Evening journal., 1889-12-04
NEWSPAPER OPINION.
President Harrison's Message Reviewed
by the Leading Journals.
mn 4.a.sA4. Pa


Philadelphia Record.
As an indication Of any definite policy
Of public administration the message lacks
strength. 1t is only notable for timidity. |
The President is disposed TO feel his way, |
rather than to make his way. He |
admits that the free list can be safely |
extended by placing thereon articles that
do not offer injurious competition to
such domestic products as our home
labor can supply" He also suggests
that the tobacco tax might be re-
pealed and the whisky tax modified
But the most absolute evasion is in
dealing with the silver question. lie
talks on both sides. without uncondition-
ally favoring or disfavoring either.
Members OF Congress who may turn to
| the Presidents message for information
| on the subjects of Tariff Reform and Rev
enue Reduction will be disappointed
There are no subjects upon which the
public expected so much from the Mes
sage. aud none upon which it has received
SO little. Possibly President Har-
risons own mind has not alto
gether escaped the influences Of
the educational campaign in
behalf OF tariff reform The Presi-
dents message is very long, but IL does
not contain the word subsidy from be-
ginning to end Though the message
may, possibly, mean subsidy, its adthor
was not bold enough to use the word
There is one piece of news in the
Presidents message telling OF the conclu
sion Of an extradition treaty with Great
Britain 1t IS understood that this treaty
is almost exactly similar to that con
cluded by Secretary Bayard aud killed by
4 4
0f the Senate, simply because Secretary
Bayard had negotiated IT, The message
viii not shape legislation II will tit itI
fairy wen with almost any legislation
the Republicans in Congress may propose
and this may have been Harrisons in
tention,
Philadelphia edger.
The Presidents observation to Con
gress about holding the Worlds Fair in
1892, sin some of the great cities,
clearly shows the President to be ia favor
OF either st. York, New Louis, Washigo
or Chlcashington as the right place But.
then, each WIS sure of Mr.. Harrisons
support from the first The Pres.
tdent recommends a revision" of our
tariff law, both in its administrative
features and in the schedules. ere
visions. it is observed, is the word
and the right word "Tarin
reform" is high-souniing chant;
it may be made TO mean
anything everything and nothing
The defects Of the administrative part of
the law should be corrected and the
inequalities Of the tax part of the law
should be adjusted; but the protective
principle should be maintained and fairly
applied to the products of our farm "a
we'll as our shops The President then
suggests such extension OF the free list IS
viii not injuriously compete with home
labor together with the removal Of the
tobacco tax, and Of the tax on spirits used
Ia the arts. The advocates of free
and unlimited silver coinage get but cold
comfort from the message In
the matter of pensions the President
recommends that Congress shall grant
pension to such honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors Of the civil war as,
having rendered substantial service dur
ing the war, are now dependent upon
their own labor for maintenance and by
disease or casualty are ineapacitated from
earning it--and these pensions are to 20
To the incapacitated soldier, whether the
disease or disability can be traced 10 the
soldiers service in the war or not.
Philadelphia Telegraph
The Presidents arraignment Of the
South although he is very careful not to
mention the Southern states directly. for
its treatment Of the negro, viii not serve
to 'allay sectional feeling, or help in set-
tling the vexed race question as it exists
to day. Upon the great question Of the
tariff, Mr.. Harrison certainly could not
say less than he does. Altogether Mr.
Harrison's FIRST message is pre- eminently
characteristic On many great questions
it is almost silent, speaking without eff
feet, while on others it is in line with the
aggressive political policy that
has been shaping the course and
destiny Of the Republican party for more
than year past On no important
point does the President show any ndica
tion Of e6ming into conflict with his
party; on the other hand, there Is no
evidence Of any disposition, much less
a bility to take the reins of leadership
and push forward IN any direction IL Ii
Just such message as the public career
OF Benjamin Harrison would hays indl-
Gated.
New York SIM
For originality, grasp Of public ques
tions, and sense of perspective in the
hNtNtmthb OF bu5 GUNAlLlou OF nNLlOlal
affairs, General Harrison's message COM
pares unfavorably with the frst message
sent to Congress BY Mr. Hayes twelve
years ago. This is saying rather a severe
thing abeut General Harrison, but it Is
strictly true. The weakest man that
ever occupied the White House had more
TO offer to Congress in the way Of infor-
nation and suggestion, and offered it
with a more vigorous individuality OF
thought and expression than the present
Chief Executive Of the United States can
exhibit or command We can spare our
reaf e the tedious perusal Of about seven
columns Of sluggish and uninspiring lit
erature. The wearied eye passes from
paragraph to paragraph OF geographical,
historical, and statistical statement aud
platitudiuous comment. The message is
amorphous. Long as it Is, it might have
been twice as long on the same principle
Of construction, and neither more nor
less valuable Or the whole Of ii
might have been left unwrit-
ten without the slightest detri
ment to the peace and honor Of the
country or the prosperity and security OF
the people, and without the slightest loss
20 the Fifty first Congress, now assem-.
bled for the business Of legislation. The
message is disclosure; and what it dis
closes Is a President without ideas aud
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