The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-16
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S
Last Message to the Forty Ninth
Congress
Interesting Synopsis a Lengthy and
Carefully Prepared Document-rhe
Various Public Interests
Passed in Review.

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 6-President ClevelanFs
message opens with the usual survey Of for
eign relations. and one-third Of the document Is
| oeyoted 10 discussion and review OF this I'M
| portant topic. Our Government he says.
| has consistently maintained its relations Of
| friendship toward all other powers. and
| neighborly interest toward those whose posses
| sions are contiguous 10 our own. Few QUes-
| tiOns have arisen during the past year with
] other governments and none of those are be-
yond the reach OF settlement IN friendly
! council
| The cruel treatment of inoIensive Chinese n
| the far West is alluded 10. and in speaking Of
! remedy he says the paramount duty OF main
tanning public order and defending the interests
| OF our own people may require the ADOPTION OF
! measures of restriction. but they should not
| tolerate the oppression Of individuals OF Spe-
| cill race.
| Discussing the fisheries question. so long
! subject of anxious difference between the
| United States and Great Britain, the President
| says the questions involved are of great
| consequence, and from time to time,
/ for nearly tnree-Qu2rters Of century. have
given rise TO earnest international discussions.
! not unaccompanied by irritation. Temporary
| arrangements by treaties have served 10 allay
| friction which. however. has revived as each
! treaty was terminated. While deSlrous that
| friendly relations should exist between the
| people OF the United States and Canada. the
| action of Canadian officials during the past
season towards our fishermen has been
| such, the President thinks. as 10 threaten
! their continuance; and although disappointed
in his efforts to secure satisfactory settlement
| OF the question. negotiations are still pending
| with reasonable hope that before the close of
! the present session of Congress the announce
! ment may be made that an acceptable conclu-
| sion has been reached.
Alluding to our relations with Hawaii, the
| President recommends an extension for seven
| years of the reciprocity treaty OF 1875. He ur-
| gently renews his recommendation Of legsla-
| lion TO carry into effect the American recipro-
city treaty Of January, 1888, and proposes 10
initiate negotiations with Mexico for a new and
| enlarged treaty of commerce and legislation.
Referring to the Cutting case. he says the in
cidcnt has disclosed claim Of jurisdiction by
Mexico novel in our history, whereby an Offense
committed any where by a foreign penal in the
place Of its commission, and OF which 4 Mexi-
can is the object, may, if the offender be found
in Mexico be there tried and punished in con-
fCrmity with Mexican laws. This jurisdiction
was sustained by the courts OF Mexico and ap-
proved by the executive branch of that Govern
meHt upon the authority of Mexican statute.
The Appellate Court. in releasing Mr.. Cutting,
decided that abandonment of the complaint by
the Mexican citizen aggrieved by the alleged
crime Ia lib5lOus publicatlonl, removed the
basis OF further prosecution, and also declared
| Justice to have been satisfied by the enforce
ment of q small part of the original sentence.
| The admission of such a pretense, the President
| argues. would be attended with serious results,
invasive of the jurisdiction of this Government,
and highly dangerous 10 our citizens in for
| eiCn lands; therefore, he has denied II, and
! protested against its attempted exercise as
unwarranted by the principles OF law and inter
national usages. sovereign has jurisdiction
of offenscs. which take effect in his territory,
although concocted or commenced outside OF II,
but the right is denied of any foreign sovereign
| to punish a citizen of the United States for an
| OffenSc cOnsummat6d on our soil in violation OF
cur laws, even though the onenSe be against
subject or citizen of such foreign sovereign.
The Mexican statute in question makes the
claim broadly, and the principle. il conceded,
would make dual responsibility in the citizen
and lead to iacxtricablc discussion destructive
OF that certainty in the law which IS an eS-
scntial OF liberty.
