Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-31
SEAL FISHERIES SENSATION.
Full Text of Professor. Elliott's Let
ter About Foster.

CLEVELAND. @ July 3O.-ProfessOr
Henry w. Elliott Of the Smithsonian In
sutution. tonight gave out the complete
text Of his recent sensational letter TO
Judge Day Assistant Secretary Of State,
r,.arding the seal fisheries 1t is as
follows:
Lakewood. O., near cleveland. o.
July 18th.
"Hon. W. r. Day. Assistant Secretary OF
state. Washington, ID. c.:
Dear Sir.-In the Morning Recorder,
Of this city. appears the text Of letter
TO Lord Salisbury dated May 10, 1897.
and signed by John Sherman Secretary
of state. on the fur seal question. rms
letter is prefaced by an account Of the
great embarrassment which it's publica-
ton has caused the President and that
IL has been held up for several days AT
the request Of John W. Foster who now
fears the effect of his own work few
weeks earlier.
'Inasmuch as | have a closer personal
knowledge of this present question than
any other man living. and one vastly more
extended. and inasmuch as l am the
author OF the modus vlvendi Of ls9l-lSs3.
which is thc ONLY rrelitable sep taken
by our government towards settling this
seal dispute since II began IN 1880, up
TO date. l desire to say that after a
careful perusal of this letter Of May lOlh.
above cited. the President has reason TO
feel greatly embarrassed, because IT lays
the state Department open TO a crushing
reply from those not of the Canadian
Office. and you will be In the same moru-
fving fix that Blaine found himself Ia
during 1880. when the Canadians simply
crushed his contra bonas mores letter
with the data which they promptly fur-
nished IN rebuttal
Inexperienced and ignorant men shouiu
not write such letters. dealing with datd
about which they know no more IMAM
ca many parrots John w. Foster IS Ut
terly ignorant OF the truth In regard 10
the salient uses of this seal question on
the Islands. That letter Of May 10th Is
iure ali other preparations from his hand
on this subiect-full Of gross errors. Ills
duinoss i'm making up the American case
I'm -'e3 cost US that shameful and hu-
initiating defeat which we met win al
paris I'm 1898 Had he been bright ana
quick -witted. he never would nave Hhc'
with such disaster
.,,rolcine This commonplace man up now,
after mis- record of fiat failure Is stamp
cd an over his anatomy. ana putting MN
I'm charge OF your sealing question WIZ
onlv thrust YOU deeper into the mire than
he and your predecessors have been
nlaced before by the bright men over the
lire at ottawa. .,.,. ,.,,t,,,
~ am moved TO write you. on TINS POM
hccsnse "A senator Of the United states
recently said 10 me that Foster had as
sured the President that the Information ,sdo NATION
-. defeat of the American case at Parls
in 1888 The meennss,s and ies Sn' bS YOUR ar
this charge will quickly be seen py w.
tnr,ing 10 my report Of November -
seo Which contains This .n imtofm' tr5sa
Mr. Foster and his stupid assocla'Ss aoo
~ sunprcss this report because II con
toined The proof of my authorship OF me
modus vivendi Of 1891 -%. which ne hi sac,
l., stole from me-plagiarized. IN iacl
-, be was unable 10 suppress H. Anu !
now nov that he comes forward as gan, ne ne
fgure in this question. intena ,na' and
sbsu he required. at the proper time e t,,
heSore The proper tribunal. TO give a iui,
account OF his wretched record as ne
seent OF the United States before NV
pcrtng Sea tribunal at Paris In 1898
This whole scaling hqsin ,s;sd IRON M ' 20
Naie has not been in the hands OF d
Competent man for one moment II mas