The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-12-14
The President.
What He Says to the COun-
try on the Issues of the Day.
TAKE OFF UNWARRAN1ED WAR
TAXES.
The following are selections from
the Presidents .ble Message to the


The following are selections from
the Presidents .ble Message to the
Forty-ninth Congress-:
To The Congress Of ne United States:
In discharge of constitutional
duty and following a well establish
ed precedent in the executive office,
/ herewith present to the Congress
at reassembling certain information
concerning the States of the Union
together with such recommendations
for legislative consideration as APP
pear necessary and expedient. Our
Government has consistently main
tanned its relations of friendship to-
ward all other powers and neighbor
lx interest toward those whose pos
sessions are contiguous to our own.
Few questions have arisen during
the past year with other Govern
mcnts and none of those are beyond
the reach of settlement In friendly
counsel. We are as yet without pro-
vision for the settlement of claims
of citizens of the United States
against Chilli for Injuries during the
late war with Peru and Bolivia. The
mixed commission, organized under
claims conventions, concluded by
the Chilian Government, with GER
tain European States, have Develop
ed an amount of friction WHICH we
trust can be avoided in the conven-
tion which our representative at
Santiago is authorized to negotiate.
The cruel treatment of inoffensive
Chinese has, / regret to say, been re-
peated in some of the far western
States and Territories, and acts of
violence against those people beyond
the power of the local constituted
authorities to prevent and difficult
to punish are reported even in dis
tant Alaska. Much of this violence
can be traced to race prejudice and
competition of labor which cannot,
however. justify the oppression of
strangers whose safety is guaranteed
by our treaty with China equally
with most nations.
THE FISHERY DISPUTE.
The recommendation contained in
my last annual message in relation
to mode of settlement of the fish
cry rights in the waters of British
North America, so long a subject of
anxious difference between the Uni
ted States and Great Britain, was
met by an adverse vote of the Senate
on April 13, last, and thereupon
negotiations were instituted to OBJ
tain such an agreement with her
Brittanic Majesty's Government for
the promulgation of such joint in
depreciation and definition of the ar
ticle of the Convention of 1918, rela-
ting to the territorial waters and in
shore fisheries of the British provin-
ces, as should secure the Canadian
rights from encroachment by United
States fishermen, and at the same
time insure the enjoyment by the
latter of the privileges granted to
them by such conventions. The
questions involved are of long stand
ing, of grave consequence. and from
time to time for nearly three quar-
ters of a century, have give rise to
earnest International discussions.
not unaccompanied by irritation.
Temporary arrangement by treaties
have served to allay friction, which,
however. has revived as each treaty
has terminated. The last agreement
under the treaty of 1871 was abro-
gated after due notice by the United
States on June 30th, 1885, but / vas
enabled to obtain for our fishermen
for the remainder of that season en-
gagement of the full privileges ac-
corded by the terminated treaty. The
joint high commission by whom the
treaty had been negotiated, although
invested with plenary power to make
a permanent settlement were con-
tent with temporary arrangement,
after the termination of which the
question was relegated to the stipu-
lations cf the treaty of 1878 as to
the first article of which no con-
struction satisfactory to both Coun-
tries has ever been agreed upon. The
progress of civilization and growth
of population in tbe.British province
to which the fisheries in question are
contiguous, and the expansion of
commercial intercourse between
them and the United States, present
to-day a condition of affairs scarcely
realizable at the date of the negota-
tions of 1878. Whilst am unfeign-
edly desirous that such relations
should exist between us and the in
habitants of Canada, yet the action
of their officials during the past sea-
son towards our fishermen has been
such as to impair their continuance.
Although disappointed in my efforts
to secure satisfactory settlement OF
the fishery question negotiations are
still pending with reasonable hope
that before the close of the present
session of Congress announcement
may be made that an acceptable
conclusion has been reached; as at
an early day there may be laid be-
fore Congress the correspondence of
the Department of State in relation
to this important subject so that the
history of the past fishing season
may be fully disclosed, and the act
ion and the attitude of the admins
tration clearly comprehended, a more
extended reference is not deemed
necessary in this Communication.
LIBERIA.
The weakness of Liberia and the
difficulty of maintaining efficient
sovereignty over its outlying districts
have exposed that Republic to en-
croachment. 1t cannot be forgotten
that this distant community is an
offshoot of our own system owing
its origin to the associated beneyo-
lencc of American citizens whose
praiseworthy effort to create a nu-
cleus of civilization in the Dark