The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-12-07
Friday, Dec. 2, 1883.
Meeting Of Congress and the Mes,
sage.

congress mct OH AMOuuny az i
o'clock and both houses were called
to order by their respective officers,
when a joint committee was appoint
ed to wait upon the President and
notify him that they were rea y to
receive the annual Message, and the
last annual Message of President
Cleveland was handed into both
houses and read. The Message is
long and exhaustive in detail, and
all able paper. Though beaten, the
President maintains the position be
took a year ago when his famous
tariff message was laid before Con
gress, and stoutly defends his pc.
sition, insisting he was right then,
and argues on the side of the people
against the threatened dangers of
the colossal power of monopoly
which is growing SO rapidly in this
country, threatening to override the
liberties of the people and establish
an impossible gulf between them and
gigantic money power. We make
some extracts from the message in
which the President discusses the
dangerous features of our public
affairs which confront this nation
as well as modern civilization of the
world. Referring to "Centralized
Wealth and Labor the Message con.
tinues:
GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE.
Instead of limiting the tribute drawn
from our citizens to the necessities of its
economical administration, The government
persists in extracting from the substance Of
the people millions which unapplied and
useless lie dormant in its Treasury. This
fragrant injustice and this breach of faith
and obligation add to extortion the danger
attending the diversion of the currency Of
the country from the legitimate channels
of business.
JJuder the same laws by which these re-
suits are produced the government permits
many millions more 10 be added to the cost
of the Lying of our people and to be taken
from our consumers, which unreasonably
swell the profits Of small but powerful
minority.
The people must still be taxed for the
support of the government under the eper-
alton Of tariff laws. But to the extent that
the mass Of cur citizens are Unfortunately
burdened beyond any useful public purpose,
and for the benefit of favored few, the
government, under pretext of an exercise Of
its taxing power, enters gratuitously into
partnership with these favorites, to their
advantage and to the injury of a vast major
ity Of our people.
This is not equality before the law.
The existing situation is injurious to the
health Of our entire body polite. II stiles,
in these for whose benefit it is permitted,
all patriotic love of country and substitutes
in its place selfish greed and grasping aver
ice. Devotion to American citizenship for
its own sake and for what il should accom-
plish as olive to our nations advance
ment and the happiness of all our people is
displaced by the assumption that the gov
eminent, instead of being the embodiment
of equality, is but an fundamentally
through which especial and individual ad
yaniages are 10 be gained
The arrogance of this assumption is un-
concealed. Itappears in the sordid disre-
gard Of all but personal interests, in the re-
fusal TO abate for the benefit of others one
iota Of selfish advantage and in combinations
to perpetuate such advantages through eff
forts TO control legislation and improperly
influence the suffiages of the people.
The grievances of those not included with
in the circle of these bene6ciaries, when
fnlly realized, will surely arouse irritation
and discomfort. Our farmers, long suffering
and patient, struggling in the race of life
with the hardest and most unremitting toll,
will not fail to see, in spite of misrepre-
sensations and misleading falacies, that they
are obliged to accept such prices for their
products as are fixed in foreign markets
where they compete with the farmers of the
world; that their lands are declining IN val
ne while their debts increase; and that
without compensating favor they are forced
by the action Of the government TO pay for
the benefit of others, such enhanced prices
for the things they need, that the scanty
returns of their labor fail 10 furnish their
support or leave no margin for accumula-
ton.
woRKINGMEN AND THE TARIFF.
Our workingmen, enfranchised from all
delnsions, and no longer frightened BY the