Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-12-04

The Presidents Message.

The presidents message Is O curious
rdocument; simpliRed somewhat it runs
more or less rs follows: There are few
transactions in the administration OF
'the government that everybody don't
know as much about as do, and sng-
restions as toneeded legislation find an
searlier voice than that of the president,
paftion, Mr.. Blaine--than that which
4 tpeaks In annual communications of the
& plssident to Congress. Hurrah for
everybody, particularly China ana
Eouth America The surplus for this
year Is forty-three million and for next
year will be about the same. Money
not needed Is unnecessary. We
should not collect revenue for the
purpose Of anticipating bonds, but 1t Is
8 fortunate that such a use can be made
4 of the surplus. ] recommend revision
81 the tariff. Some disturbance of busi-
ness may perhaps result from the con-
eideration of this subject by Congress,
but of course 10 don't matter how much
i talk about It. The free list can very
safely be extended by placing thereon
articles that do not offer injurious COM
S petition to domestic products. II Is
your business to find out how this may
be done without seeming to follow
the Mills bill. The taxes on the
necessaries Of life are so heavy that we
can afford to take the tax Off tobacco.
i AS to the silver question, am averse TO
treading on the dangerous edge of such
peril. ! very urgently recommend
an appropriation for the construction OF
forts. Trusts are often dangerous con
4 spiracies against the public good, and
+ should he made the subject of pr0hibi
tory or even penal legislation, although
my premier, Mr.. Blaine, considers then
private affairs with which neither the
president nor any private citizen has
any business to interfere. Many wht
served In the war are now disabled
by disease or casualty and should bt
8 pensioned. Two thousand railroad EN-
ployes We're killed in 1883 and twenty
thousand injured. II is necessary t.
have one view of the civil service Law
and hold 1t with sincerity that is no
affected by the consideration that thu
/ for the time in power. Thii
4 sarcasm, but recent electionsl in
dicate short time in power. l recon-
mend national aid to education but
as one Congress can not bind a succeed
! ing one, school authorities had bette
make the most of what they may get
The colored people are now free. vic
& late no confidence in publishing thi
news. To send them all out of the coun
try would produce sensation. earn
estly invoke the attention of Con
n gress to the exercise of the righ
a Of suffrage, which is not at all to m.
liking. The law for the supervision O
elections should be so strengthened as +
y secure better results. Let US extend on
s. foreign commerce. invoke the seriou
attention OF Congress to these and val
q ious other things.
The above may not cover al the presi
dents message, but it seems to skin
along and knock specimen chips from
\ the whole vast expanse of dreary an'
cautious phraseology. He only ven
{ tures to speak with decision whel
handling such matters as the massacr
Of brakemen and the expressions O
& trusts aboat which public opinion is dc
cided and clear. He is trimmer an,
e follower, not a leader of public thought
j. and even in that part he does not figur
with good effect and falls far below tn
high Intellectual average of American
presidents.