Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-04
PREsIDENT HARRIsoN,s MEssAGE.

The first thing which will occur to the
reader of President Harrison's message is
that the present occupant of the White
House does not mean to follow the example
of President Cleveland, two years ago, and
commit the fortunes of his administration
to a single issue. President Harrison
touches upon almost every subject in which
Congress or the country has an interest.
As to a great many of them, he assumes
merely the function of receiver rather than
that OF an originator or advocate of measures.
The general drift of the document is con-
servative. with tendency to put upon Con-
gress the whole responsibility for inquiring
into details and framing policies This is
notable in respect to the tariff. President
Harrison recognizes the necessity for a revi-
sion of the schedule of duties, and insists that
while difficult, it can be accomplished with
out injury to the protection of home indus
tries. His position is that revision of
the tariff must not be made with an eye to
the Treasury alone. He would not revise
it, as his Democratic predecessor recon-
mended, for the mere purpose Of cutting
down the surplus. The interests of home
manufactures, and of those engaged in them,
must be primarily considered in whatever is
done. This is undoubtedly the sentiment of
the Republican party. Though President
Harrison affords no sort of help or sugges-
ton to Congress as to the details of revision,
he has stated clearly enough the general
lines upon which it should be conducted.
The next most interesting recommendation
of the message, and one upon which the
President is direct, positive and assuredly
in harmony with the public sense, is that
Congress must provide for transportation
between the United States and the South
American States. This, he points out,
means subsidy for vessels plying be-
tween them. Subsidy is word which,
through past abuses, has fallen into national
i'll odor; but it would be puerile to hesitate
where it is clearly the only means of secur-
ing those facilities for the extension of trade
of which everybody admits the need. The
instance frequently given in The DIS
PATCH, of travel from Brazil to the United
States being compelled to take the cir
cuitous route bv Liverpool, is mentioned by
the President as a glaring illustration of
the present condition of things.
After the tariff and South American
trade, the topic which this year has loomed
most conspieuously in the foreground is
that of pensions. The President does not
discuss or alIude to the perturbations of the
Pensions Bureau during the summer and
fall He does not go in for what is known
as a general Service pension, but he
adopts a proposition which will more
readily be accepted by the country as fair
and even unavoidable. He urges the
granting of pensions to sail hon
orably discharged soldiers ard sail
ors who, having rendered substantial |
service in the war, are now dependent |
upon their own labor for maintenance, and |
by disease or casualty are incapacitated |
from earning it." He asks that no such |
veteran be obliged to depend upon such local |
relief as is given to mere paupers. and he
appeals with confidence to the generosity |
and public sense of the fitness of things to
sustain such legislation.
On the Southern question the recommen-
dation is for the passage of a law taking the
whole processes of Congressional elections
under Federal control. This is a radical |
step. 1t will lead to the hottest partisan |
debates in the present session Of Congress.
Upon relations with foreign powers the |
message is mostly narrative-a sort of gen.
eral view of the situation-unmarked in
any notable degree by suggestions. There
are several other stock subjects which are
treated quite voluminously; but the parts of
the message which will attract general in
terest are those which have already been
mentioned.
On the whole, the Presidents deliverance
is, as might have been expected, neither SEN
sational nor venturesome in the matter of |
suggesting new departures. 1t strong and
sensible on at least three of the most impor-
tant questions before the country: the tariff,
the extension of our foreign trade, and PEN
sions. Most of the other topics taken up are
merely treated in the spirit that it is usual
for Presidents to say something about them
in their messages, rather than with the con-
viction that there are new lights to throw
upon them.