Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-04-06
SECRET SESSIONS.
Unpleasant Features Connected with {


Unpleasant Features Connected With the
Russian Treaty-Senators Negligent Even
in Secret Session.
WASHINGTON, March so-No treaty that has
come before the senate in late years has re-
ceived more public attention than that which
was recently concluded between Russia and the
United States. 1t has been severely criticised
and is said by its opponents to be the first
stroke against the liberty Of those who fee to
America to escape political prosecution In
the last two three executive sessions OF the
senate there has been quite debate on the
proposition to release the injunction OF secrecy
and permit the people to know exactly what it
contains
a resolution was introduced to remove this
Injunction of secrecy, but 1t was referred TO the
committee on foreign relations, and that COM
mittee has not yet reported The majority or
the senators want the matter made public, for
the reason that the text Of the treaty has been
wrongly stated by the public prints. and the SEN
ate has. they claim. been unjust1y criticised
by reason of the transformation
The state department is also willing that the
text of the treaty should go out but there Is
not such unanimity of sentiment concerning
the propriety OF publishing the accompanying
correspondence. The committee on foreign re-
lations is in communication with the of1cialS
of the state department and as soon as an
agreement is reached the resolution TO remove
the Injunction of secrecy Will be favorably re-
ported to the senate
The criticism of this treaty is principally d.
rected against the article which is said to make
the commission of political oienses extradita-
BILE The language OF this clause is identical
with that found in the treaty with Belgium
In that treaty 1t is provided that the provisions
of this convention shall not be applicable TO
persons guilty of any political onense or crime
or OF one connected with such a crime or Of
Tense"
1t also provides that IAN attempt against the
life of the head of foreign government, or
against that OF any member OF his family,
whether such attempt comprise the act either
| of murder or of assassination or of poisoning
shall not be considered political offense or an
| act connected with such an ofense"
In the public prints there has appeared at the
| end of such clause the words and shall not
be extraditable''
No such affirmative statement appears in tie
papers 1t is not the clause Of this convention
relative TO attempts to assassinate the car or
any member OF his family, that mas aroused
| the opposition to the treaty so much as another
matter that mas been found hidden away in the
text and of seemingly innocent purport so far
| as anything political is concerned.
| The treaty makes the forgery OF any govern
ment paper document ofenSe for which
! the guilty person may be extradited 1t Is
| well known that no political suspect can escape
from Russia without the aid of passport and
that he cannot secure that document Neces-
sarily he is compelled to resort TO the expedient
| Of forgery, and the instrument that passes him
through the frontier is forgery-the forgery
! of a government paper.
| The treaty contains no explanatory footnotes,
| but makes extraditable the onense that has
| been in every committed By this means
| it is argued that the Russian government has
by virtue of the treaty ratified by the United
| States a veritable dragnet by which it can pull
back to their boundary every man who makes
| his escape and punish him
| 1t is certain that this phase OF the case was
! never brought before the senate, for Sena-
tor who made bitter fight against the ratif-
cation of the treaty says that no one ever
| dreamed that such a clause lay hidden in the
| text and had it been discovered very material
of l,o xavt could hoo
| Senators now say that there is no intention in
| the treaty that such a construction shall be
placed upon it They admit the forgery OF
| passports is a forgery of state documents
| within the Interpretation of the convention and
| that demand might be made upon this govern
! ment for the extradition OF the offender, but
this admission is met by statement that is
claimed to neutraliZe the effect OF such an In
| depreciation
| The presentation Of a warrant and papers Of
extradition is, they say, not sufficient evidence
to transport a man out of the country. The
magistrate who sits in the case, and after hin
the secretary of state, must pass upon the Ques
ton whether the forgery of such papers constr
tutes political offense
Those who are opposed to the treaty lool
with alarm upon matter that vests in tn,
judicial decision of the magistrate, ever
the secretary of state, the Interpretation o
a convention which, they assert. should beal
upon its face just what is intended and leav'
nothing for future Interpretation and possibl
| dispute.
| A prominent senator upon the republican
side of the chamber has said that this treat!
is one of the crudest things of its characte
he has ever seen, and boldly declares that i
is due to the fact that such matters are con
Quoted under the veil of secresy. Relieved
| of the sense of duty that impreSSes them il
public this senator states that little attention
to grave matters like this is given by senator
. ! other than those who members of the for
eign relations committee and that they g
| through by reason of sometimes misleading
| faith in the committee that has them in charge
l 4 arguments
can be advanced in favor of the abrogation o
| the executive session