Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-04-14
a PARTY REBUKE.
Republicans Denounce Harrison's Action
I'm the Behring Sea Matter

Republicans Denounce Harrfson,s Action
I'm the Behring Sea Matter.
1t has rarely happened in the history
of parties in the United States that the
executive of the national government
has been deliberately and of necessity
rebuked and Inundated by a majority
OF its own party in the senate. To this
point the blunder of Blaine and Harri-
son has brought the republicans in the
upper house on the pending issue be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States.
That biunder has brought the coun-
try to the verge of war for, unfortu-
nately- cause that does not command
the cordial sympathy of the masses of
the people. The people on national is
sues are not partisan. This they have
demonstrated repeatedly. They ask
nothing of national administrations ex-
except fidelity to the constitution. and
in conformity with it they will support
any pational administration against any
foreign foe.
Unfortunately the course pursued by
the administration on the Behring sea
question has not been characterized by
that clearness of argument, that sin
method and that grave sense of respon-
sibility that should characterize every
transaction of the government of the
United States.
Mr.. Blaine claimed that we acquired
with Alaska exclusive jurisdiction over
one hundred miles of Behring sea from
the coast line and that within this area
only our vessels should have the right
to engage in seal catching. The
British government contended that we
denied to Russia like claim in relation
to Alaska before we purchased that
country and cited our official state
papers in support of this position. Mr.
Blaine repudiated British interpreta-
ton of the papers.
Our revenue cutters accordingly
seized Canadian vessels in Behring sea.
The British government appealed over
the executive to the judicial branch of
our government and sought to get def
milton of our jurisdictional extent
from the United States supreme court
in the Sayward case. The court threw
out the cause on the technical ground
that the question of jurisdiction was
not properly raised in the district court
of Alaska. whence appeal was taken.
This brought the question back to its
foundation, and. all other resources ex-
hausted. Great Britain proposed that
our claim to one hundred miles should
be for the time conceded. provided we
agreed to reference without appeal of
all questions of law and fact to inter
national arbitration, the concession be-
ing automatically modus vivendi by
which Canadian poachers were ex-
cluded until May of this year.
Treaty stipulations We're then pro-
cecded with and the secretary of state
for the United States and the minister
of foreign affairs for Great Britain
Jointly signed preamble to a treaty
providing for settlement of the entire
dispute by a court to sit at Paris Mr..
Blaine signed this treaty without re-
quiring that the temporary concession
of our claims should be extended until
the arbitration court shall submit its
findings. to which both countries are
pledged in advance.
In failing to make extension of the
modus vivendi a sine qua non of his
signature to- the proposed treaty Mr..
Blaine committed a serious error, which
has brought us to possibility of war
with Great Britain. The president, who
did not realize the danger until after
the signature of Mr.. Blaine had been
put to the document, made the best of
bad situation. He could not repudi-
ate the signature of Mr.. Blaine without
raising d furious storm in his own
party, scandalizing his administration
and giving confirmation to persistent
rumors that he and his premier were
personal antagonists. All he could do
was to withhold official Endorsement on
the treaty as agreed to by Mr.. Blaine,
and he therefore sent the papers with
out comment TO the senate, without
whose approval arbitration cannot pro-
coed under it.
The senate is now compelled to re-
buke the administration by doing at
this late day, perhaps at day too late,
what Mr.. Blaine should have done be-
fore he signed the treaty. On motion
of Senator Sherman the senate will APP
prove the treaty for arbitration con-
ditionally-the condition being extern
sion of the lnodus vivendi by Great
Britain until the arbitrament shall be
finished
If republicans think this record a
satisfactory illustration of brilliant
foreign policy" they are welcome to it.
-Chic;.LrO Herald.