Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-12-05

AN'h A'tAs iilli'Si llHis
We zee no evidence that President Har-
Rison WAS influenced by conscious self
ois.rust in preparing his first annusi mes-
Ba9e. Il appears To be the work of u
serene and oontented mind. We Judge
that it's author was at no time harassed
by sny doubt whether the task before
HIM might not transcend the resources
OF las intellect and his experience, or by
any fear that he might fsil to give in
tsreSt 10 tho information aud value to the
advice which il was his duty to impart to
Congress. lie was uutroublsd by any
suspicion that the annals Of past Of tho
prgotice Of contemporary s.atecraft
might show that the beads OF govern
meota ere accustomed to treat public
affairs otherwise than he has treated them.
I'll natural enough that mind capable
of composing no dull message should BIO
incapable Of rightly approaching its own
work. AH q mere reference index to the
public business the message mst have
some value in Congress and IN newspaper
Offices, tut II it records the events OF the
time it throHs no light upon thtm, aud
wttle it reiers to acknowledged evils, It
RuqYasts no proper remedies. To soy
that Mr. Harrison ia tImid in his treat
mtnt of the larger question OF national
policy wonld give only hint Of the
truth. Ii we venture to say that he
Bho~a unmistakahle cowardioe we are
still within tha warrant Of the facts. No
other motive than fear could have re-
strained the President from making
clear ana -pecihc recommendations
o, tari,T revision. lie knowa that mem
who yoled fog him and spent their money
for his election are now demanding relief
from the Ic.iops OF tho tariff laws, and
he kncwa mat tue yndratries IF the coun-
try need che relief. But while he does
liz services TO the cause of revision, pro-
festing TO racognizs 1t us n ''concedei
need" he pfOc!eims his dnbroken aervi-
tnde to the protec.iooist4 who yielded the
Welcome fat" Inst year by his remarks
about tho Commercial Independence of
on" country" The plain trush ii that
MIR. Harrison is afraid OF tariff revision.
The culS courage he elbows is the shame
lesi ooatRgaot contrasting that he is afraid.
President Egrfison's mehsgEe must be
accepted as the measure OF she man. He
has already besn pretty accurately meas
ured by the people Of the country, and
by none moro accurately than by candid
nombels o. his own part. Even his few
prOrossed admirers will find nothing in
tbs message to justify ANY lingering be-
lief they msy nave that he has native
capacity or acquired competence TO guide
the national policy With firmneBs or in
se)liSenee. Ips policy he compiGcently
eruounces and approves il to ''let things
drift"
SANS IDRAs, SANS POLICY.
New York sun, Noudcscript
IN The massnye Is Gisclogure; and what
X 1t discloses is Ftesident without ideas
~'D' al administration without policy.
3N AN oRGAN's APPROVAL.
Az New fcrk tribune, Rep
,NA Erssid mt aarrlson'5 first message is a
a plan, candid and entirely unpretentious
Sey,ew of public affairs. Its most strik-
Ing characteristic III an absence of prs.
telce, exsRgeration or rhetorical flourish
AID there Is no attsmpt TO enlarge upon
especial topics foF the sake of catching
q Temporary popular applause or partisan
adynnthSs. IL has tne tone throughout
OF cunscious strength and sincerity, and
Of profound conviction tha. the people
"A will unwaveringiy sustain the national
tpoiicias TO which they gave approval by
their votes one year ago.
DECENTRALIZATION AND rATERNALIsM.
New nrl Ncrlt Dem.
fhH lCadlng characteristics OF tho
Presidept's message arc its undertaking
advocacy of cent raIizltion and pstefnal-
Iipfu III kONSIbmtht HAu llb JANVulS un'
ccnsuious assumption that the kapubli
can party is the repnblis. In these re,
Hpec,s the message is in close conformity
with tho attitud4 and tendency of the
party which made Mr.. Harrison Preai,
dent.
EVERYTHING TuAT is LOVELY.
New FORK Ircst Rep.
inst such l. message as might have beer
expected from the sensible, conservative
practical man who made the remarkable
series of speeches in 1888 ut Indianapolis
aod who gave tho country one Of tht
ahiest inaugural addresses ever delivered
on the steps Of the capitol. Tho dooa
msnt presented to the senate and Houst
OF Representatives. yesterday is compre
hensiVe and touches upon oil the import
ant measures now before the people. L
Is broad in its scope patriotic in It's tone
concilistory in spirit, strong in it's Re
publicanisn., f;m in its economic oonvic
lions, CONSERVATIVE in its recommends
tiouH and practical in its several sugges
tions. Upon the whole President Harri
son has given the country most salts
factory MASSAGE.
WAX M ONLY NOTABLE FOR TIMIDITY.
Phiiadelphia Record, Ind.
The President III mis- message 10 Con
gress hnlts and hesitntes be does no
take the country into his confidence ii
regard to matters of real moment. III
skirts around the ragged edge of dan
gerous topics and HIDES himself in
WILDERNESS Of detail.
The President would dispose Of th
surplus immediately in hand by buyinj
bonds -en operation rtqliring the con
sent OF bondhoiders. Eut he makes ~
decisive recommendation for the stoppag,
of the stream of redundant revenue. Il
says the tariff should be revised, but dis
tinctly insists shat protection" aud no
s'revenue" is the main thing 10 be con
sidered. And he lays down no precis
line OF action. He admits that the fire
list can be aatcly extended by placiuI
thereon articles that do not Cff4r 10
M furious competition TO such domesti
products ns our home iaboT can supply
But this is a hint, not Recommendation
He alsO suggests that the tobacco tal
might be repealed and the whisky tai
lmodlaea. That is all, And this IS tn
Beginning and the ending Of his dis
cussion OF the subject of taxation.
'3s w But the most absolute evasion ia Il
dealing with the silver question, Fl
talks on both sides without unoondition
ally favoring or disfavoring either. Sec
rotary WINDOWS scheme for issuing sill
VI yer bullion certificates the President &C
tuaily runs away from, with the pie
that he has had no time to consider il,