St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-14
UNCLE SAM WEAK
Lynehing Affairs Again Show
PoWerlessness to Protect
Foreigners.
rs
q
THE NATION MUST CONTROL
Cleveland Will Bring the Sub
.ject to the Attention Of
Congress. 10,
u9c
III
NEW LAWS ARE NEEDED
~.
THE NATION MUST CONTROL
NEW LAWS ARE NEEDED
By Which Court Deputies Will
Have Jurisdiction in .
Such Cases. :

WASHINGTON, March 13.-With
two such incidents as those at New
Orleans and Walsenburg, Col, fac
ing them, and such affairs as the
Rock Creek Springs massacre OF Chi
nese and the killing of the Italians
in New Orleans in the background,
the state department officials make
no secret of their apprehension that
the United States is destined to have
serious difficulty in maintaining it's
treaty relations with foreign nations
unless congress comes to the rescue.
AS it stands now, owing to the limi-
tations placed upon the exercise of
the federal power by statute, the
government finds itself powerless to
protect foreign citizens whom the
United States is under solemn treaty
obligations to protect. Under our pc
culiar conditions, the national govern
ment can only look to the state to
extend protection, and if this is de-
MED, or the measure of protection is
inadequate, it cannot interfere.
Meanwhile, the state itself is wholly
free from any responsibility to the
foreign powers with which the United
States has entered into treaty rela-
lions, and the powers are prohibited
from even demonstrating with the
offending state government; they can
look for redress only to the helpless
national government. So it is with
in the power of any erratic governor
or weak mayor, or even an incom-
petent chief of police in any city, to
force an issue that can be decided
only by war, and the fate of the
whole nation may depend on the
conduct of such officials
This matter was brought to the at
tention of congress bv President
Harrison at the instance OF the late
Secretary Blaine, after The adjust
ment of the trouble that threatened
war with Italy as a result of the
killing of the Italians in New Or
leans, but no action was taken to
carry out the suggestion, probably
owing to the fact that the necessary
legislation might be regarded as an
infringement upon the old states
rights theory. 1t is very probable,
however, that President Cleveland,
will feel obliged to again call atten1
ton to the subject at the meeting of
the next congress and point out how.
In the absence of such legislation.
he is obliged to appeal to congress
to pay out of the money raised by,
the whole people large sums for in
demnty for outrages committed by:
a disorderly element in one smaff
place. Just what shape the PROPOSED.
legislation will take cannot be now
defined, but the prevailing idea will
be to make it the business of the
united States courts in all parts of
the country to protect foreigners in
the united States-first, through the
court deputies, and, if that is not
sufnc1ent, then through the troops
or the national government. and to
do this without delay in all cases
This would require an amendment of
the posse comitatus law, passed
with the express purpose to prevent
the use OF troops at elections. but
proven to be of much wider scone
than was intended, and would other
wise harm the Sensibilities of tba
strict constructionists of the stata,s
rights theory, but, as between this
ana the eYer-present danger of be-
coming involved in a foreign war
without a reasonable or lust cause
II Is pelleVed that congress will NOT
hesitate to declare for the law