The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-12-06
The Presidents Message.

FROM IUS DUtttHtOJC sun.
The President in the message transmitted
Tuesday 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
legislature all the consideration they deserve.
In the outset he alludes to the recent presi-
dental election, and congratulates the coun-
try upon the fact that, despite the feFvor and
intensity of the contest and "the slight pre-
honderance by which the issue was determin-
ed, ,the'pubhc peace suffered no disturbance
In This he sees a signal demonstration OF the
strength and wisdom of our political insttu-
rons, yet in yiew~of the controversy over
the national election eight years ago, and the
evident risk of dispute over tie 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
advantages for the construction of an inter
oceanic canal, a railway and telegraph line
through the territory of that republic. With
Spain has been negotiated reciprocity trea|
the result of which would, it is thought
'ito make the intercourse between Cuba an
Porto Rico and ourselves scarcely less intiv
mate than the commercial movement betweeif1
our domestic ports" The treaty of a similar
character with Mexico has been ratified, and
but awaits the necessary tariff legislation OF
Congress to become effective. These treaties
are the expression of settled policy on the
part of the government to cultivate, through
reciprocal concessions, intimate trade rea-
tons with all the countries of this hemisphere.
and the mission of the Central and South
American commission which is about to pD6<
coed to Mexico is to prepare the way for a
general enlargement Of our eommercial IN
tercourse with AmericaR-states. The neu-
trality laws of the United States, it is recon-
mended, should be enlarged ''to cover all
patent acts of hostility committed in our ter
fftory and aimed against the peace of a friendly
nation. The President sees no reason why
covert preparations in this country for the
commission of criminal acts should not I've
punishable, whether such acts are intended To
be committed here or abroad" Some modi-
fication of our naturalization laws is also re-
quired. The recommendations of the Secre
tary of the Treasury, whose views. as is gen
orally known, are somewhat in advance of
those of his party, are concurred in with some
explicitness. The coin, pn;s silver dollars
and el4e issuance Of Silver certificates should
be immediately suspended ,exp erience having
shown it to be impossible to get the former
into circulation, while the growing abundance
of the latter threatens to drive gold out of
eirrn!aton, thus efiectlnG Il serious contrac-
ton of Me currency and creating 'I1nuc2ndi-
tons of financial panic. ''UnIee- 80 Com
age and the issuance of~Siver 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 "a slight ADVANCE over bullion
value might be offered for them. The beau
tiication of our subsidiary SILVER coin and an
increase Of their weight is Ehought to be ad-
visable. The recommends uon that MI inter
nal revenue taxes except those GA distilled
spirits be abolished is rel fwed. The revenue
thus lost will cut DOWN the present surplus.
but still leave a margR Large enough to per-
nit such tariff REDUCTION as may seem to be
advisable when theJresults of recent revenue
laws and commercial treaties shall have shown
in what quarters those reductions can be most
judicoIs'y effected. The Secretary of the
Treasury 5 advice that Il commission be ere
ate 20 -tudy the problem of increasing our
foreia1. iradf and thus relieving the depression
uulgrwhi.is yui tGilrtries are now languish-
ing IS cs4Curad !l. Special attention is in ]
rirad 10 the SeCre.drys recommendation of
suhsid.s as the best means of building up our
merchant marine. The rapid redemption OF
the 3 utG cent. uonds threatens the destruction
Of 10 basis n which the national banks
clu probably rest their circulation, and
taa question how to avert the contrac-
tom OF currency caused by this threatened
retirement of national bank notes. is recoe-
ed as one of constantly increasing importance.
and the hope is expressed thar as a temporary
eNpedient at least the banks be allowed to issue
notes to the fullpar va ue ofthe bonds deposited
by Them with the t''nl sIreC. "a considerable re-
duction in the expenditures of the war De-
partment is noted. notable feature of the
past year has been the entire absence of In
dian outbreaks. The defenseless condition of
the important cities Of the seaboard, as dem
onstrated by the chief engineers report, is
discussed at some length. The time has
now come. in the Presidents opinion, when
defensive works may be begun with some con-
fidence that they will not be rendered useless
before their completion by the progress made
abroad IN the improvement of guns. For
the most important cities, those whose de-
struction or capture would be national hu-
initiation, adequate defenses, inclusive of guns,
may be made by the gradual expenditure of
$50, 900 200, much less than a victorious enc
my could levy as a contribution. An appro
priation of about one-tenth of that amount is
asked to begin the work. One of the four
steel cruisers authorized by the acts of 1882
aud 1888 is described as more than half fin
ished, and certain adverse criticisms upon
the designs of these cruisers" are mentioned
sas discredited by the favorable opinion Of