The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-12
BERING SEA RIGHTS
Wisdom of the Selection of III.
American Arbitrator.
JOHN MORGAN. JUDGE HARl AN
Both Great Authorities on Interna.,o,.,
Law-Each Government Pays Its On.
cers-Other Expenses Shared.

President Harrison's selection of Senate,
John T. Morgan of Alabama and John N
Harlan of Kentucky. associate Justice ~
the supreme court, to be arbitrator, ON Ia.
half of the United States in the con,ro-
versy between this country and Great
Britain. concerning the jurisdictionaI
rights of the United States in the water,
of Boring sea. has met with almost uni.
versal approval, says the New York S,,.
1t is the general opinion of LAWYERS and
public men, without regard to party. thar
the case Of the United States could no,
have been put in better hands. The fact
that Mr.. Morgan is a Democrat and
Southern Democrat, too, has caused soma
comment, and in some quarters the pres;.
dent has been mildly criticised for honor.
ing so conspicuously man of Mr.. Nor.
gan's political faith. The president and
Secretary Blaine, however, ara said -
have teen in perfect accord as to the nro.
priety of selecting both Senator Morgan
and Justice Harlan, and in CHOOSING .
Democrat as one of the arbitration
board they have only followed a long
established custom. The arbitrator ON
the part of the United States under the
treaty of Washington, concluded in 1871
included conspicuous Democrat in thu
person of Samuel Nelson, a resident Of thu
state of New York, associate justice of tbs
supreme court. His colleagues ON n.
board were Hamilton Fish, secretary a
state; General Schenck, minister to En-.
gland; f. lockwood Hoar, of Massachu.
sets. and George II. Williams. of Oregon
the last two of whom served as ATTORNEY
generals of the United States under Presi.
dent Grant. 1t was perfectly proper
therefore, that the president should seIecr
a Democrat.
There is no higher Democratic authority
on the subject of international law and no
more honorable and fair-minded man in
public and private life than Senator Nor.
gan. He is lawyer by profession, and
has been a member of the Senate for ff
teen years, during that time rendering
long service as a member of the COMMITTEES
on foreign relations. He is now. as he has
been for many years, the leader of the mi.
nority In that important committee. Al
though one of the much-talked-of Confed.
crate brigadiers of congress, Senator Nor.
gan knows no politics when an interns-
tional or non-partisan subject is before
the Senate for discussion, and on several
occasions ne has sustained the admins.
tration, regardless of whether it was
Democratic or Republican, and has often
been found in hearty accord with Senator
Sherman. the chairman, and the other
Republican members of the committee on
foreign relations. Mr.. Morgan is reputed
to be one of the most lucid and able law.
yers in the South. He is close and con-
slant student, a man of the simplest habits,
who spends his nights in studying up the
questions that arise in the Senate and his
days in his seat in the Senate chamber,
where he is always found ready to act a.
the spokesman of his party. His public
speeches are logical and eloquent, and it ID
no task for the Alabama senator to address
the Senate for two or three days at time,
when he considers the subject of sufficient
importance, as was the case when the force
bill was under discussion. 1t is said at the
state department and at the White House
that Mr. Morgan was selected as arbitrator
for two reasons-first, because it was
proper that one Democrat should be
chosen, and, secondly. because he was
thought to be the man best fitted by abIl-
ity, habit and knowledge of the Bering
sea controversy for the difficult and DELI
cate duties of the post.
Justice Harlan was selected for much
the same reasons as applied in the case OF
Senator Morgan. He is lawyer who has
made speciality of international law, and
as he is friend of many years standing
of both the president and Secretary Blame
his name was decided upon without con-
sultation with him and without the exer.
ton of outside influence on his behalf
Justice Harlan has been hard worker
during all the years that he has been on
the supreme court bench, and being WITH
out any income whatever. except MS an
nual salary. has been unable to enjoy the
benefits of travel as he would like 10 90.
The president and Mr.. Blaine, therefore,
were very glad of the opportunity 10 con,
fer upon him an appointment that woula
be an honor to him as pubic man, ano
would afford some creature comforts -
well. 1t is said that when the question
of making the appointments hrst arose.
the president expressed desire 70 havs
one of the supreme court justices CHOSEN,
and the selection of Justice Harlan in'
stead of one of his eight colleagues pos.
sesses no significance beyond the tact tnas
he was staunch Republican and person.
ally friendly with the president ana .he
secretary of state. He possessed al .ae
qualifications necessary Tor repressn;.
tive OF the government In sucn q uis..
that the opportunity to go abroad as Ing
representative of his government wouia
be very grateful 10 him. Since the ~
pointment of Justice Harlan and senaigf
Morgan the president has been very mucn
grained by the many assurances ina! na,s
come TO him that these gentlemen WIZ Nv
honor to the cause of the United Stasss
even if the arbitration of the Bering 20
question goes against them, as II unoouDs'
edly will.
Justice Harlan will be absent nom
Washington City when the supreme coa..
meets for the October term. ana
likely that Senator Morgan will De my~
ing from the Senate at the opening oi -.
December session for the first time uuians
his long service Under the terms OF Wy
treaty the arbitrator are TO meet III "a.
within twenty DAYS after the delivery y
the counter cases, documents, correspouL.
ence and evidence, all of which mus -.
handed in within seven months irom
date of the proclamation OF the us -.
which was May g. 1892, and sixty oayS
ditionaI are allowed in case of any extIs-
ordinary and unavoidable delay on -
part of the government TO prepare It's GA
II will thus probably be December q. III - 3
before the board of arbitration VIA
ready for organization in Paris. 80
the terms of the treaty the decision " =.
arbitrator must be made within .n. ss
months from the close of the argunaeA-
on each side.
Each government is to pay the e4pens
of its own arbitrators. All otner ~
with the exception of the employmen' a
counsel by the respective governments e..
to be paid by the United states ana
gland in equal shares. Under tns "a
rangement the United States VIII pay II
counsel employed, which consists OF =.
Phelps, of Vermont, ex-minister 70 90
gland. who will be assisted 6y sua
Blodgett. of Chicago, and John Y. oad 4.
partment hat the compensation Of thsss