolonged SEE
: son of enforced retiracy from tn
t White House might tend to er
: tighten him, and it should be triet
/. in the interest Of silver.
e The other questions to which "
: refer in this article are to arid land
4 and the protection of railroad en-
: ployes, and We shall quote both 9
D they express our views almost e,
8 actly. Speaking of irrigation tt
: message says:
S This work is being done by individual
s or local corporations. The future of Il
= Territories Of New Mexico, Arizona al
: Utah in their material growth, and in Il
increase, independence and happiness
u their people, is very largely jepende
upon this system, and timely legislatit
n either by Congress or their own Legisl
. lures regulating the distribution Of Il
water supply furnished by their stream
y If this matter is much longer neglect
i private corporations will have unr
J. strained control of one of the elements
q life, and the patentees of the arid LAM
g will be tenants at will of the water cor
% panies. The United States should pa
- with its ownership of the water sourc,
;, and the sites for reservoirs, whether to t
States and Territories or the individus
It or corporations, only upon conditions tn
d will insure to the settlers their prop
e water supply upon eqitable and reaso
q able terms. In the Territories this who
subject is under the full control of Co
gress, and in the States it is practically