The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-12-12
Press Notes.

THE presidents message has about
as much interest for the public as last
years MISUNDERSTANDING Tele-
graph.
IT is good for the country that this
is the last annual message of President
Cleveland, and that henceforth we may
expect in presidential messages less of
cant and more of craftsmanship. By
the way, Mr.. Cleveland forgets to say
anything about civil service REFORM
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
To assume, as Mr.. Cleveland does,
that few millionaires can buy the in
telligence and honesty of this nation is
an insult to every voter. To assume
that legislators are bought and sold
like chattels for the benefit of " private
benefcaries is contemplate in
private citizen and monstrous in the
president of the United States. Acute
suffering from an inglorious defeat is
no excuse for such an infamous and
scandalous assumption. - Ne,U York
Press.
THE opening chorus, after the pat
riotic prayer, is dirge for free trade.
Mr.. Cleveland's remarks may afford
consolation and texts to democratic
and mugwump editors. Really, he
says nothing new and seems to have
lost his power of inventing quotable
phrases. But he is as disingenuous as
ever in stating the issue. Mr.. Cleve-
land finds much paternalism in the
government-much bribery of the poor
and corruption by the rich-and lets us
know that he thinks the protective
tariff is either a cause or an outgrowth
of this tendency, we don't know
which.-Bufalo ErpresS.
l AM right and the country is wrong.
Truth is mighty and it will prevail.
There may be some delay, but the rain.
bow still arches the western sky.
Meanwhile, in view of the condition
which confronts us, permit me to con-
fine my remarks on the surplus and the
tariff to such generalities as may be
read and at once forgotten; and then
we will pass on to the usual synopsis
of the routine business of the several
departments and to the brief mention
of the multitude of minor matters that
can properly be grouped together in an
otherwise aimless and inconsequential
document. Such is the general tenor
of the annual message which Mr.. Cleve-
land sent to congress yesterday-the
presidents fourth and last annual mes
sage.-Ne,c York Sun, Democratic.
OF course all intelligent Americans
know right well that no such condition
exists, but the message builds up on such
assumed condition the declaration that
such grievances "must surely arouse
irritation and discomfort among " our
farmers, long suffering and patient"
among" our working-men," when " en-
franchised from all delusions," just the
same as if the people had not heard
these and similar things many times
before, and just as if they had not
given their answer to them at the
election less than month ago. The
ndiue manner in which the message
brings all this forward again-as if it is
of the very freshest in argument and
most convincing in force-is to us one
of the surest vouchers of the presidents
earnestness and sincerity. Philadel-
phia Ledger, Independent.
In one respect the message places
before the country in a proper light
the evils arising from the monaco
ton of congress on important public
matters, while its author attributes
failure of congress to legislate on i'm
portant public matters is to be censured.
The presidents admoniton should be
regarded. Doubtless with both houses
of congress and the presidency in the
control of a single party this evil to a
great extent will disappear. 1t has
been caused by differences of opinion
between the two houses of congress, in
Of a iprittr in
being the minority in the other. When
the president, the senate and the house
are all republican and in harmony, bet
ter methods of legislation will prevail
Chicago Journal, Republican.
THE melancholy gloom that pervade'
President Cleveland's picture of The
present condition of the United States
is, of course, easily accounted for. II
the people had voted for continuance
of democratic rule the president would
probably be now of the opinion tina
the republic had advanced rather thai
refrigerated during the past century
The "tariff talk " is the main featur,
of the presidents message. The re
view of the condition of foreign affair
and of the reports of the department
of government is perfunctory AM
spiritless. There is no recommends
ton in regard to the admission of ne'
states; not one word in praise of civi
service reform; no new statement O
the dangers involved in the practice o
electing presidents to a second term
But it is an interesting document
Brooklyn Times, Republican.
THE tone of the message is ethica
The style is sermonical. The presider