San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-04
SYNOPSIS OF PRESIDENT CLEVE-
LANDS MESSAGE.
His Last Words to the United States
Congress Embracing Many
Topics, Domestic and
EOreiPn.

HIS Last wOTuS TO II1S onlNcu oldISS
Congress Embracing Many
Topics, Domestic and
Foreign.
AS you assemble for the dis charge
of duties you have assumed as
the representatives of free and
generous people, your meeting is
marked by an interesting and impress
sive incident. With the expiration of
the present session of congress the
first century of our constitutional eX-
istence as a nation will be complete.
When the experiment of our govern
ment was undertaken the chart
adopted for our guidance was the con
stitution. Only by adherence to these
lines laid down, and by restraint
within the limitations they give, can
be proved the ability of the Ameri-
can people for self government. A
century has passed. Our cities are
abiding places of wealth and luxury.
The gulf between employees and the
employed is constantly widening.
AS we view the achievement of ag-
gregated capital we discover the ex-
istence of trusts, combinations and
monopolies while the citizen is strug-
Cling far in the rear or is trampled to
death beneath an iron heel. Corpora
tions which should be the carefully
restrained creatures of the law and
the servants of the people, are fast
becoming the peoples masters.
Instead of limiting the tribute
drawn from our people to the necessi-
| ~, ;,,;. trn 10,
| the government persists in eXacting
from the substance of the people mill
lions, which unapplied lie dormant
in the treasury.
A Just and sensible revision
of our tariff laws should be
made for the relief of those
of our countrymen who suffer
under present conditions. Such re-
vision should receive the support of
all who have thatjustice and equality
due to American citizenship, of all
who realize that in this justice and
equality our government finds its
strength and its power to protect the
citizen and his property, all who be-
! lieve that the cOntented competence
and comfort of many accord better
with the spirit of our institutions than
colossal fortunes unfairly gathered in
the hands of few, all who appreciate
that our people who recognize the
value of every American interest are
the surest guarantee of our national
progress, and of all who desire to see
the products of American skill and in
genuity in every market of the world
with resulting restoration of Ameri-
can commerce.
Those international questions which
still await settlement are all reason
able, within the domain of amicable
negotiations. The question between
Great Britain and the United States,
relating to the rights of American
fishermen under treaty and interna-
tiOnal comfy in the territorial waters
of Canada and Newfoundland, l re-
greet to say are not yet satisfactorily
adjusted.
| Near the close of the month of Octo-
Der last, occurrences of a deeply regret
table nature were brought to my know
| ledge, which made it my painful but
| imperative duty to obtain with as lit
tie delay as possible a new personal
channel Of diplomatic intercourse be-
tween this country and the govern
ment of Great Britain. The CORE
! spOndence in relation to the incident
will in due course be laid before you,
and will disclose the objectionable
! conduct of the official referred to in
his interference, by advice and coun-
sci, with the suffrages of American
citizens in the very crisis of the presi-
dential election. My endeavor to es-
tablish by international cooperation
measures for the preVentiO of the eX-
termination OF fur seals in the Behrin g
Sea have not been relaxed. The coast
boundary between our Alaskan pos
sessions and British Columbia, l re-
greet to say, has not received the atten-
ton demanded by it's importance.
Twice within the last year has the
imperial household of Germany been
visited by death, and L have hast
ened to express the sorrow of this peo-
pie and their appreciation of the love-
ly character of the late Emperor Will
liam, and their sympathy with the
heroism under suffering with which
his son, the late Emperor Frederick
reigned. l renew my recommends
tion of two years ago for the passage
of bill for the refunding to certain
German steamship lines of the inter-
est upon tonnage dues illegally ex-
tracted.
On the 10Th of April last I laid be-
fore the house of representatives full
information respecting our in terests
in Samoa, and in the subsequent cor
respondence on the same subject which
will be laid before you in due course,
the history of events in this island
| will be found.