The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-12-17
TRF PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

President CIeveland's message opens
with the usual survey of foreign rela-
tiors and one-thiTd of the message l5
devoted 70 their discussion.
Our Government, be says, has con
sIsjently maintained its relations OF
friendship toward all other powers and
OF ueighborly interest toward those
whose possessions are contiguous to our
own Few questions have arisen dur
Iug the year with other Governments,
and none OF those are beyond the reach
of settlement in friendly council. Con-
ceTning cruel treatment of inoffensIve
Chinese in the tar west, the President
sAVs measures of restriction may be re-
quired, but the oppression of individuals
of a special race should not be tolerated.
Discussing the fisheries, he says the
questions involved have given rise ID in
rsruational discussions not unaccOmpa-
MED bv irritation. While desirOus that
friendly relations should exist between
the people OF the United States and Can
ad the action of Canadian officials
during the past season toward our fish
prm N has been such as 10 threaten their
con -iuuauce and although disappointed
in his efforts 10 secure a satisfactory
settlement OF the question. negotiations
are still pending with reasonable hope
of an acceptable conclusion by the END
o. The present congress.
DISCUSSION OF THE TARIFF.
/ Reaching domestic affairs, the first
subject discussed is the tariff, and TO this
the President devOtes a great deal OF
SPACE, arguing that the necessity for
he reduction of the tariff is more urgent
) than ever.
The income of the Government, - he
SAYS, "by its increased volume and
through economies IN its collection, IS
now more than ever in excess of puoic
necessities. The application of the sur
plus to the payment of the public debt as
is at our option subject to extinguish-
ment, if continued at the rate which has
lately prevailed, would retire that class
of Indebtedness within less than one
wear from his date. Thus a continue
tiOn of our present revenue system
would soon result IN the receipt OF an
annual income much greater than neces-
saTy to met Government expenses with
no indebtedness upon which Il could be
applied. We should then be confronted
with Il vast quantity of money, the Gil
culating medium of the people, boarded
in the treasury when It should be IN
their hands, or We should be drawn into
wasteful public extravaganza with ali
the CDITuDtlDB DdLlOIldl uClnOi dllLobt'5I
which follows in its train.
But il is not the simple extent Of this
surplus and its threatened attendant
evils which furnish the strongest argu-
ment against our present scale of federal
taxation. Its worst phase is the eXactiOn
Of such a surplus through a peTveTsiOn
Of the relations between the people and
their Government, and dangerous de-
parture from the rules which govern he
right NJ federal taxation. Good govern
meut, and especially the government Of
which every American citizen boasts,
has for It's objects the protection of
every person within its care in the great
est liberty consistent with the good order
: of society, and his perfect security in The
enjoyment Of his earnings with the least
possible diminutiOn fer public needs
When more of the peoples substance is
exacted through the form of taxation
, than is necessary to meet the just obliga-
tiUns Of the Government and the expense
b of its economical administration, such
exactiOD becomes ruthless eXtOrtiOu and
q violation Of the fundamental principles
Of q free Government. TIE Indirect
manner in which these exactious are
, made has a tendency to conceal their
true character and their extent. But
we have arrived at stage of supeThROus
! revenue which has aroused the people to
a realization of the fact that the amount
: raised prUfessediy for the support of
the Government is paid by them abso-
iutely, if added to the price of the things
which supply their daily wants. as if it
5 was paid at fixed periods into the hands
r of the 5aX-gathereT.
THE CUTTING CASE.
] Referring to the Cutting case, he says
F the incident has disclosed a claim of
iuTisd fiction by Mexico, novel in our
history, whereby any offence Committed
} anywhere oy fore 'gner, penal in The
, place Of lis mmisSiOn. and Of which
the Mexican is an object. may. il the
off-rdT be found in Mexico, be tried
and punished lu conformity with Mexi-
can laws. This Jurisdiction was sustained
by the courts of Mexico and approved by
tbe executive branch of that Govern
ment upon the authority Of Mexican
statute. The appellate court in releasing
Nj. Cutting, decided that the abandon
Uent OF the complaint by the Mexican
, citizen aggrieved by the alleged crime,
Ia libelOus publication removed the ba-
sis OF further prosecution, and declared
, justice to have been satisfied by the en-
fOrcemeut Of a small part of the sentence.
. The admission of such pretension. the
President argues, would be attended
with serious results, invasive of the
! jurisdiction of this Government. and
highly dangerous to our citizens in for.
eign lands; therefore he has denied it.
, and protested against it's attempted
exercise as unWaTranted by the princi.
pies Of the law and International usages.
A sovereign has jurisdiction of offences
J which take effect within his territory.
, although cOnCOcted or commenced out.
side of it a; but the right IS denied of any
foreign sovereign to punish a citizen of
the United States for an offence consum
mated on our own soil IN violation oi
2 our laws, even though the offence be
> against a subject or citizen of such SOW.
ereign. Tie Mexican statute in question
makes the clam broadly, and the pTinci
l pie, if conceded, would make a dua
2 responsibility in the citizen, and lead t.
, ineXtricable confusion, destructive tC
. that certainty il the laws which IS ar
! essential of liberty.
When citizens of the United State.
2 voluntarily go into q foreign countr,
& they must abide by the laws there il
2 force, and will not he protected by thei1
. own Government from the consequence,
. of an offence against those laws commit
4 ted IN such foreign country, but watch
! tul care ard interest of this Government
+ . over Its citizens are not Telinquished be
cause they have gone abroad, and i
( charged with crime committed in tn,
q foreign land, a fair and open trial, con.
2 Quoted with decent regard for iustict
f and humanity, viii be demanded TO
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