Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-12-05
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The PRESIDENT IN the message trauSultIeu
Monday to Congress reviews with his usual
painstaking care the public incidents, both of
a domestic and foreign character. that have
marked the history of the past year, and upon
questions of policy affecting the industries,
the commerce. the finances, the taxation, the
foreign relations and defenses of the country,
makes number of important suggestions that
will doubtless receive from the national legis-
lature all the consideration they deserve. In
the outset he alludes to the recent presiden-
tial election, and congratulates the country
upon the fact that, despite the fervor and in
tensity of the contest and ''the slight prepond-
erance by which the issue was DETERMINED
the public peace suffered no disturbance. In
this he sees q signal demonstration of ''the
strength and wisdom of our political institu-
tions," yet in view of the controversy over the
national election eight years ago, and the evil
dent risk of dispute over the recent contest by
reason of the narrowness of the margin by
which it was decided, he again calls the at
tention of Congress to the necessity of pro-
viding more precise and definite regulations
for counting the electoral vote. Our foreign
relations continue to be wholly amicable.-
With Nicaragua treaty has been concluded
by which the United States secures certain adj
vantages for the construction of an inter-
oceanic canal, q railway and telegraph line
through the territory of that republic. With
Spain has been negotiated a reciprocity treaty
the result of which would, it is thought, be
'sto make the intercourse between Cuba and
Porto Rico and ourselves scarcely less intimate
than the commercial movement between our
domestic ports" The treaty of similar char
aeter with Mexico has been ratified, and but.
awaits the necessary tariff legislation of Con-
gress to become effective. These treaties are
the expression of settled policy on the part
of the government to cultivate, through re-
ciprocal concessions. intimate trade relations
with all the countries of this hemisphere, and
the mission of the Central and South American
commission which is about to proceed to
Mexico is to prepare the way for general
reinforcement of our commercial intercourse
with American States"
The neutrality laws of the United States, it
is recommended, should be enlarged ito cover
all patent acts of hostility committed in our
territory and aimed against the peace of
friendly nation" The President sees no rea-
son why covert preparations in this country
for the commission of criminal acts should not
be punishable, whether such acts are intended
to be committed here or abroad" Some mod
ification of our naturalization laws is also re-
quired.
The recommendations of the Secretary of
the Treasury, whose views, as is generally
known. are somewhat in advance of those of
his party, are concurred in with some explicit
ness The coinage of silver dollars ard the issu-
ance of silver certificates should be immediate
iy suspended, experience having shown it to be
imnossible to get the former into circulation,
while the growing abundance of the latter
threatens to drive gold out of circulation,
thus effeeting serious contraction
of the currency and creating the con-
ditions of q financial panic. ''Unless
This coinage and the issuance of sill
yer certificates be suspended. silver is likely
at no distant day to become our sole metallic
STANDARD" To speed the retirement of the
trade dollar it is suggested that go slight ad-
vance over their bullion value" might be Of
fered for them. The qualification of our sub
sidiary silver coin and an increase of their
weight is thought to be advisable.
The recommendation that all internal reve-
nue. taxes except those on distilled spirits be
abolished is renewed. The revenue thus lost
will cut down the present surplus, but still
leaye margin :'large enough to permit such
tariff reduction as may seem to be advisable
when the results of recent revenue laws and
commercial treaties shall have shown in what
quarters those reductions can be most udi.
ciously effected. The Secretary of the Treas
ury's advice that commission be created to
to study the problem of increasing our for
eigp trade and thus relieving the depres-