New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-02
THE PRESIDENTS MES&iGE.

THE TKENiDLNI y ~ Nr-tFI'
President Arthurs last message Is simple
and unpretentious discharge of duty when
the ina,tentiOn of ID mo rats IN Congress, even
to his most merIoriOus recommen tltl0AS III
previous messages, may easily hlVe le / HIM -
regard as mainly Il duty of form. Except on
one tonic. il i, hardly more thln a review OF
the fact presented IN the reports from the De-
partments Respecting negotiations with foreign
Powers. believed to be i'll the interests OF our
commerce and industry, he states MS views
and recommends action upon treaties penilnS
or to be submitted. Ga other topics, ne
submits facts and formal recommendations
with no strong and earnest reasoning III Dehui
of measures. aud no effort to uphold or eiiec-
lively present the principles of the party winch
elected him. The general tone of the message
is that of an Official who discharges his duty
with little expectation that the majority III
Congress. will agree with him.
on one point however. the recomme ndaton
Of the Prcsi lent and the very earnest state ment
of the Secretary ofihc rrclsIr5 ought to have
serious attention and great weight. President
Arthur quo.cs with strong approval the IAN
guage of Secretary McCulloch regarding the
susncnsion of silver coinage and ISSUE OF silver
certificates, and the melancholy Facts oil oar
present commercial aud industrial position
ought 10 prepare Congress to act upon the
subject speedily. Yet the President probably
has liltlc hope that it WILL though he describes
with admirable clcarncss anl force the cmcr-
gcncy that exists.
The proposition to withdraw the one ana
two dollar bills. as means ot get
ting more silver into use, Is bold
and rs we think a step i'll the right direction.
But il would have better chance oi
success if IT did not 20 50 Tar. The
one dollar bills could probably he Withdrawn
without much protest. The wlthdrawaloi two
dollar bills would force the carrying Of
any sum smaller than five dollars
in specie. and with the present hab-
it's of the people. wodld be sure
to be unpopular The recommendation that
MI excise taxes he repealed except those upon
distilled spirits repeated. but 1t has not YET
met the support of Republicans generally.
Until the details of the proposed treaty
with Spain IN regard to the importation
Of sugar from Cuba. are officially known.
II seems premature to discuss Mt length
| "A recommendation which. II the revenue from
sugar nnl moiH,rs should b" practically
cut OIL would leave the Government without
! suliicicni resources 10 meet It. nccdiul cNPcn-
ditnrcs and current obligations, II the pro
posed treaty should prove 10 have the effect
which many believe and report il will. the los'
of revenue from sugar would he 50 large hat
any material reduction elsewhere would be- Ol
very doubtful wisdom. In any case, II the
people are called upon 10 chOoSe whether rev
cnuc of fifty millions shall be- contributed
perforce by all, by the poor as
well as by the rich, or shall be
contributed by those who voluntarily pay II
when they consume liquors and tobacco, IT Is
probable that the voters OF Republican States,
at least would prefer to take off part OF the
duty on sugar.
The President states with more clcarncss
than before The aims held in view III the ncgO-
tiation of commercial treaties with Mexico and
Spain. But it is not possible to as
sent or dissent inteigently until the
country has before it, in the text
or essential details of the Cuban treaty. prac-
teal calculation of his meaning. In many re-
spects the aims avowed by him meet hearty
approval But the vital question is whether in
pursuing those aims, the contemplated treaties
would sacrifice interests of vital Importance
Until the President 5 statement Is uaH litco
into definite and known acts, il can hardly be
Judged fairly or wisely.
The President refers with Just criticism to thu
failure of Congress to make adequate provision
for the Consular and Diplomatic service Ii mus
be confessed that it is one of the most humlll-
ating results of recent Congressional action. o.
inaction, that it has placed the United States
before the world as "a Nation not only con-
tcmptibly stingy, bat strangely lacking in com
mOn-scn regard for its own interests. But il
this matter ~ in others. the President proba-
bly, looks for little improvement from thls Con
gress or that winch is To follow
In regard to the tariff, the Preside ni's Remarks
will hardly please those who clamor for So
called reform as the one thing Immediately
nccdful. for he urges that action on that matter
should he deferred until the results of rcccn
"reyenue laws and commercial treaties shall
have shownin what quarters reductions can b'
auio.t iudicio,.sly Effected But there are no
many who will agree that another commission
should be set to investigate the sublcc t
before the results of recent legislation
are fairly known. The Tariff Commission oil
1882 did not altogether succeed in carrying
Congress with it, aud there is strong prob