The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-12-19
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Tho Preside nt's Message.

Tho Preside nt's Message.
President Cleveland's Message is
of unusual length. But the space il
occupies is not wasted. 1t is seldom
that document has issued from the
Executive so full of information and
instruction for the people. 1t is free
from yerbiage, is written in a plain,
business like manner, treats of q
large number of subjects and is
positive and outspoken in the express
sion Of opinions on the important
issues of the hour.
Nearly four columns are devoted
to our dealings and concerns with
foreign nations, and the design of
the President is evidently to let the
people know the exact position of
their Government on all such cues
tions. This portion of the Message,
which follows brief and feeling al
fusion to the death of the Vice Pres
ident, contains some interesting
points. The President administers
rebuke to Austria for rejecting
Mr.. Kelley for reasons which could
not be acquiesced in with self-respect
or without injustice to large class
of our citizens and the abandonment
of a vital principal in our Govern
ment, and intimates that the position
will remain untitled.
The treaties which figured in the
last hours of President Arthur's adj
ministration meet with no favor.
The President is emphatically OPP
posed to Nicaragua ship canal,
preferring the Tehuantepec ship
railway as means of connecting the
two oceans.
The treatment of home subjects
is, of course, the chief feature of the
Message. The financial condition
of the Government is good. The
revenues for the fiscal year 1885 were
$24, 1929, 163 less than for 1884, but
they still gave $63, 462,771 surplus
to the Treasury The estimated
receipts for the current fiscal year
are $315,000,000 and expenditures
$245, 1000, 900, leaving an estimated
surplus of $70,OOO,O0O at the close of
the fiscal year 1886.
A Democratic administration wants
no large and increasing Treasury
surplus, extorted from the people by
unnecessary taxation. Hence the
President insists that the taxes must
be reduced, but he says truly, "The
question of Free Trade is not involv-
ed, nor is there now any occasion for
the general discussion of the wisdom
or expediency of protective sys-
tenn" Industries and interests which
have been encouraged by protective
laws must not be injured or destroy
ed, and in any changes that may be
made American labor, which is the
capital of our workingmen, must be
protected. The President further
recommends that the reductions
made shall apply to revenue derived
from taxes on the imported nee
essaries of life, so as to lesson the
cost of living to every family in the
land.
On the subject of the silver coinage
the President speaks fully and en-
phatically. He points out in an ex-
haustive argument the financial dis
aster that would result from the
driving out of gold by silver coin,
and most emphatically recommends
the suspension of the compulsory
coinage of silver dollars directed by
the law of 1878. every month";"
says the President, '$2,OOO,OOO of
gold in the public Treasury are paid
out for 100000 of silver dollars to
be added to the idle mass already
accumulated" An argument in a
paragraph.
The President is fully in accord
with the excellent recommendations
of the Secretary of the Navy, and
believes that if they are needed we
shall have an American Navy at
last; The subject Of Polygamy is
taken up with earnest feeling and the
President urges law to prevent the
of Mormons into the
country.
Civil-Service Reform is briefly
treated but vigorously upheld, al
though it is evident that the Presi-
dent recognizes the Importance of
enforcing the rules with as much
fairness and as little irritation as
possible. Every other subject of
interest alluded to by the President
is treated with equal frankness, and
there is a gratifying absence of the
customary desire to shirk the respon-
sibility of the position.
The Message is a safe, conserva-
tive paper, and upon the whole is
an able state dOcument.-Neu York
Werld.
Some things are better than 9TH