The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-12-10
The Presidents Message.

/ The message of the President was sent
to both houses of Congress on Tuesday. 1t
is very long, and regarded as conservative,
| though on some questions the President is
| decided in his views. This week we bat
| publish a synopsis
! The President has not changed his opin-
| ions on the silver question, but will reiter.
ate them as expressed in his first ines
| sage, - written before he was inaugurated.
1t does not appear now, unless some new;
compromise is suggested, that the Demo.
Gratis in the House will be any more likely
! to adopt the Presidents views than they
were last winter. On the tariff he is rep
resented as conservative, y but in favor
of some modification of existing rates, ad
| ding such things as lumber and salt to the
| free list, and recon mendng changes that
will remove antiquities in the present
law. The message is outspoken on the
| Civil Service Reform question, the Presi-
| dent expressing his purpose to extend the
! system to all branches of the public service
| No attempt, however, is made to explain
| how the appointment Of such men as Hig
gins, Troup, Chase, Hedden and others
COMFORTS with his professions
| Legislation in behalf of the National
banking is also recommended. with the
withdrawal OF silver and other certificates.
Notwithstanding Mr. Tilden's message,
the President does not give any promi-
nence the question of sea, coast defences;
but urges the Importance Of providing lib
orally for rebuilding the navy. AS to how
this should be done, he does not say. The
President agrees with Secretary Lamar in
recommending that the Indian reservation
be reduced to q proper size, and part Of
each remaining reservation be divided into
suitable tracts for farms and allotted III
Seyeralty to the Indians, but not compel
ing Indians at once at abandon tribal rela-
tions. 1t should, he thinks. be a gradual
work. He is not in favor Of dividing all
the lands in seYeralty. nor of gathering all
the Indians in one Territory. He thinks
that liberal provision should be made for
educating them in a practical way on their
reservations. What remains Of the public
domain he suggests should be reserved for
actual settlers, and the laws permitting
large tracts to be taken by individuals and
corporations should be repealed. He OPP
poses subsidies to steamship lines: and
thinks that vessels enjoying the protection
of the American flag ought to be compelled
to carry the mails. In this he disagrees
with the last Congress.
On the question Of restoring American
commerce, the message has much to say
to the effect that it cannot be done by sub
oANiSS- bdo 1HOi4SA ny 4Os34OlNO1Oli W oNOuAC
freer interchange of commodities with
foreign natiocS, thus squirting at free
trade. The introduction and cpnsideTa-
ton of private and local bills, especially
those for claims, the President considers
has peinicious influence on legislation,
and every consideration Of expediency, he
says, ought to dictate the exc usion of such
matters from legislative consideration.
The postponement of legislation until the
last of the session is also mentioned as i'm
proyident. He condemns the policy of ac-
cumulating millions Of useless, and, in his
opinion, unnecessary surplus in the Nat
ional Treasury, which, he says, has been
not less tax because it was indirectly but
surely added to the cost Of the people IS
life. He says that the policy Of the Gov
erment should be TO care for the people s
needs as they actually arise, and the appli
cation OF remedies as wrongs appear. The
preservation of the National forests he re-
CARDS as an important matter, and he adj
vises legislation to arrest their useless and
unnecessary destruction. He advises a
reform of the Consular system, and ex-
presses himself at great length on ques-
tions of administrative reform. Altogether
the message makes $4,000 words