Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-09

State during the administration of
President Cleveland, and although at
the head of the State Department for
the short period of one year and nine
months only he won reputation as a
statesman of commanding ability and
force. His greatest triumph was his
successful insistence upon arbitration
of the boundary dispute between
Great Britain and Venezuela.
Imperturbably disregarding the
warnings that rigid maintenance of
the Monroe Doctrine might plunge the
United States into war with Great Bri-
tain, President Cleveland and 'Secre-
tary Olney carried out their own ideas
of diplomacy. In his famous message
sent through Ambassador Bayard to
Lord Salisbury, British Secretary of
State for foreign affairs, Mr. Olney,
promising the inalienable right of the
United States to intervene in questions
affecting the territorial integrity of
South American countries, said in
part:
"Great Britain both admits that
there is a controversy and that arbi-
tration should be. resorted to for its
adjustment But while up to that
point her attitude leaves nothing to be
desired. it's practical effect is COM
pletely nullified by her insistence that
the submission shall cover but a part
ton of arbtrating her right to a part
of the disputed territory, the remain
der shall be turned over to her. Upon
what principle-eXcept her feebleness
as a nation-is Venezuela to be denied
the right of having the claim heard
and passd upon by an impartial tribu-
nal? 1T is so, because l will it to be
so,' seems to be the only justification
Great Britain offers"
Agreed to Arbitration
Although Lord Salisbury at first re-
fused to submit to the American de-
mand, upon further representations
he receded from his attitude and
agreed to the arbitration of the entire
dispute.
Mr.. Olney's firmness previously had
become familiar to the American pub
lie through his action in the great
Chicago railroad strike and subse-
quent riots, when as Attorney Gen
eral he upheld the right and duty
of the government to employ troops to
crush the disorder.
In refutation of charges that this
attitude indicated his hostility to la
Dor unions, Mr.. Olney, in a special
brief filed in federal court in Penn
sylvania in the case of q railroad
trainmen's trike on the Reading rail-
road, only five months after the end
of the Chicago strike. upheld the right
of labor to organize and urged that all
! labor troubles should be arbitrated.
Stood High at Bar
Mr. Olney was born in Oxford,
Mass, in 1895. His father was n tex
tile manufacturer and banker. In the
years following his graduation from
| the Harvard law school in 1858, Mr..
Olney won high distinction in his pro-
! fession and became an authority on
matters of probate, trust and corpor-
| alton law. His sole appearance in
public office before going to Washing
| ton was in 1875, when he served one
term in the Massachusetts House of
/ Representatives.
When, in 1904, he permitted the
presentation of his name at the Demo-
cratic national convention as a can
didate for the presidential nomination.
he received 3S votes, including the
solid support of the Massachusetts
delegation. President Wilson urged
him to accept appointment as ambas-
sador to Great Britain and later Of
fered him the position of governor OF
the Federal Reserve Board, but in
each instance Mr.. Olney declined.
His public utterances always COM
manded thoughtful attention and at
tracted widespread comment. Long
after his retirement from his com
paratively brief career in public office
Mr., Olney's eounsels were eagerly
sought by members of the Democratic
Eparty