The Russellville Democrat., 1889-03-14
correspondence of the Democrat.
The Presidents Message.

The Presidents Message.
 The Presidents address is very exceptionable document, not for what it says, but for what it insinuates and for what it fails to say.
 By DO means bold or emphatic, yet it strongly portends partisan ad- ministration.
 It hints at and half suppresses, as if it were the offspring of struggle between prudence and strong parti- gan feeling.
 There was never man elevated to the presidency whose inaugural was so barren of emphatic expression. He does not stand committed to any policy in absolute terms but the pro tective tariff system, and wherever else he has ventured to lay down any policy, he has so qualified it so as to strip it of every element of asser tiveness; he evidently means to be led, and not to lead, for the whole document suggests that he Is in the hands of his party, and no where has he committed himself where the pleasure of his party has not been revealed.
 As specimen of statesmanship it is as weak as water.
 The first point that the President makes is the mutual covenants ex- istfng between him and the people resulting from his oath of office.
 Second, that Providence provided a Washington to steer the ship of State of this country Tn the be. ginning of it's first century, and a Harrison in the begin ming of Its second century, under conditions in many respects similar to that in Washington's time, save it has been reserved for Harrison to gov ern better fed and 8 better clothed people than was the fortune of Wash. ington.
 Then comes his devotion to the protective tariff system of the repub lican party by means of which the masses are robbed in the interest of the classes, and further on, h dis connected and disappointed arrange ment, he treats of the treasury sur. plus, which is the weakest thing we have ever met in print on this sub feet, and would not do credit to g country newspaper editor. He dis claims any special southern policy but he has so qualified that propos ition as to obscure his meaning in doubt and has left us to surmise merely. In thIs connection he dis cusses the equality of all qualified electors at the ballot and tue evils consequent upon the discrimination or denial of the right of any legally qualified to vote, which is evidently intended as lecture to the South.
 And further on he intimates that if evil practices are not stopped the general government might take con trol of elections. This, I dare say is as far as the most ultra repuhli can would ask him to go.
 The professed friend of Civil Ser vice reform, yet he maintains the imprscticability of placing it on non partisan basis, and while he express ly refralns from making any promis es, here, yet he virtually says thai the democrats must go, and thei' places shall be filed by republicans who have done honorable party ser ype, and admonishes his friends thsI persistency and importantly for of | fee will tend to clog, rather than ex pedite hls removing democrats from office, and entreats them not to dc anything to impede his progress ir this respect In short his inaugura is promise to do the thing iusI like they used to do it-a restoration of all the evil practices 9f the repub lican party of yore.
 | OBSERVER.