The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-27

could be hustled back to America II he
had kept his clutch on a certificate for
two shares OF railroad stock In a score
Of countries the thief or embezzler who
makes of with two or three hundred dol
lars Of his III gotten gains viii be turned
over TO American officers for deportation.
while bigger rascal who has blackmail-
ed him out Of as many thousands can sit
by and watch his misfortunes in perfect
security.
This sort Of confusion, coupled as it is
with a custom Of amending and strength
ening treaties SO quietly as not TO attract
public notice. has only one redeming fea-
ture: IL leaves the ordinary vulgar crimi-
nal in a state Of nervousness, after he
has committed his crime. as 10 where on
earth he can be sure OF an asylum The
story used 10 be told Of William EvaTts
thai he was once visited BY a stranger
who offered him big fee for answering
condently a single question: II proved
10 be this: II am about to rob a bank
and want to learn in advance where :
had better go after have done so.
Nothing easier, answered Mr.. Evarts;
go TO the grand jury" With the net
work which is now in process Of weaving
around wrongdoers as class this Is
where most Of them VIII have TO go. first
or last; but there is no reason why the
United States government should have 50
hard a tine dragging each one in turn 10
the desired destination. The treaty pro-
visions are in so maddled a state that 1t
often takes the nations lawyer a dog s
age 10 find out whether a fugitive can be
reached by extradition in the place where
he has taken refuge; and there is a fair
chance that by he time that question is
settled he VIII have moved to some other
spot, necessitating a fresh search
through the texts.
It would probably be hopeless to attemp
the revision Of the entire mass Of treaties
80 as 10 bring them into any sort of uni
sen. Il has been suggested, however.
that we might adopt a practice similar TO
that employed in the case Of commercial
reciprocity TO legislation and pro-
clamation as a substitute for treaties.
The judiciary committees Of congress
could undoubtedly draft a law reciting
the hst-a good comprehensive one-of
offences for which we were ready TO de-
liver up fug.tives 20 foreign governments
All the outlying safeguards thrown round
such a surrender by the terms of the or
binary treaty could be set up quite as
We'll in the statute. Then the president
might be authorized whenever a foreign
government should adopt similar extra
6ition code with relation 70 the United
States TO proclaim the exchange Of priv
ileges, just as has been done more than
once in the case of reciprocity in customs
duties, tonnage, taxes. etc, and in the
system Of international copyright. This
would at least procure uniformity. The
criminal class might fnd it easier for a
while to select their places Of refuge, but
1t is questionable whether these would
retain such d character very long; for
there are few communities-except posi-
BY our neighbors on the nOrth-who Ike
the idea of making and keeping in their
territory a criminal settlement, and ex-
tradition by comfy would prevail soon
with countries not vet ready for legal
formalities or the subject. F. L. L.