The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-02
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

no great question has stirred the country
to its depths. 1t is plain practical, unpre-
tentious business document, and yet, in two
or three places, rises above the commonplace
into valuable presentation and discussion of
important public questions. Very properly,
the first thing is an emphasis of the duty of
Congress to pass some law respecting the
counting of the electoral vote. Two presi-
Dental elections, within eight years, have
been decided by the narrowest possible mar
gins and under circumstances which have
tested the strength of popular government
That the test was successful in each case is
not conclusive that the future is necessarily
safe. The Democracy failed to pass the Hoar
bill because they wanted to keep the matter
open for possible contingency. Now that the
next quadrennium is settled beyond controver-
sy it is to be hoped both parties will unite in
the passage of some satisfactory measure
which, while within the limits of the Con-
stitution and preserving the sovereignty of
the States, will yet give a clear and undis-
puted method whereby the voice of the States
can be Enthusiastically and effectively made
known. The Presidents review of the rela-
tons of the country with foreign powers
shows very satisfactory and an improving
condition of things. 1t also serves to answer
Stanley Matthew's question while senator
"What have we to do with abroadP We have
great deal to do with abroad, and we shall have
more and more to do with it as the years go
by. The good sense, business integrity and
national honor of the country will approve the
Presidents acts and recommendations for the
extension of our foreign trade and for the en-
largement of the neutrality laws, whereby the
dynamite scoundres, assassins and towards
who now use our country as safe refuge from
which to plan their accursed crimes against
governments with which we are at peace, can
be properly prevented from or punished for
their evil work. To save the national name
from scandal, it is probably well that Congress
shall appropriate sufficient money to build the
Bartholdi pedestal, and have stop put to the
beggarly penny collections that are yet being
made to help out the amazing stinginess of
New York. Just here it will be well to notice
and indorse the Presidents argument for the
extension of our foreign trade, which comes at
the last of the message. 1t is the plain dictate
of common sense that protective duties should
be maintained on those articles of manufact-
ure in which our workingmen would have the
competition of European ill-paid labor, while
the freedom of trade should be extended to
those products this country is ill-adapted to
raise or produce. The protective system does
not mean the absurdity of LIE Dues tea farm,
nor the payment of many millions of dollars
to develop the ghost of a sugar industry,
or the cultivation of few fields of coffee.
The suggestion that where freedom of trade
is extended to the products of countries
in our own hemisphere, their markets should
be reciprocally open to our manufactures is
self-evidently proper, and opens up the posi-
bilities of an extension Of American trade,
Intimately identified with this is the develop
ment of the shipping interests of the country.
The building Of a government navy and the
subvention of American steamers for the
carrying of the mails are necessary prelimi-
navigation laws, whereby commerce may be
relieved from many existing petty vexations,
and the putting of the consular branch of
the foreign service on salary footing,
doing away with fees exacted from Amer
lean shippers and seamen. All these sugges
tions of the President seem to us wise, and are
in striking harmony with that South Amer
lean policy of Mr.. Blaine, which excited the
affected ridicule of the mugwumps
and grandmothers, but which was
given an honored place in the party
platform at Chicago, in June and was
copied month later by the party which will
have the executive and the lower house of
Congress for at least the next two years.
They will not find the Republican Senate
opposing arbitrarily between them and wise
legislation in this direction.
The country will approve the stoppage of the
coinage of silver dollars and of the issuance
of silver certificates, and the retirement of the
trade dollar. These are threatening disturb
ances to the financial system, and unless
speedily removed may work serious disaster.
The recommendation for the retirement of
the one and two-dollar bills is also wise. This
will give ample opportunity for the circula-
ton of all the silver subsidiary coinage which
the trade and convenience of the people de-