Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-01-19
MIR. SHERMAN ON THE MESSAGE

MIR. SHERMAN ON THE MESSAGE
| Philadelphia North American
BY common consent Mr.. Sherman's
speech III the Senate upon fhe financial
and economic issues raised by the Presi-
dent in his message is an event Of high
importance. No other man is at once so
well qualified and 50 fully authorized TO
represent tile Republican party in the re-
sponse which it must make to Mr.. C!eye-
lands challenge. Senator Sherman now
stands, upon eli subjects relating TO the
Treasury, as the most experienced and the
most distinguished Republican. 70 0th0se
subjects he has given many years of lrac-
tical and active attention, not only in the
Senate, but at the head Of the department
itself, and with the vigorous mental
equipment this experience has united 20
produce the qualities OF rips and strong
craftsmanship.
Naturally, the speechdivided itself into
two parts, refutatiOn and criticism OF
the message, and a statement Of a better
and more sensible scheme Of procedure
AS to the former, the foilies of the mes
sage presented broad and inviting field
of attack. As we have already said. no
American President, unless We are to ex-
cept Andrew Jackson. ever sent to Con
gress more indefensible communication
Its form and substance, its omissions and
its contents, WERE alike pfepoSterOus.-
With the whole of them Nj. Sherman
deals ike a master. lie castigates the
extravaganza OF language with which Mr.
Cleveland declares thai on account OF the
c nsNel Inc 1Iasa 81
ruin, and he points ont that if this be the
case 1t must be attributed to the failure
of the President himself his Secretary of
the Treasury, and his party friends in the
House Of Representatives TO take the
steps they should have taken,
But while it was altogether .,npropriate
that the message Should be dealt with rs
it deserved, and the responsibility for any
evils of the surplus placed where If chiefly
if not entirely belongs. the outline which
afr. Sherman presents OF the Republican
plan Of finance is of greater fmp0rtauce
andInterest. This is consistent with what
he had heretofore Informally suggested in
a newspaper "interyiew." He would re
peal the tobacco taxes altogether, and also
that part OF the spirits taxes which Is He
rived from licenses. (Fhese he thinks
could be reimposGd by the stdteS If they
so desired, and make that much relief for
local taXation.) As to the tariff, he would
deal with it on strictly protection prinei-
pies. He would remove the duty on sugar
in part OF altogether Qiis actual sliggas
ton is one-halfl, and he would make up
the loss of protection to American pro
ductior OF the article by bounty. And
he would not take thaduty Off "raw ma
terials," If by this designation is TO be
meant wool and iron ore lie pointed out.
what can not be too often repeated or too
seriously respected. that the whole system
of protection depends, first. upon its i'll
cl9siOn of all forms of legitimate ind1stl
try, an3 second, upon tlIa treatment of |
these with fairness and good faith The
wool fleece taken from Che sleeps back, |
he said, is the finished product of the far
mer, as the cloth is Of the manufactures, |
and tie coat Of the tailor, and 1.-THE rights |
Of every producer should have equal and |
just consideration without fear or favor"
Mr.. Sherman did not advocate the dis
tribution of the surplus, bat he cited the
Facts that Jefferson, in 1905, suggested the
use OF the surplus tlIen existing for pub
10 a1atatipn, roads, rivers, and canals,
md tilat dayss4ti, ~ ibti, first recon-
nended dlStrlbufiOi, .lhd tihai approYe;l
lie bill chat ordered It. These were Dem |,
'cratic precedents, and derived from Dem