New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-05
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The Message of President Arthur is credit
able document and deserves the careful atten-
ton of the pubic. No similar document for
many wears has been awaited with more uni
versal indifference, and there is danger that
this lack of interest my prevent the Thought
fu consideration which the Presidents many
| indicious observations deserve. He opens with
| the customary review of foreign affairs, ana
this portion of the Message, while licking the
/ ii IN grasp of the sIUj ,ct which made the re-
| view last year the S T0ngest feature OF MS hrst
! Message, contains cOnsid .rable interesting in
formation. On financial subj cts the President
! displays the same clearuess winch was console
uOus in his treatment OF this question last
wear. He agrees VITA the recommendations
made by the Secretary of the Treasury, whose
report We have discussed III another arucle. On
the question OF reducing the iar5e surp us III
| the Treasury, his own views are that all IN
! ternal taxes save those on distilled spirits IN
| be prllieutly aUTOgated. He thinks tins abr0-
! CATION could be accompanied by a simpliticatOn
, of the machinery of collection, which would
save the Government at least two millions and
n half in salaries and retire 1,500 or 1000
officials from the service. He is opposed to a
total abolition OF internal taxes, because the
duties on imports alone are not sufficient for
all the needs of the Government, and because
sucn abolition would be serious if DOT in
! surmountablo obstacle to n thorough revision
of the tariff. This is judicious view of the
subj .ct, which has already had the approval of
many of our most capable statesmen.
The Presidents remarks on appTopria-
J - " hat
might have been expected after his
veto of the River and HaroOr bill. He cx-
presses the hope that DO bill will be deemed
necessary at this session, and shows by the
figures of the War Department That there viii
be 10 excuse for one. If any additional appro-
pration is necessary for the Mississippi River
he saws a separate bill for that lrpose wOuli
meet Lis approval. This suggestion prompts
him TO the wider one that it would bo a good
idea TO have future appropriations for differ
ent schemes of improvement emDOdie | in sep
arate bills, so that each one could be approved
or dis p roved by the President according to
his Judgment. This plan has the one great
objection that it would cumber legislation with
a mu itude of bills making progress more
| diOu, than it is now. The President recog-
nizes this and Sugga SITS S cOnd remedy, which
is really the only practical one and which has
been urged repeatedly by The TRIBUNE, that
Of constitutional amendment authorizing the
President to veto any lem III an appropr a
ton bill without Ling the bill. That would
put an end to River and Harbor "steals" for
ever We trust Congress will act upon this
suggestion without delay. Surely many of its
mcmbare have had COOL reason to know how
their constituents feel about it,
On the question of reducing the postage on
| domestic letters to two cents the President
! heartily favors immediate reduction, and gives
some interesting information on the subject.
| The excess of the postal revenue in the next
fiscal year is likely TO be $3,500,00O and
! the President is confident that without
any incre sc of postage on any other
class OF mail matter, the receipts under the
diminished rate would equal the expenditures
after the lapse Of three or four years. II should
he added that this reduction is made possible by
the saving secured to the Government by the
overthrow Of the Star Route Ping Concerning
the prosecution of the members of that Ring the
President says it has been conducted with Zeal
and ability, and that eff any guilty persons
shall finally escape punishment for their offences
it will not be for lack Of diligcnt and earu st
efforts on TIE part Of tie prosecution We are
not sure that the public will coincide heartily in
! that belief.
! The attention Of Congress is called to the
momcntOus question of "immcdiate and sub
stantial " Government aid to the spread of edu-
cation, and the welcome Intelligence is given
that no additional legislation for the suppress
sion Of polyGaDy snecessary at present, and that
the Commissioners believe the evil may be sup
pressed without resort to such Iadic,
measures as in some quarters have
been thought Indispensable to Success
On Indian affairs the President simply
, reaflirIus his excellent recommendations o last
wear The MESSAGE closes with an e ab orite
statement of the Presidents views of Civil
Service Reform, making he not surprising adj
mission that his own sensr of the pressing i'm
portaace of reform has been "qulckened" by
Observation. It need only be sad here that lis
views are sensible and patriotic, and that his
declaration that abil Tor the suppr ion Of
politcl sSessment Won meet iis cor la APP
pIuva will be welcome news 10 the pubic.
His sentiments on these and on neatly all
other topics are admir- bile. Il he had conduct
ed his administration in accordance with them,