Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-12-04
The Presidents Message

. We are unable for lack of space to lay
before our readers the full text of the
Presidents message, which was sent to
Congress on Monday. In the Baltimore
American of that date, we find very
comprehensive review of the principal
points made in the message. As the
document is quite lengthy, it is likely
that the average reader will find as
much of the meat of the message as will
interest him in the article which we
publish below:
The Presidents message, is plain,
clear statement of the condition of pub
lie affairs, set forth in the calm, direct
style which characteriZes President
Hayes state papers. The principal top
les treated of are the financial operations
of the year, the suppression of polygamy
and civil service reform. The usual re-
view of department reports is given, and
attention called to the needs set forth in
them; great stress is laid upon the i'm
portance of enabling the Secretary of
the Interior to carry out the Indian pol
icy sketched in his report.
The message opens with congratula-
tions to Congress on the prosperity of
the nation, and particularly on the sue
eessful execution of the Resumption act.
The results of the funding operations
are stated, and legislation is asked to en-
able the government to fund in four per
cents the portion of the national debt,
amounting to 1892, 121, ZOO, which ma
lures in less than two years. The saving
of interest by this conversion would be
about $11,000,O00 annually. The Presi-
dent points out that if silver coinage is
continued under the present conditions
it will eventually expel the gold coinage
and become the sole standard of value,
and urges that Congress shall authorize
the Secretary of the Treasury "to suspend
coinage of silver dollars upon the pres
ent ratio" In regard to the greenback
issue, the President declares that "the
retirement from circulation of United
States notes, with the capacity of legal
tender in private contracts is step to
be taken in our progress towards a safe
and stable currency" 1t is greatly to
be regretted that the President did not
bear this in mind when the bill prohibit
ing the retirement of greenbacks when
redeemed was presented to him, for that
law is the great obstacle to a return to
"a safe and stable currency" such as We
do not now possess, as the President by
implication admits. The President now
declares that the issue of paper money
is unconstitutional, which is in effect d
condemnation of his own action in sign
ing the aDti-contraction bill. The Pres
ident recommends that the sinking funds
be kept up as required by law, and sug-
gests a duty on tea and coffee in case
any change in the objects or rates OF
taxation is deemed necessary by Con-
gress.
Passing from financial questions, the
President takes up the subject of polyga-
my, which he discusses with great earn
estneSs. He recommends that more
comprehensive and more searching
methods for preventing, as well as pun
ishing this crime, be provided" even to
the extent of denying the rights and
privileges of citizenship to those "who
violate or oppose the enforcement of the
law" The greatest space devoted to any
single topic is given to the subject of
civil service reform, which is very fully
He says that to command
the necessary support the reform must
be compatible with the healthy existence
of great parties" and so he does not
think that there is anything improper