Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-12-06
Review Of the Message.


form.
The state OF the country is repre-
scented as prosperous. The harvests oi
the past summer have been exception
ally abundant and the trade conditions
now prevailing seem to him toproml'e
a successful season to the merchant
and manufacturer and general en-
ployment to the working-people.
The surplus in the Treasury is the
object OF his solicitude He recon-
mends that this matter have the early
attention OF Congress, with the object
OF reducing the receipts OF the Treasu-
nv to the needs OF the Government as
near as may be. The presence of so
large a balance in the Treasury is a
element in the conduct OF
private business. He disapproves OF a
loans to banks on Il security Of Gov
eminent bonds, and regards it Us a
dangerous cxpedient. and that no
further use should be made of this
method to get rid OF the surplus. He
favors an adjustment OF the tariff and
the placing upon Il free list of articles
that do not offer injurious competi-
ton to such domestic products as our
own labor can supply. The withdrawal
of the internal tax on tobacco, he de-
clares, would relieve an important ag-
ricultural product of a burden which
was imposed only because our revenue
from customs during the exigency OF
war, was not sufficient to keep up the
extraordinary expenses of the Govern
ment. He likewise favors the removal
of the tax on spirits used in the arts
and manufactures.
Regarding the operation of the
Chinese exclusion law he says: The
enforcement of this act has been found
to be very difficult ON the northwestern
frontier. Cinnamon landing at Victo-
ria find it easy to pass our border,
owing to the impossibility, with the
force at the command OF the customs
officers. of guarding SO long an inland
line. The Secretary of the Treasury
has authorized the employment. of ad-
ditional forces who will be assigned to
this duty, and every effort will be
made to enforce the law. The Do
minion exacts a head tax of $50 for
each Chinaman landed, and when
these persons, in fraud of our law,
cross into our Territory and are appre-
our officers do not know what
to do with them, as the dominion au-
thOrities will not suffer them to be
sent back without a second payment
OF tax. An effort will be made to
reach an understanding that will re-
move this difficulty.
Mr.. Harrison is emphatic in his rec
ommendation for the immediate and
thorough establishment of Coast de-
lenses, a project which Samuel Tilden
urged with so much force several
years ago not only as q prudential
measure but as means likewise of re-
d2cing the Treasury surplus.
The Field-Terry tragedy is the sub.
ject of q paragraph in the message.
The President favors more definite
provision by law, not only for the pro-
lection of the federal officers but for q
full trial for such cases in the United
States courts. He likewise advocates
the protection of witnesses by Con-
gressional legislation, called to testify
in the U. s. Courts.
The recommendation is made for
the establishment of an intermediate
appellate court, having final jurisdic-
ton of certain classes of cases, to re-
lieye the Supreme Court of a portion
of its onerous duties.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Blaine has de-
clared that trusts largely partake Of
that private nature of business with
which legislation should not NEEDLE,
the President says they are often or
ganized to crush out healthy competi-
ton and monopolize the production or
sale of some general necessity, and are
dangerous conspiracies against the
public good. He recommends that in
such instances they be made the SUBJ
ject OF prohibitory if not penal legisla-
ton.
The naturalization laws should be
80 revised as to make the inquiry into
the character and good disposition to-
ward our government of persons ap-
plying for citizenship more thorough.
This can be only done by taking fuller
control of examinations, by fixing q
time for hearing each application and
by requiring the presence Of some one
who shall represent the government in
the inquiry. Those who are enemies
of social order, who come to our shores
to swell the injurious influence and to
extend the evil practices of any asso-
citation that defies our laws, should not
only be denied citizenship but DOM
icile.
The enactment of q national bank
rupt law Of . character to be perma-
nent part of our general legislation is
declared to be desirable. 1t should.
however, be simple in its methods and
inexpensive in its administration.
The report of the Secretary of the
Navy show = reorganization of the
bureaus of the department that will,
he does not doubt, promote the efficien-
cy of each. In general, satisfactory
progress has been made in the con-
struction of the new ships of war
authorized by Congress. The first YES
sci of the new navy, the Dolphin, was
subjected to very severe trial tests,
and to very much criticism; but it is
gratifying to be able to state that