Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-12-04
TIHE MESSAGE
OF President Cleveland to the
Fiftieth Congress.
A Review Of the GOuntry's Pro-
gress in the Past Century.
AWARNING AGAINST THE COMBINING
OF WEALTH AND CAPITAL.
HE CONSIDERS A REVISION OF THE
TARIFF LAWS THE REMEDY.

The Suspension or shS rurtner coinage Oh
Silver Rccommsndcd-AIso the Forma-
tIon of New Courts to Relieve the SUI
prems Court, tho Amendment of Laws
Relating to Public Lands, A Prison FOR
United States Prisoners, snd Revision OF
Pension Laus--Refersnce Made to the
SackviIle Incident.
President Cleveland's annual message, sent
to congress Monday opens with review OF
the material progress OF tle country during
the first century of its existence as nation,
and an exhaustive argument in favor OF
tariff revision. Nearly one-tourth OF the
message is devoted to n consideration OF
these topics. The president says; ~,
AS you assemble for che d;scharge.ot the
duties you have assumed as tine representa-
tives of free and generous people, your
meeti ng is marked by an interesting and i'm
pressive incident. With the expiration of
the present session of the congress, the first
century of our constitutional existence as a
nation will be completed Our survival for
one hundred years is not sufficient to assure
us that we no longer have dangers TO fear in
the mainteuauce. with all its promised
blessings, of a government founded upon the
freedom of the people The time rather ad-
monishes us to soberly inquire whether in
the past we have always closely kept in the
course of safety, and whether we have before
us way plain and clear which leads to
happiness and perpetuity. E
When the experiment of our government
was undertaken the chart adopted for our
guidance was the constitution. Departure
from the lines there laid down is a failure.
1t is only by strict adherence to the dir~a-
ton they indicate and by restraint withih
the limitatio they fix tn we can furnish
proof to the world of the ii less of the Amer
lean people for self-govern.nent
The equal and exact 'tice OF which we
boast as the underlying principle of our in
stitutionS should not be confined to the re-
lations of our citizens to each other. The
government itself is under bond to the
American people, that in the exercise OF its
functions and powers it will deal with the
body of our citizens in a manner scrupu-
lousy honest and fair and absolutely just.
1t has agreed that American citizenship
shall be the only credential necessary to
justify the claim of equality before the law,
and that no condition in life shall give riSs
to discrimination in the treatment Of the
people by their government.
The citizen of our republic, in its early
days, rigidly insisted upon full compliance
with the letter of his bond, and saw stretch
ing out before him clear field for individ.
ual endeavor His tribute to the support of
his government was measured by the cost of
its economical maintenance
And he was secure in the enjoyment of
the remaining recompense of his steady and
coutented toll III those days the frugality OF
the people was stamped upon their govern
ment, and was enforced hy the free thought
full and intelligent suffrage of the citizen.
Combinations, monopoiies and aga regations
of capital were either avoided or sternly
regulated and restrained. The pomp and
glitter of governments less free offered no
,taA Aalt
plain people, who, side by side, in friendly
competition, wrought for the enoblement
and dignity Of man, for the solution Of the
problem of free government and for the
achievement of the grand destiny awaiting
the land which God bad given them.
A century has passed. Our cities are the
abiding place Of wealth and luxury; our
manufactures yield fortunes never dreamed
of by the fathers Of the republic; our bust
ress men are madly striving in the race for
riches, and immense aggregations of capital
outrun the Imagination in the magnitude of
tt cir undertakings. We view with pride
and satisfaction this blight picture of our
country's growth and prosperity, while only
n closer scrutiny develops som5er shading.
Upon more careful inspection we find tho
wealth and luxury of our cities mingled with
poverty and wretchedness and unremuner-
ntive toll. A crowded ANA constantly iu-
creasing urban population suggests the i'm
poverishment of rural sections and discon.
tent with agricultural pursuits. The farm
er's son, not satisfied with his fathers simple
and labor!cus life, joins the eager chase for
easily Il qIired wealth.
We discover that ths fortunes realize by
cur manufacturers are no longer solely tho
reward OK sturdy industry and enlightened
foresight, but that they result from the dis
eliminating favor of The government, and
are largely built upon undo exactions from
the masses of our paople. The gulf between
employers and tho employed is constantly
widening, and classes are rapidly forming,
one comprising the very rich and powerful,
while in another are found the toiling poor.
As we view the achievements of asgre-
entcd capital, we discover the existence of
trusts, combinations and monopolies while
the citizen is struggling far in the rear, or is
tramped to death beneath { iron heel.
Corporations, which should be the carefully
restrained creatures of the law, and the
servants Of the people, are fast becoming the
peoples masters.
Still concratulating ourselves upon the
wealth and prosperity of our country and
complacently contemplating every incident
OF change inseparabe from these conditions,it
is cur duty rs patriotic citizens TO inquire,
at tre present stage of our progress, how the
bond uf the government made with the peo
pie has been kept and performed.
Instead OF limiting the tribute drawn from
our citizens, to the nece ss.ties of its econom
ical administration, the government persists
i'm exacting from the substance of the roo.
Pile millions which unapplied and useless lie
dormant in it's treasury. This fiagrant in
Justice and this breach Of faith and obliga-
tion add to extortion the danger attending
the diversion of the currency of the country
from the legitimate channels Of business.
Under the same laws by which these re-
suits are produced, the government permits
many millions more to be added to the cost
OF the living of our p psople and to be taken
from our consumers, which unreasonaby
swell the profits Of small but powerful mi
nOrity.
The people must still be taxed for the sup
port Of the government under the operation
of tariff laws But to the extent that the
mass OF our citizeus are lnordinately bur-
dened beyond any useful pGDlic purpose and
for the benefit of a favored few, the COVER
inent, under pretext of an exercise OF its
taxing power, enters gratuitously into part
nership with these favorites, to their advan-
tage and tc the injury Of vast majority of
our people. This Is not equality before tho
law
The existing situation is injurious to the
health OF our entire body polite. 1t Stiles, in
thuse Tor whase benefit it is permitted, all pa
triotic love of country, and substitutes in i'f
t;tr II i.i.t, - s. / .~3>i Fy..iI.a.