The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-01
If the English Consent There Will
Be a Closed Season
on Seals.
Stove Elkins Gets a Very Chilly
Reception From the
President
Tho Fur Company Does Not Expect Any
Limit to be Placed ON the Catch
This Year.

to restrict tho taking of seals, shows that
the president has not yet formed any def
mite policy in regard to the Bering sea
matter. Tho president is really in favor of
a closed season. and il Lord Salisbury
would only say the word-that is to say.
reply to this governments last proposal to
restrict this years catch to 1900 seals. and
this only to supply the natives with food
and clothing-a closed season with that ex-
ception would have been ordered. As it is
the Rush and Bear have departed and the
North American Fur company and the
poachers will begin work as soon ns the
seals heavs in sight off the Aleutian islands.
OF course the bosses of the fur company. ID.
O. Mills and Steve Elkins. are chuckling
They have watched the president Ike hawks.
for fear he would take the bit in his mouth
and, Salisbury or no Salisbury, order
seal killing this year to close. Indeed, he
threatened to do it, and this 20 scared the
willy "Steve'' Elkins that he the other day
bolted over to New York to see his friend,
Brother Blaine. Stephen had called upon
the president previously and found him in
one of those stiff -necked moods which Char
ley Farwell says always make man want
to hit Ben Harrison right in the nose. The
president was very exasperatinR and had a
good deal to say about greed vs. patriotism,
which greatly shocked the virtuous Ste
phen, who tried to explain that it was not
the 10000 sealskins that the fur company
wanted as it did earnestly and patriotically
want to keep the peace with Great Britain.
The president, it is said, looked at Steph-
en- with . half ironical smile, and then the
latter in turn got mad and few to the
Damrosch house in New York. Stephen
did mot see Brother Blaine, but he did see
Mrs. Blaine. That excellent lady said her
husband was in no condition to discuss seal
fisheries or any other questions of state.
Mr.. Elkins is said to have insisted on a
brief consultation with the secretary on the
strength Of his personal friendship. Mrs.
Blaine WAS equally persistent, and Mr..
Elkins was not able to see Mr.. Blaine at AN.
Then he came back to Washington and
made good many ironical observations
about wearers of sealskin in general. just
then, however, Minister Foster put in a
Lord Salisbury a few days more grace; and
in the meantime Sir Julian Pauncefote ia
keeping the cable hot with appeals to his
lordship to hurry up. But the Rush and
Bear has gone and Judge Jeffries, of the
fur company, says there 10 not much likeli-
with.
Secretary Foster is disgusted with that
foolish policy of the state department
which keeps all official mouths as mum as
mice. He said to-day: II would like to tell
you all about the instructions to the two
eating the state department with his thumb,
''think everything must be kept a dead Sc
cret. don't agree with them, but sup
pose this is, after all. their funeral, not
mine"
The president is buckling down to work
with all the force of his energy. He is to
go to Cape May as soon as the weather gets
warmer and no subject is too vast or too In
tricats for him to tackle. He, of course.
misses his secretary of state Just now, but
he will not admit it, Yesterday he and his
adviser, MIR. Foster, sat down for joust
with the Spanish reciprocity treaty, and the
way the president waded into the whole
leave no doubt in the mind of Mr.. Foster
that Son Russells New York paper was
right. "Pa'' is the original reciprocity
Jacobs and Brother Blaine is not in it. OF
course. nobody knows what the dis
cussion ended in, but Mr.. Foster
with something like a new light in
his eyes. 1t seems to be generally
conceded on every hand that MI. Blaine
will not resume his official duties at the
state departments for an indefinite period.
and in the meaatime the president pro-
poses to 60 right ahead and dispose of the
various diplomatic questions now pending.
When he gets through with Bering sea seals
and Spanish reciprocity he will, with Patsy
Egan's help, probably take fall out of the
Chilian insurgents and insist upon their
making peace with Balmaceda. After that.
if there is then anything left of kudini, tho
Italian premier, Mr.. Harrison will proceed
to wipe the floor with the remnant.
The idea that Mr.. Blaine is absolutely
necessary to the safe conduct of this ad-
ministration is just now particularly repug-
nant to the president, and, being just lit
tie annoyed that his premier Mt this juno
ture should have become disabled he means
to show the country and thu world at large
how little potentates and rulers are depend
ent upon premiers. While Brother Blaine
is at Bar Harbor the country may look fol
number of startling international cpl
sodes, for the presidents own hand is now
ON the diplomatic tiller.
Increase in Public Debt.
WASHINGTON. May 31.-The May debt
statement to be issued on Monday will