The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-29
ARTHUR'S MESSAGE.
A "speclal'sn Prediction as to
What It Will Say.
Abolition of Internal Revenue to be
ReeommeHded---The Bank Ques-
tion---siIver Coinage
Reconstruction.

CINCINNATI, Oct. 29.-The Washington
special to The Enquirer says: The president
has not yet begun the preparation of his an
nual message to congress, and may not for
fortnight yet He will wait uBtil he receives
the reports Of his cabinet officers, ana
these will not have been prepared at least
until after the first week in November.
The document, when it does appear, Will
have interest solely in the recommendations
the president viii suggest Some OF these
will doubtless be of special importance, more
notably so his recommendations as to taxa
ton. Friends of the president say he will
even go further as to the internal tax reduc-
message the president recon-
mended the abolition of all in-
ternal tax, save that on distilled spirits. 1t
said he will now take a more advanced
ground and recommend the entire abolition
of the internal system, the whisky tax and
ALL The president no doubt will advise its
abolition because money enough can beraised
to support the government without the con-
tinuance of this system of taxation, which, if
not oppressive, is inquisitorial
The exceedingly interesting portion of the
message will be the Recommendations the
president may have to continue the National
banking system. No matter how the enemies
of the system may rail against it, the fact is
that it is the most popular method of bank
ing which has ever been devised. The people
have confidence in it, and feel assured when
they have national bank notes that they are
safe, because behind them the government
holds a fund to redeem thSm The sugges-
ton of Comptroller Knox that law be
passed to accept foreign securities as col
lateral for the issue Of bank circulation, it
eau be safely said will never pass congress.
The low 2-per-cent bond scheme is much
more in popular favor, but the suggestion
that the secretary of the treasury go into the
market and buy the AIS and Is at premium
will not meet with such opposition that the
chances are that Congress win not listen
to it.
There is every reason to believe that the
president will take more radical grounds than
ever touching silver coinage. This because
he has had specially prepared for him statis-
tics showing the coinage now on hand and
the storage capacity to hold it. 1t is claimed
that all the available storage capacity is now
taxed beyond its limit, and that with
propriety the coinage of silver dollars could
well be wholly discontinued for year. The
president will hardly go as far as this, but
doubtless he will be pointed in his recommen-
dation to very much curtail the monthly
coinage, more than half at least, and urge
the discontinuance of the silver certificates
Naval officers say the president viii vigor-
ously urge policy which will build up the
American navy, and if congress is disposed
to be at all liberal, two at least, if not more,
steel cruisers will be asked for OF one thing
there rs reasonable certainty, and that is the
president will not only endeavor TO write a
message which will reflect credit upon him
self, but at the same time he will have in
view line of policy which will do something
to help the grand old party, which is fast dy-
ing Of rot and decrepitude.