The San Francisco call., 1898-12-26
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CANTON, Ohio, Dec. 25.-Judge Day. president of the late Peace Commission. and Mrs. Day, reached their Canton home in time to take Christmas with their family. They arrived at 10:55 this morning over the Pennsylvania Rail- road. There was no formal greeting arranged for them, but committee of the Stark County bar, several personal friends and members of their family were at the station to meet them.
 The Judge is in excellent health and spirits, and the trip abroad has evil dently been beneficial. Mrs. Day is also in excellent health, and. notwithstand- ing the seasickness on the return Voy- age, comes to her home in much bet ter health than when she left it.
 Judge Day, when asked as to his plans for the future said he expects to remain in Canton and resume the prac- tice of law in the firm of which he was member before entering the Cab inet of President Mckinley. The work of the commission ended when the tlesty was delivered to the President. and he does not expect to visit Wash ingtOn again in connection with any duties on that commission.
 Asked as to whether he had any de- sires which the State of Ohio could satisfy, he said: If you refer to polit- ical desires, 1 have not. My only am- bition is to be allowed to pursue the practice of my profession"
 Later in the conversation. he author iZed the direct statement that under no circumstances would he be candidate for Governor, as has been reported dur ing his absence in Paris.
 While he talked freely on many mat ters connected with his work in Paris. Judge Day did not feel at liberty to give an interview in detail on the work of the commission. lie said the talk of $100,000 compensation for the com missioners or of any sum approaching that amount was ridiculous and pre- posterous. Lhe President fixes the com pensation of the commissioners and none of them, it is safe to say. ac- cepted the duties as a speculation. None of them has an idea of a large fee such as would have been paid had they performed the duties in the capac- ity of regularly retained attorneys. There is no actual precedent on which to base an estimate, but the prediction is Ventured that the compensation of the commissioners will not exceed S15,- 900 each, and the reasonable expenses incurred on the trip and in Paris. These expenses, however, will not in- clude those incurred for the wives and families of the attaches of the com mission, because all such went on the Journey entirely independent of the commission and were in no way charge upon the official party.
 It is probable that the stories of large compensation were suggested by pay ments in treaties of the past, notably the Boring Sea matter and MT. Fosters work in connection with the China and Japan treaty. In the case of Mr. Eos ter there is no parallel to the Paris commission. He was retained for a very large fee to perform certain duties In the case of the Boring Sea the con- misSionerS were paid very modest sums for their work, but associated with them were a number of attorneys of note in the capacity of counsel looking after large interests, and as such were paid liberal fees.
 A number of friends have called on Judge Day since his return and to them he has talked entertainingly. The work at Paris was felt by the commissioners to be arduous and left little or no op- portunity for pleasures, which the Judge would have been glad to have enjoyed in a city which impressed him with it's beauty and historic interest. The French Government treated the commissioners very well and the room in which negotiations were conducted was a magnificent one. we'll adapted to the work in hand. The Americans were in session every day, and during long hours most days, during their so- journ in Paris. They took a vast amount of testimony bearing on the questions to be disposed of and were in constant communication with the President. Whenever, under instruc- tions from Washington, the American position was closely defined a session was held with the Spanish representa- tives and at such sessions the Amer jeans always presented a firm and united position.
 There were but two critical periods in the negotiations, the first regarding the Cuban debt, which was an open question for more than a month, dur ing which time the Americans never swerved from the position presented to the Spaniards. The other was upon the Philippine cession, and after the Americans had reached conclusion in their own councils as to the concessions