The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-06

~ llOrJ COMPLEMENTARY ihu VI
the utterances of its class. 1t touches on
most of the subjects of broad national con-
Germ, and it touches them in a lucid, vlg0r-
GUS and gratifying manner. III most IN
teresting questions dealt with by the In
augural were the surplus problem. the attl-
tude to be preserved toward the South,
n the foreign policy TO be pursued. In
speaking of the Southern question, he
makes it plain that he isopposed to any diff
ferent treatment for one section of the
country than that which is accorded to all
other sections. The address is a vigorous,
straightforward and honest American ut
terance, and will give satisfaction to every
rightly-constructed patriotic American"
The Democratic Press.
.ChicagoTimes: "The Presidents address
will entirely please his party. and Will not
disappoint the opposition. Each expected
its substance. Its form is admirable. Har-
rison is a capable man."
st. louis Republic: considered as a
whole, the inaugural does not promise Mr..
Harrison n successful or ever n creditable
administration. 1t does seem to us to
threaten an administration that will repre-
sent Harrison narrOwnesS and Blaine dis
honesty"
San Francisco Examiner: president Har-
rison's inaugural address Is evidently his
own. There were none of the flashing
pyrotechnics in it that would have be-
trayed the hand of Blaine. 1t was calm,
thoughtful, a little commonplace perhaps.
DuL well caiculdltu. vi tut WuOlt, 10 Rlsc
the country confidence in the intentions of
the new administration"
Chicago News: The new President of the
United States has acquitted himself admir-
ably of this first duty of his office. The ad-
dress shows that be has carefully weighed
the leading questions of the day, and that.
while standing with his party on all of
them, he is yet an Amer; an who has the
good of the Nation at heart. and who has
realized that he is President of all the peo-
nla hofh North ond Soufh The nolipV ont
lined by him is both wise and patriotic"
Louisville Courier-Journal: The Ohio
idea, as expressed by Mr.. Sherman, Is that
all congressional elections, and elections
for presidential electors, should be actually
under control of the President. When Mr..
Harrison commits himself to this he has
gone to the utmost extremein nj avoring fed
eral interference in local affairs, and this
policy, not executive, not legislative, but
this party policy, is not the less dangerous
because Mr.. Sherman and Mr.. Harrison pre-
tend that it is to be applied to the whole
country"
Detroit Free Press: 1.-THE inaugural adj
dress of President Harrison bears the I'M
press of ea~rnestness, but it is lacking in
breadth. The impression it leaves is that
the President is honestly convinced that
the so-called protective policy, If not the
cause of all the material development of the
q its aid thenational progress would have
been much slower and less satisfactory.
The topic is the principal one to which he
devotes attention, and he seems to leave 1T
with reluctance"
New York World: President Harrison,
while rejecting altogether the suggestion
of a special executive policy for any section
of our country, nevertheless has a hundred
pointed words TO say of the alleged denial
of the right of voting to negroes at the
South to one word of feeble reference to
the corruption of the suffrage at the North.
President Harrison's utterances upon civil
service reform are little more than admOni-
tion TO the spoils-seekers to be patient.
There is nothing In the Presidents words
that can be twisted, by even the most SAN
guine reformer. into an Endorsement of the
fundamental principles of this reform. In
deed. office-seeking is commended, and the
intimation is plainly conveyed that party
services constitute a valid claim to reward.
The Presidents attitude toward the tariff
Is. in brief, to keep up the war rate and to
use its u~ndoubted advantages to its rich
beneficiaries as a means of capturing some
of the Southern States. There is not In
the address one earnest word In favor
of stopping the surplus by reduc-
ing taxation. Wastefulness. prOfligacy
or favoritism in public expenditure is de-
nOunced, but the President plainly init
mates his belief that there is no especial
need of cutting down the evenue. Surplus
the new administration. The outline of a
foreign policy IS perhaps the most salts
factory passage in the Presidents address.
1t is bold without buster, and calm with
out %cringing. The reference to American
rights in Samoa is especially admirable. If
President Harrison can hold Mr.. Blaine to
the line which he has laid dOwn in his
address, he VIII do his country a great
service, and prove himself a strong man."
New York Sun: General Harrison's IN
augural address speaks well for him. 1t is
a modest, sensibly conceived, and excel
lently written essay on the state of the
Union. 1t contains no surprise, no novelty
of political philosophy, no startling an
nOuncement of administrative pol
icy. The substance of nearly
everything that General Harrison
could have been predicted six weeks ago
with tolerable accuracy by an intelligent
student of contemporary politics. If any
foolish friend of the new administration
has expected that yesterday would be
chosen for the sudden unmasking of a pow
erful and original individuality not hereto
lore suspected to exist, he will be disap-
pointed; If any prejudiced enemy has
hoped that the inaugural speech would be
the disclosure of mental feebleness, ridicu-
lous pomposity and general incOmpetency
to. handle the reins OF government. he, like
wise, Will be disappointed, and even more
than the other fellow. Good taste. good
Judgment, and a very shrewd sense of what
1t Is better to leave unsaid at present char
acterized the document. 1t skirts the
edges of the too obviously true without
crossing over. There is not a proconsul in
It. nor any sign of a slaughtered Roman
1t repeats acknowledgement maxims, and
principles without can't or assumption of
superior knowledge. 1t gives the impress
sion of a reserve of power. 1t is mOder-
ately rhetorical without buncombe. There
is nowhere In the lines, or behind the lines,
the slightest trace of that offensive egotism,
that air of discovering immortal truths,
which provokes hostility at sight, like a
sanctimonious and at the same time pre-
tentious face. We are free to confess that
this Is an encouraging circumstance. The
country has still to learn just what sort of
man President Harrison is, but the ad-
dress, which will be so widely read this
morning in every part of the Republic,
proves very clearly what sort of a man he
is not. He is not q weakling or a fraud.
All the indefinable qualities which. in
literary productions as in personal bearing,
attract or repel without affording any ex-
PLANTATION of their effect upon the observer,
count In this address in General Harrison's
fayor,notagainst him. and we think hat can
did Democrats will be as quick as enthusi-
astic Republicans to recognize that fact"
Comment by Berlin Papers.
BERLIN, March 5.-Excepting the Tape-
blatt and the Vossische Zeitung, the papers
here reserve their opinions on President
Harrison's inaugural address. The Tage-
blatt SAYS that the address shows an arro-