Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-03
Newfoundland's Tribulations.

The controversy between Newfound-
land and the mother country which
has already assumed, to them, alarm
ing proportions, is a matter that in
terests every American, and every
thing calculated to inform the public
upon the subject will be read with in
terest. The following concise state.
ment Of facts is taken from the St.
Paul Pioneer Press, and may be re-
lied upon as being q true epitome Of
the situation at the present time:
The grievances OF the people OF New
foundland which have dragged through
many a year, appear to have reached
the acute stage. Just what the little
island is going to do about it is not
clear; but the sentiment OF loyalty to
Great Britain is pretty effectually de-
stroyed, and secession and mutiny are
favorite topics of the people. The
trouble is only an incident Of the po-
sition which remote colony OF a great
empire must hold, whenever local in
terests and imperial interests come in
conflict. In the treaties which ended
hostillties between England and
France there were many minor mat
ters OF difference to be settled, and one
OF them related to fishery privileg.
es on the banks of Newfoundland.
These We're important at the time,
principally on account OF the cod
fisheries. And France WAS guar
anteed the right, IN pursuing this oc-
cupation, to land along the coast and
construct temporary wooden nuts for
drying fish. This was always unpala-
table to the Newfoundlanders, as u
sacrifice OF their local rights. But it
was endured until the change made
by the rise to Importance OF the lob
ster fisheries. AS soon as these be-
came important, the French proceed
ed, under cover OF their old treaty
rights, to erect permanent structures
along the coast for the purpose OF
canning Holsters. This the islanders
objected to most vigorously, and
opened canneries OF their own. One
of these has been closed by British
authority, and all Newfoundland is
ablaze with Indignation at this armed
interference OF the imperial power in
order to enforce the rights OF foreign
country.
This is what has made Newfound-
land a rebel whose measures are linz
tied only by her weakness. We're she
in q position to do so, she would cast
off allegiance to Great Britain today;
and she looks with ever increasing
favor upon some kind of connection
with the United States. OF course
this is impossible, and the only prac
tical effect of the difficulty must be
to weaken the feeling of attachment
by the colonies to hemother country,
and to Illustrate how subordinate the
interests of them all must always be
held where questions ofstateinterfere.
It shows, too, the practical impossi-
billty Of working any scheme OF inn
perial federation. The New York Ev-
ening Post draws this moral
tersely and forcibly: "In this
case England is bound by an
absurd and antiquated treaty
to keep desolate and unsettled long
strip OF territory in Newfoundland, in
order to provide a few French fisher
men with drylng-grounds during por-
tion of the year, and she is unable to
demand the abrogation OF the treaty,
because she fears the active opposi-
ton of France to the continued occu-
patton Of Egypt, and the continued
occupation Of Egypt is made neces-
sary by the possession of India, and
the possession Of India is deemed an
essential condition OF imperial pres
tige. But in not one link OF this caus.
al chain has Newfoundland the small
est interest" Meantime the govern
ment is embarrassed by being .obliged
to declare hostilities against it's own
subjects, and the people OF Newfound-
land are wild with anger at what they
feel to be an outrage. Thescheme of the
imperial government, to say nothing
of federation, is not without it's seri-
GUS difficulties.