The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-26


Canton o., Dec. 25.-Judge Day, pres
ident Of the late peace commission, and
Mrs. Day reached their Canton home
in time to take Christmas dinner with
the family. They arrived at 1915 this
morning over the Pennsylvania rail-
road. There was no formal greeting
arranged for them. but a 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
IDENTIFY been beneficial. Mrs. Day is
also in excellent health and. nOtwith-
standing the seasickness on the return
voyage, comes to her home in much
better 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
d member before entering the cabinet
of President Mckinley. The work of
the commission ended when the treaty
was delivered to the president, and he
does not expect to visit Washington
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 political desires, I
have not. My only ambition is to be
allowed to pursue the practice of my
profession
Later in the conversation, he author
lied the direct statement that, under
no circumstances, would he be a candi-
date for governor, as has been reported
during 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. He said the talk of
100000 compensation for the commits
siOners, or any sum approaching that
amount, was ridiculous and prepoS-
ferrous. The president fixed the COM
pensation of the commissioners, and
none of them, it is safe to say, accepted
the duties as a speculation. None Of
them has an idea of a large fee, such
as would have been paid had they per-
formed the duties in the capacity of
regularly retained attorneys. There is
no actual precedent on which to base
an estimate, but the prediction is ven
tured that the compensation of the
commissioners will not reach $4,000
each and the reasonable expenses in
CURED on the trip and in Paris. These
expenses, however. will not include
those incurred for the wives and fam
lilies of the attaches of the commission,
because all such went on the journey
entirely independent of the commits
sion and were in no way d charge upon
the official party.
1t is probable that the stories of large
compensation were suggested by pay
ments in treaty negotiations of the
no a
Mr.. Fosters work in connection with
the China and Japan treaty. In the
case Of MIR. Foster, there is no parallel
to the Paris commission. He was re-
tanned for a very large fee to perform
certain duties. In the case of the
Bering sea, the commissioners were
paid very modest sums for their work,
but associated with them were a num-
Der 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 enteTtainingly. The
work at Paris was felt by the commits
sloners to be arduOus and left little or
no opportunity for pleasures, which the
judge would have been glad to have
enjoyed in a city which impressed him
with its beauty and historic interest
The French government treated the
commissioners very we'll, and the room
in which the negotiations were con-
Quoted 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 dur
ing their sOjOurn in Paris They took
vast amount of testimony bearing on
the questions to be disposed Of and
were in constant communication with
the president. Whenever, under in
structiOns from washington. the Amer
lean position was closely defined, a ses-
sion was held with the Spanish repre-
sentatives, and at such sessions the
Americans 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 a conclusion
in their own councils as to the cOnces-
SiOns that could be granted there was
no deviation and the Spaniards finally
accepted. The personal relations be-
tween the representatives of the two
governments were at all times friendly
and cordial. The Americans had great
respect for the ability of the Spanish
members and believe that nothing was
left unsaid or undOne that could ben
eft the Spanish case. The president of
the Spanish commission was remarked
as man of great ability by the Amer
leans, and won their respect for the
able manner in which he conducted the
Spanish case.