Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS LAST MES
SAGE.

grip upon the helm of the old ship
of state. He nowhere rises above
the commonplace, except in his
intrudu ctiOn, which is a labored'
pessimistic vail oyer his defeat In
November, aud a despainng APP
peal to his scattered partlsans TO
rally under the old flag of tree
trade and save the country from
imaginary peIils not suggested by
any existing conditions. The masses
are arrayed against1he classes foI
no Just reason and with no good
purposes, as tar as we can see,
while monopolies, with a reckless
inconsequence objectionable in a
statesman, are made the direct
offsprings of a protective tariff
which also appears to be saddled
with all the other social troubles
now surging upon the surface not
only OF America, but European
life.
w hat the protective tariff has to
do with the coal oil trust, the cot
ton seed combine, the beef or rail
road monOpOlies, or Socialism,
Communism, Anarchism or any
other of the isms with which idle
and silly people choose to amuse
themselves Will nOt he very clear
to the millions whose OK has not
been recently gored, nor will such
a heterogeneous mingling of mat
ters which have no rational con-
necton with each other, lessen the
general feeling of security OCCASION
ed by the selection of a sound
statesman to succeed the present
executive.
The Presidents rather ostenta'
tious plea for the Constitution
comes at time when that instru'
ment is being more strictly con-
strued than ever before, and IS,
therefore, unnec essary; while his
citation from one OF JacksOn's state
papers, to sustain his own position,
will strike the political reader con-
versant with JackSOn's methods as
curious, to say the least. The hero
of New Orleans is not precisely
the person to invoke as the typical
defender of either laws or COnstltu'
ton, where an important end could
be gained by the temporary substl-
tuition Of his own iron will.
The President is equally IN
fortunate IN his illusions to the
conversion of the surplus to the
redemption of the national debt
There may be sound reasons for
reducing the surplus and dis
continuing the purchase of bonds
beyond the requirements for the
sinking fund, but he does not give
them. After showing that ST.
10000 has been saved for the peo.
pie during the year by buying
bonds, he endeavors to prove by a
theoretical venture, calling to mind
his free trade message a year ago,
that the country would have been
benefited to a still greater extent
If the money used TO purchase had
not been raised by taxation. On
the same principle, the people
would be infinitely better off IL the
bonds were redeemed; and, to
carry the argument to its logical
conclusi on, it would be still more
economical TO raise no taxes and
pay neither interests nor principal.
OF course, the President does not
mean any such things, but it shows
to what length loose style of
argument may lead those whose
zeal outruuS their discretion.
His recommendation of the
suspension of silver coinage will
meet with general approval. 1t
should have been done long ago,
and would have been but for the
continuous barrier of a Democratic
majority in the House of Repre-
sentativeS. The Presidents ex-
hlbit of the extension of the mail
service and the increase of receipts
is gratifying. 1t would have been
more so, if there could have been
added commensurate efficiency
and security in the service. BE
still harps on the rejected fisheries
treaty, but as this is as dead as
Hector, the public will not be-
grudse him his m 'mentary lament
over the remains. The Sackville
incident is so indefinitely stated,
that it will be well TO suspend com
meut until all the correspondence
is made public. The somewhat
queer action Of the President in
opening a correspondence on the
subject with the British ministry
and summary dismissing Sack
vile, to the surprise of Lord Sails
bury, before the negotiations were
ended, is not explained.
War and naval affairs are briefly
alluded to IN the message, and the
progress made in constructing a
navy is dwelt upon with some pride
why, is not so apparent, as the
best ships now in the navy are
those built 10y John Roach aud
unQuaiidedly condemned by the
present administration, while when
a vessel was wanted tor immediate