Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-05
RESIGNATION RENDERED.
Secretary Manning Sends His Resigna.
tion to the President-The President
Urges Him to Postpone His Action.

WASHINGTON, June l.
The following self explanatory correspon-
dence is made public this evening:
WASHINGTON, May 20.
My Dear Sir:
have decided to place in your hands nv
resignation of office which you did me the
honor to ask me to accept 10 months ago. Nv
reasons for this decision are both public and
personal. Since the partial recovery of nv
health has permitted me to reflect upon the
demands OF public service, to which l had
given perhaps too freely all my strength,
and upon the conditions of resuming nv Ia
bors at your side have not for a moment
questioned what must be my duty. The full
recovery of my health is pronounced to be
an affair of weeks and longer period of rest,
especially during the heated months, is advis-
ed. Compliance with this advice would not
be practicable were l to resume now the gen.
eral direction of the treasury department.
supervision at a distance would be more hin.
drance than help to the acting secretary.
But it is not befitting that department of
the government so difficult and so important
should be administered by a convalescent.
The reforms in our fiscal policy, which you
have maintained and which have been framed
and commended to the wisdom of the legis-
lative branch, are reforms necessary to our
safety, binding in honor, obligatory in the
traditions of the democracy, set down with
promises in our statute books. Our present
tariff laws are net dess oppression instead of
an easy burden. Our currency is chaos into
which we pour from forced purchasers of one
of the precious metals. Mechanical incre-
ment, under the coinage law, is so ill
Judged and untimely that it hinders
the opening of our mints to natural and un-
limited coinage of both metals and the free
expansion of our gold and silver coin along
with the growing needs of a mighty people.
All our ntedful customs revenues might be
cole cted by strictly revenue duties upon a
few scores of articles instead of by extrava-
agant or prohibitory duties upon more than
1000 articles. The mere machinery of the
administration by its own mass and COM
plexity breaks down and chrushes out the
enterprise it assumes to protect Better cur
rency than elsewhere exists might be had by
few lines of repeating and empowering leg
islation followed bv two or three years capa-
BILE administration of the treasury and Joined
with the present sagacious conduct of our
foreign policy by the state department. Under
the operation of the currency laws and tariff
laws now in force, which you and the 49th
Congress were elected by the people to re-
peal and reform burdened industries of our
CouhliS are pluHylug dlouR d IDlry rOdu
toward foreseen danger. We talk of arbi-
trating our respective share of disaster in
stead of knocking off our self-imposed fetters
and releasing general prosperity. This is
not in my judgment time when the Pres-
dent can delay to provide or afford to dis
pense with the actual head of the treasury
department. The fiscal policy of federal
government in respect to the debt so large,
taxation so pervasive and currency which is
universal cannot fail Of being the chief factor
in national an individual well being. Your
own duty to which you have addressed your
self with such a clear and unfnching pur-
pose, the duty OF Congress in premises and
laws which may yet be enacted for the guild
ance of the treasury department will require
you to be assisted in their ad-
minis,rsrion ty an officer capable
of efficiency and unwearied circumspecton.
Permit me. therefore, without hesitation to
accept my temporary disability as a summons
to stand aside an3 make way for one capable
of fulfilling every requirement of the public
service. Very respectfully yours,
DANIEL MANNING.
To the President.