The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-29
THE RUSSIAN TREATY.

Remarkable Douumcnt-A Clause That
Was Smuggled In,
WAsHlNGToE, d, c., March 2S,-No
treaty that has come before the senate
in late years has secured more public
attention than that which was recently
concluded between tho government Of
the Czar and the United States. 1t has
been severely criticised, and it is said
by its opponents 10 be the first stroke
against the liberty OF those Who flee to
America to escape political persecution,
In the past two or three executive
sessions OF the senate there has been
quite debate over the proposition to
release the injunction Of secrecy and
permit the people to know exactly
what it contains.
A resolution was introduced yester-
day to remove this injunction of Sc
creCy, but 1t was referred to the COM
mittee on foreign relations aud that
committee has not reported. The ma
ority OF the senators want the matter
made public, for the reason that tho
text OF the treaty has been wrongly
stated by the public prints and the
senate has been, as they claim, UNJUST
ly criticised by reason OF this mislnfor-
nation. Tho state department Is also
willing that the text OF the treaty
should 80 out, but there is not such an
unanimity OF sentiment concerning the
propriety OF publishing the accompany
ing correspondence The committee on
foreign relations is In communication
with the officials OF the state depart
ment, and as soon as an agreement
IL reached the resolution to remove
the injunction OF seCresy will be taYora-
bly, reported TO the senate.
The criticism OF this treaty is princi-
pally directed against the article which
Is said to make the commission OF polit-
ical olIenses extraditable. The language
Of this clause is identical with that
found in the treaty with Belgium. In
that treaty it is provided that "the pro-
visions OF this convention shall not be
applicable to persons guilty OF any po-
litical oiense or crime, or OF one con-
nected with such Il crime or olIense."
1t also provides that "Rn attempt
against the life OF the head OF the for
eign government, or against that OF any
member OF his family, when such at
tempt comprises tho act either OF mur-
der or assassin, or OF poisoning, shall
not be considered political oiFense, or
al act connected with such an ollense." l"
In tho public prints there has appeared
at the end OF such clause the words
''and shall not be eXtradltable."
No such affirmative statement ap-
pears in the treaty. II is not the clause
Of this convention relative to attempts
to assassinate the czar or any member
OF his family that has aroused the op-
position to the treaty so much as an
other matter that has been found
hidden away in the text and Of seem-
ingly innocent purport, so far as any
thing political Is concerned The
treaty makes the forgery OF any govern
ment paper or document an otlense for
which the guilty person may DO extra
dited. 1t is well known that no politi-
cal suspect can escape from Russia with
out the aid OF passport, and that he
cannot secure that coveted document.
Necessarily, he is compelled TO re'ort 10
the oxpedient Of forgery, and the in
strument that passes him through the
frontier is forgcry-iorgery oil govern
ment paper.
Tho treaty contains no explanatory
foot notes, but makes extraditable the
oilense that has been in every such case
committed. BY this means 1t ia argued
that the Russian government has, by
virtue OF tho treaty ratified by the
United States, a veritabe drag net with
which II can pull back to its boundry
every man who makes his escape and
punish him-not for political oRense,
but the act Of forgery. Tho result, it is
claimed, will be tho same, for it re-
moves the individual from every right
Of asylum which he has gained by
flight to this country. 1t Is certain that
this phase OF the case was never brought
before tho senate, for one senator who
made bitter fight against tho rNtfca-
ton OF the treaty said that no one ever
dreamed that such clause lay hidden
in the text, and that had it been dis.
covered very material modification OF
the text would have been made. Sem
ators now say that there is no inten-
ton in the treaty that such construC.
ton shall be placed upon it.
A prominent senator upon the Re-
publican side OF the chamber has said
that this treaty ia one OF tho crudest
things OF its character he has ever
seen and boldly declares that it is duo
to the fact that such matters are con-
duCted under tho veil OF secrecy. The
committee will probably report back
the resolution to remove the Injunction
OF secrecy at the next executive session.
What amount OF correspondence will be
released with it depends upon tho
wishes OF the state department.