Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-19
A PATRIOTIC DOCUMENT.
PraisewOrthy Features of President Har-
risOn's First Oflciai Communication.

/ Oh the 01CeQ states WHICH Orua1uS LnaL
'he shall from time to time give to
the Congress information Of the
state of the Union, and recommend to
their consideration such measures as he
shall judge necessary or expedient." 1t
is clearly in memory that Mr.. Cleve-
lands last message did not give to the
Congress particle of information of the
state of the Union, and did burden the
people with a vast vagary of Anglican
theory as to tariffs. President Harri-
! sons message is, first, an exhaustive re-
| port of the state of the Union in all it's
domestic and foreign affairs, and, Sec
ondly, a vigorous recommendation of
certain measures which the Republican
party advocated in its platform, and
which the American people approved by
the election of Republican President.
The narrative pOrtion-which is by far
| the greater-of the Presidents message
is as unimpasSioned in tone and as ele-
CANT in style as the work of scholarly
historian. 1t conveys to Congress a
plain statement of the condition of all
the business and all the conditions of
the Nation; it is faithful and exact, to
| the verge of formality.. 1t is the work
of man who feels himself to be pub
lie servant working under the eye of a
most observant master. The advisory
part is told with the boldness of right
eousness. Certain great truths were
proclaimed by the Republican party in
its platform, and instantly accepted and
believed by the Nation.
l. As to the evil of trusts: The plat
form did not mince matters, nor does
| the President. He calls them danger
GUS conspiracies against the public
good" and urges that they be made the
subject of prohibitory and even penal
legislation" A stronger epithet and a
more vigorous recommendation could
not be imagined.
9, Pensions: The platform demanded
that mo man who wore the Federal
uniform shall become the inmate of an
alms-house or dependent upon private
| charity" The President recommends
that all who need help shall receive
help. Where man, who risked his life
and gave three or four years of his
prime to the service of his country, has
become too old or too weak to work, the
President holds that the country should
be too honorable to permit him to be-
come pauper. And he urges legisla-
ton to this end.
8. AS to tariff: The platform said;
''The protective system must be main
tanned" The President says the PRO
tective principle should be kept in sight
in all efforts at revision;" he recon-
mends revision, even to the extent of
enlarging the free list by ''all articles
that do not offer injurious competition
to such domestic products as our home
markets supply" but he insists upon
protection to the products Of the farm,
the loom, the forge, the mine, and the
factory. He would enlarge the home
market by the same great policy which
has enlarged it. Admitting the need of
revenue reduction, he advises reduction
by way of internal revenue, and especi-
ally by abolition of the tobacco tax.
4. The merchant marine and extern
sion of foreign influence: The plat
form favored the Nicaragua Canal
scheme and denounced the Democratic
administration for refusing aid and
sanction to it, and also for failure to
grant proper encouragement to our
trading vessels. The President urges
hearty support of the canal scheme,
and the granting of adequate subsidies
to the American mail-service between
our ports and those of Japan, China and
the Southern and Central republics.
5. The colored vote: The platform
affirmed the right of ''every citizen,
white or black, to cast one free ballot
and to have it fairly counted" The
President aff1rms that 1.-The present
condition (of the negro voter can not
be accepted as permanent" and after
asking, by way of answer to those who
declare that the States should be left
to solve the race problem, what are
these communities in which such OBJ
vious faults exist doing to solve the
problem?" he says: Il invite the at
tention of Congress to such measures
as may practically extend the suffrage
and civil rights to all"
6. AS to Civil-Service reform the
platform reads: 1--WE, therefore, re-
peat our declaration of 1884, to-wit.:
The reform of the civil service aus
piciously begun under the Republican
administration should be completed by
the further extension of the reform sys-
TEN to all grades of the service to
which it is applicable" The President,
after noting that now, and for the first
time, the spirit of the law is observed by
publication of the list of "eligibles,"
meaning those who have passed an ex-
animation, and after declaring that
''what is secret is open to suspicion"
avows it to be his pleasure and duty to
see that the law is executed with fair
ness and firmness." And he advises
Congress to enlarge rather than repeal
the law"
The message sounds in like tone on
all matters of impOrt-war ships, coast
defenses, Indian affairs, homestead laws,
fishery disputes, foreign relations of ell
shades and phases. 1t is truly Repub-
lican. 1t is the voice of an executive
who feels bound to execute the laws as
they are interpreted by the sense of the
Nation which elected him to Office. The
message has none of that offensive my
policy" none of that affectation of men,
tai superiority to the people, which was
apparent in the messages of Pres
ident Cleveland. General Harrison
does not aspire to be "wise
above that which is written" in
the platform of the party which NOM
mated him, and which was read and ap-
proved By the people who elected him.
The Presidents first message is dec
laration of his intent to do that which
the people elected him to do-to-wit; to
carry ont a soundlv Republican nolicv