The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-12-11
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

we would ike very much to publish
President Cleveland's annual message to
Congress in full, that our readers might
have it to refer to all through the next
Presidential campaign. but, owing to its
great length, this we cannot do and have
space for other important matters which
demand place in the columns of the
FLORIDIAN. We have therefore to con-
tent ourselves with mere mention of a
few of its powerfully strong points.
This, unlike the last annual message,
is not wholly devoted to the tariff ques-
tion, but it is made the most prominent
and leading feature, though various i'm
portant matters pertaining to the govern
ment are reviewed. In fact, this message
contains synopsis of the reports Of all
the heads of the different departments,
and it gives clear general idea of the
actual condition of government affairs.
Mr.. Cleveland is wise and wonderful
statesman, as we'll as courageous man.
He forced the tariff issue in his last mes
sage, and in this he vigorously maintains
the same ground. Cleveland never moves
backward. He knows that the down.
trodden people should be protected from
the grinding avariciousness Of monopo-
lies and trusts, and he steadfastly adheres
to his demand that they be protected by
tariff reform measures. He sees that the
farmers and all laboring classes are being
ground down by the protective tariff
that the poor are growing poorer and the
rich richer. He thinks-and so do the
people-that the day is not distant when
the farmers will be educated up to a full
understanding of the tariff, and will
clearly see that high protective tariff is
against the interests of all laboring
classes. They will then demand reduc-
tion in the cost of the necessaries of life
and Tariff Reform will follow.
Cleveland has nailed the banner Of
Tariff Reform to the masthead He has
sounded the tocsin for the campaign of
1892. And the battle will be boldly and
aggressively fought until victory is ours
and the rights of the people have been
placed above those of hydra-headed mo-
nopolies. We have four years in which
to educate the people--and right will
surely prevail over might in the end.
The message condemns the making of
extravagant appropriations as a policy
for reducing the surplus, but warns Con-
gress that the same threatening condition
remains, and that steps must be quickly
taken to remedy this withdrawal of capi-
tai from circulation. The surplus last
year was $ll9,OOO,0O0 and it is estimated
that for the current year it will amount
to fully $l04,00O,0oO. What will Con
gress do about it?
The President disapproves Of bond
buying to keep down the surplus. He
justly and forcibly scores all trusts, mo-
nopolies and combines He recommends
the revision of the pension and nat
uralization laws, and says that he con-
silers the fisheries treaty good one.
One popularity of the message is the
entire absence OF any mention of civil
service reform, but no doubt Mr. Clcvc-
land thought Congress TO be fully aware
of the needs in pertectiny AMI shaping
this as it should be- He will doubtless
ma ke it the subject for a special mess ge
soon.
The Sackvillc-W West mattcri is mentioned
briefly. The c>t,blishm mt # sub-ma-
rine telegraphic communicative with Hon
olulu is urg, d, as is a'so the conclusion of
a treaty of commercial reciprocity With
Mexico.
While the message was being read the
Republican members laughed and deri-
svely jeered at the manly and states
manlike manner in which the President
presented the tariff question, Mr.. Cannon,
of Illinois, even going so far as to say:
It's pharisaical. However, it's his last
gasp and doesn't matter" Such illman-
nered discourtesy in the halls of Congress
are without precedent, and coming just at
that point of the message where the Pres
ident was conservatively though forcibly
49, Gov rN,c;A