When citizens OF the United States volun-
tarily go to a foreign country they must abide
by the laws there in force and must not be pro-
tected by their own government from the conse-
Qucnce OF an Ofense against those laws COM
nitted in such foreign country. but Watchful
care and interest of this Government over its
citizens are not relinquished because they have
gone abroad, and, il charged with crime COM
mitted in the foreign land, fair and open trial.
conducted with decent regard for justice and
humanity, Will be demanded Tor them. Win
less than that the Government will not be con-
tent when the life or liberty OF its citizens is at
stake.
criminal jurisdiction may have been formerly
allowed by consent and reciprocal agreement
among certain OF the European States no
such doctrine or practice was ever known 70
The laws of this country, nor 10 that from
which our institutions have been mainly de-
riyed. 49,. 49,
cially strong for perfect harmony in the mutual
exercise OF jurisdiction. Nature has made US
irreTOcablY nelGhD DOrS, ara WISDOM ana klnu
feeling should make Us friends. The overflow
OF capital and enterprise from the United
States is Il potent factor in assisting the devel-
opmcnt of the recourccs OF Mexico and IN
building up the prosperity OF both
countries. To assist this good work all
grounds of apprehension for the security of
person and property should be removed and
the President trusts that in the interests OF
good neigh hbOrhOod the statute referred to VIII
be so modified as to eliminate the present pos
sibilties of danger TO the peace of the two coun-
tries.
consular system on i better footing. and reiter-
ates the necessity of some mode OF inspection
and report OF the manner in which the CON
lie trusts the subject OF an International
copyright will receive the attention II deserves
bT Congress.
He recommends that provision be made for
the immediate discharge from custody OF per
sons committed for eXtraditiou where the
President is Of opinion that sur
news his recommendation of last year
that legislation concerning citiZation and
DECENTRALIZATION be revised. we have, he says,
s-eaties with many States providing for the re-
nunciation OF ctiZation by naturallZed aliens.
but no statute is found to give effect to such
engagements, nor any which provides q needed
control or bureau for registration OF natural
lied citizens.
Reaching domestic affairs the first subject
discussed is the tariff, and 10 this the President
Ceyotes great deal OF space. arguing that the
necessity for a reduction OF the tariff is more
uryent than ever. THE income of the Govern
ment' he says, by its increased volume and
thorough economies in its collection, is now
more than ever in excess Of the public neces-
sites. The application OF the surplus to the
payment OF such portion OF the
Oublic debt as is now at our ptiOn
subject to extinguishment, if continued at the
rate which has lately prevailed, would retire
that class OF Indebtedness within less than one
year from this date Thus continuance OF our
present revenue system would soon result in the
receipt Of an annual income much greater than
necessary to meet Government expenses.
with no Indebtedness upon which il
then confronted with vast quantity OF money,
the circulating medium OF the people. boarded
in the treasury when II shoulG oe IN tneir nands'
or We should be drawn into wasteful public ex-
1raTagance with all the couupting National
Generalization which follows in its track.
But it is not the simple existence OF this sur
plus and its threatened attendant evils which
furnish the strongest argument against our
present scale of Federal taxations: its worst
phase is the exaction of such surplus through
a peryCrSlOn OF the relations DeIWeeI the peo-
pie and their government, and dangerous de-
p5rture from the rules which limit the
right Of Federal taxation Good gov
e-nment and especially the govern
meut OF which every American citizen
boasts has for its objects the protection Of
every person within its care in the greatest
liberty consistent with the good order OF so
c!ety and his perfect security in the enjoy
nent of his earnings, With the least possible
diminution for public needs When more OF
the peoples substance is exacted through the
forms Of taxation than is necessary 70
meet the just obligations OF the Governments
and the expense Of its economical administra-
ton. such eXaction becomes ruthless eXtoTtion
and q violation Of the fundamental principles Of
free Government.
The indirect manner in which these exactions
are made has & tendency TO conceal their true
character and extent. but We have arrived at
stage Of supefuOUs revenue which has aroused
The people TO realization OF the fact
that the amount raised professedly
for the support of the Government IS paid By
them as absolutely II ADDED 10 the pHce OF
things which supply their daily wants, as II il
was paid at fixed periods into tie hand ci the
tSxgatherer.
Those who toll fc- daily wages are beginning
to understand that capital, though sometimes