The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-04-07
SECRET SESSIONS.
Unpleasant Features Connected With the
Russian Treaty-senators Negligent Even


Unpleasant Features Connected With the
Russian Treaty-SenatorsN Negligent Even
In secret session
WASHINGTON, March 30.--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 It has been severely criticised
and is said by its opponents to be the first
stroke against the liberty OF those who fee &c
America 70 escape political prosecution IN
the last two or three executive sessions Of the
senate there has been quite q debate on the
proposition 10 release the Injunction Of secrecy
and permit the people 70 know exactly what II
contains
A resolution was introduced 10 remove this
Injunction of secrecy, but IL was referred 20 the
committee on foreign relations, and that COM
mittee has not yet reported The majority Of
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. as they claim. been uniustly 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-
lstions is in communication with the officials
Of the state department and as soon as an
agreement Is reached the resolution to remove
ported to the senate
The criticism OF this treaty is principally d.
rected against the article which is said 10 make
the commission OF political o1enses extradita-
BILE The language OF this clause is identical
with that found in the treaty with Belgium
In that treaty it is provided that -the provisions
OF this convention shall not be applicable TO
persons guilty OF any political oiense or crime
or Of one cor nec:ed with such q crime or Of
Tense"
1t also provides that "an 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 a political orense, or an
act connected with such an oreuse"
In the public prints there has appeared at the
end OF such a clause the words and shall not
be eXtraditahle."
No such affirmative statement appears in TIE
papers II is not the clause Of this convention
relative 10 attempts 10 assassinate the car or
any member OF his family, that has aroused
the opposition 10 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 or document an ofense for which
the guilty person may be exiradtted Il 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 10 resort TO the expedient
OF forgery. and the instrument that passes him
through the frontier is q fOrgery-the forgery
OF a government paper
The treaty contains no explanatory footnotes'
but makes extraditable the olsnse that has
been in every case committed By this means
II Is argued that the Russian government has
BY virtue OF the treaty ratified by the United
States veritsble dragnet by which IL can pUl
back 10 their boundary every man VINO makes
his escape and punish him
II is certain that this phase OF the case was
never brought before the senate, for one sena-
tor who made bitter fight against the ratih-
cation Of the treaty SAYS that no one ever
dreamed that such a clause lay hidden in the
text and had been discovered very material
modification Of the text would have been made
Senators now say that there : no intention in
the treaty that such . construction shall be
placed upon it They admit the forgery OF
passports is 4 forgery Of state documents
within the Interpretation Of the coGvea zion and
that demand might be made upon this Govern
ment for the extraGitiou Of the offender, but
this admission IS met BY a statement that Is
claimed 20 ueu-ralize the effect o. such an in
depreciation
The presentation OF a warrant and papers OF
extradItion *, they say, rot sufficient evidence
70 transport q man out OF the country. The
magistrate who sits il the case, and atter him
me secretary o. state must pass LllOl lle 4LtS
ton whether the forgery Of such papers constI
tutes political o1-ense.
Those Who are opposed 20 the treaty look
with alarm upon = matter that vests in the
judicial decision OF the magistrate, or ever
the secretary OF state, the Interpretation OF
q convention which. they assert. should bear
upon its face just what is intended and leave
nothing for future Interpretation and possible
dispute.
A prominent senator uDou the republican
side OF the chamber has said that this treaty
is one OF the crudest things OF its character
he has ever seen, and boldly declares that il
is due to the fact that such matters are con
Quoted under the veil of secresv. Relieved
OF the sense OF duty that impresses them II
public this senator states that little attention
20 grave matters like this is given b. senators
other than those who are members Of the for
eign relations committee and that hey q
through by reason OF q some times misleading
faith in the committee that has them IN charge.
II Is. he says. one Of the best arguments tina
can be advanced in favor OF the G5-o-aciOl o.
the eXAburiVp session