The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-14
NEW PHASE OF THE FUR SEAL
DISPUTE.

The New York Evening Post offers a re-
ward of 500 for an authenticated copy of
any order signed either by President OF
Assistant Secretary of State, or by Sec
rotary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury. or by any other cabinet officer.
directing United States revenue cutters on
the Pacific coast to seize foreign vessels en-
gagged in seal killing in Boring sea outside
the marine league from the American
shore. or declaring the whole of said sea to
be 1.-THE waters Of Alaska" referred to in
the United States statutes.
That paper has made frequent appeals to
the press for the production of any such
document, or for information where any
thing Of the kind may be found. It has
also professed to furnish everything bear
ing on the question to be found by its
searchers in the archives at Washington
City, and more than broadly intimates
that no such document is in existence, or
ever has been issued. 1t goes further and
most pointedly intimates that the late
lessee of the government in that connec-
ton, the Alaska Commercial Company,
was the prime mover in and wholly re-
sponsible for the mare clausum pretensions
which Secretary Blaine disclaims and re-
pudiates.
The tone Of its discussion of this matter
plainly implies that the Post is thoroughly
informed Of the bottom facts of this mat
ter, and is simply making these appeals
and offers of rewards in order to make as
surance doubly sure before submitting to
the public q complete revelation. But
commencing with Grants administration
and continuing down to the present time,
enough has been published to make it
pretty certain that no document asserting
the claims above mentioned has at any
time emanated from the high quarters re-
ferred to.
Hence the clenr inference that if any
orders have been issued which were sus-
ceptible of construction asserting iuris-
diction beyond the limits of maritime
league from American territory. they must
have been issued by subordinates, proba-
bly, in Alaska, acting under the influence
of interested parties. And the failure to
discover any such documents after care
full search and inquiry at the departments,
would seem to justify an inference that if
issued information to that effect was not
transmitted, but that the documents and
information were carefully suppressed.
This raises a suspicion of most pre-
sumptuous arrogation of power, and one
which has we'll nigh plunged our country
into war. Whether or not any corpora
ton or combination of individuals, bask-
ing in the favors Of our government and
heaping up wealth in consequence, could,
from selfish purposes and for personal
gain, so frightfully imperil their country
by usurping such grave responsibilities, is
certainly worthy of investigation most
thorough and exhaustive.
It has been conclusively settled, by free
publication of all the documents, that
neither the proclamations of President
Harrison nor the orders of his Secretaries
have transcribed the plain letter of the
statute. which simply forbids seaI-killing
within the Jurisdiction of the United
States" which statutes the Senate refused
to amend in consonance with the action of
the House, SO as to define our Jurisdiction
rs extending beyond the marine league.
Even q hint that subordinate officials, at
the instigation Of interested parties,
should have assumed to do what congress
had refused and the President has alb
stained from doing, raises a question
which should be sifted to the very bottom.
1t is an arrogation of dangerous authority
that cannot be tolerated and should not go
unrebuked.