The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-25

Dritiah Celuabia Government W.
gnn On the Recent status.
ysctor.a Times

Victoria Times
The Seattle Poss-Ints.lgenSsr IS 70 Ne
commended for SIS genuine American ener-
CIV IN sxhs!ng the battle ser wide-open
Tsrssisa Columbia mining area. Tia. news
.auer il laval 10 TIE best traditions OF
American Journalism IN taking Infinite
pains ara undergoing heavy expense TO
place before IT'S readers the views OF cv-
ery man who car be induced to say any
thing against the bill which has JaSt be-
come law IN this province While differing
diaruesriealiy from CTR worthy ceasemPo-
rs-y as 10 the merits Of thar bill. we can
EXPRESS eur admiration for The very thor
ouxh manner in which the campaign IS be-
ing conducted against that bin
On Thursday the post-Insellsgsncer pub
Nshed a lengthy special Geographic dis
patch from lis own correspondent in Wash
.ngton D G.. which parporsed 10 convey
crushing argument against the BILL Bur
after 4 careful perasal of that !cng mes
sage wz are forced 10 utter the same crit
scss.n taas appeared In these columns some
days ago-much eIoauenee- but no sub
s,an;sal argument. no sound reason why
she bill should not operate. All the dis
patch contains are these:
Alleged severe criticisms tnot reported
even IN brief f.hs consular authorities
By high officials OF the state department
and members os the Angio-Amer3can COM
mission tuaules not given(, for their neg
iect 10 r. port the bin The statement that
the copy OF the Posg-inte.ligencer contain
ing the ful text OF the discriminating
measure and the comments Of the Ameri-
can citizens upon IL, has been flied as
part Of the official records Of the Joint
high commission" An extraordinary pro-
eeediEg. IL true. Certain statements as TO
the business Of the commission (which is
strictly secret and under nc circumstances
can be communicated 10 press-nen or 9TH
ers) TIE allegation that the commission
had agreed upon reciprocity II mines be-
fore the news OF the alien exclusion bin
reached Washington. 1ne only comment
upon this is that & Is extremely improbable
tina. any OF the commissioners would go
grossly violate their oath Of secrecy. The
Post-Intelligegcer correspondents declara-
ton that Lord Herscael and Sir Louis
Davis had assured him there was no
intention on the part OF the representa-
tives Of Canada 10 give 10 Americans
treatment other than accorded 10 their
couatrymen in the United States" A safe
enough thing 70 say al any time. but high
~ improbable as coming from Lord Her
scheli and Sir Louis Davies at this time
TO the correspondent az Western news
paper. Besides all these there IS re-
mark that the congressman believe the
passage OF the bill is intended to act as
a club upon the American commissioners.
compelling further concession re free coal
and low lumber tariff II true that Is
rather a pity. as the bill was not passed
for anything OF the kind: only TO give
Canadians and other British subjects a
chance TO get share in the natural re-
sources Of their own country. The Post
Intelligencer may anege ali the Interior mo-
tiyes il please, that bill is one OF the most
patriotic on the whole statute book.
Accompanying the Washington dispatch
in Thursdays Post-In.elligencer Is another
from Ottawa. and so important did the
management OF the Seattle paper consider
ii that il was printed in small capitals and
surrounded with a fancy border. All that
dispatch contains Is In its tail. like the
scorpicr--"it is believed at Ottawa that
the Federal government VIII interfere to
prevent the operation OF that BILL This.
IL will be admitted, is very easy report
ing, and very safe, but very uneonvinc-
ing. As we said. SO far there is not thing
forward 10 show the bill should not have
passed or should not be put in force.