The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-12-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Reference to the juterestingf fact thai the
expiration Of the present Congress viii
marx the elose CT the iirst century Of our
history under oCr Constitution, and this
fact be makes a text from which 70
preach a rather vehement sermon on the
different manner in which the Conssitg-
ton is viewed now from what it was at
an earlier day, tae theme Of bis sermon
being the evils Of the tariff saysgem as it
exists now.
To the tariff question be devotes about
i.S00 xonls. but says nothing except what
be has said befose, the distinguishing
feature of this present treatment Of It l.e-
ng tone Of irritlbility lie does not
argue he ienounees. A sufficient titus
tration Of this is the folIowiug, in which
he attributes the evils spoken Of to the
protective system
Communism Is hateful thing. and
menace TO peace and organized govern
ment But the communism Of combined
wealth and capital, the outgrowth Of
oyerweening cnpidity and selfshness.
which iusidiously undermines the justice
and integrity Of free institutions, Is not
less dangerous than the communism Of
oppressed poverty and toll, which. exas-
perate,l by injustice and discomfort, at
;acks with wild disorder the citadel of
rule. He mocks the people who propose
that the government shall protect the
rich, and that they in turn viii care for
the laboring poor. Any intermediary be
tween the people and their government,
or the least delegation Of the ere and
protection the government owes to the
humblest citizen in the land, makes the
boast of free institutions a giittering de-
Iusion and the pretended boon Of Amer
lean citizenship shameless imposition
Tie Intermediary is the manufacturing
class, who say THAI under protection they
are able 70 make living profits and give
workingmen living wages. He does not
suggest any plan FOR the reduction Of the
tariff, but SAYS the war on il should be
KEEP. up until tine cost of the necessaries
is reduced and industry has freer raw
material to work upon, but intimates that
his plan is vel enough known The
cause for which the battle i waged is
COMPRISED within lines clearly and dis
tinctly defined
AERAlGNAENr 0F CONGRESS.
lie proceeds upon the theory that this
battle Is one between the masses AMI the
Glasses, as he says 1T Is the peoples
cause, and this idea serves him as
pivot on which to turn and reproach
Congress for encouraging it by legislation .
Large sums are expended for public
buildings and other improvements upon
representations scarcely claimed to be re-
lated 10 public needs and necessities
Then he goes on 10 illustrate the dere-
Hctloa of Congress in this particular
While Congress is yielding to demands
Of this sort. those which involve the vel
fare Of the public are ignored as, for ex-
ample. time and again relief for the over
crowded supreme Court has been asked
relief from a condition Of things which
amounts TO a denial Of justice-but in
stead Of attending to it Congress has de
voted is attention to laying ~the founda-
tion for an application for the erection Of
q new public building OF providing for
the holding Of terms Of inferior courts at
places TO suit the convenience % locali-
ties It has neglected the public land
laws. while individuals seized the land /;
public buildings were erected where they
wen. not needed, while the necessity for
prisons for national convicts and a post
Office for Washington received scarcely
thought; private pension bills have been
passed, while an amendment to the pen
sion Laws. which would secure Justice in
distributing the nations bounty, has
been neglected -apuropriation bills for
the support of the government are de-
faced By items and provisions to meet
private ends
0CR EELNyroSs ABE1AD.
Aferthis arraignment Of Congress the
President takes up the subject OF our for
eiga relations, and. first in orier. the
fishery question, giving a concise account
of his dealings with It, referring with &
touch Of acerbity to the rejection Of the
treaty Of last February. ~which DID sup
ply a satisfactory, practical and final adj
justment npon bass honorable and
Just To both parties Of the difficult and
vexed question to which IT related, and
10 the fact that he subsequently and un-
availiDgly recommended other legisIa-
tion ? he calls the attention Of Congress
anew ~to the condition Of this important
question
The paragraph OF tke message written
with the most heat is that concerning
Lord SackviIle. the correspondence rela-
tive to whom VIII in due course be laid
before Congress, ~and viii disclose the
unparIonsoie conduit o. the official re-
ferred to in his interference by advice
aud counsel with the sufrages Of Ameri-
can citizens in the very crisis Of the
Presidential election then near at hand
and also in his subsequent public dscia-
rafioas 70 justify his action. spreading
Of the Executivs and sen
ate # the United States. in connection
with important questions now pending in
between the two govern
ments.
MINOR FuEElGy QUESTIONS
On some less importint foreign matters
the President says he has ready f5r the
senate a conventional preiea with the
maritime powers looking to prevention
os the determination Of the fur seals Of
Behring'S sea urges al adequate appro-
priation for a careful survey of the bouu-
diary between Alaska and British C0lum-
bia. that the dispute over it may be end
ed; desires an agreement with the Eng
lish Government on the right Of vessels
Of the two nations to enter the inland
waters Of each other and lend assistance
20 wrecked crews, the act Of June %,
1873, on that point not being effective
through the nou-action Of Cdnada asks
protection for Frenehmen naturalized
against the dangers Of being compelled
to do military service in the event Of
their returning 20 France on , visit Of
business OF friendship refers 70 the com
pensation voted to Chinamen for injuries