Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-12-19
BROTHER sEN.s MESSAGE


BROTHER BEN'S MESSAGE
n Its Recommendation Arc Carried Oct
the surplus WIN He . Dead Issue.
As usual in general messages from the
Executive Ofice President Harrison
commences with perfunctory narrative
of the relations of the Republic with
other nations of the earth. 1t is the
contribution of the State Department to
the body Of the message and contains
little that is important or instructive.
It is seldom that an Executive in gem
eral message departs from recognized
routine. Lincoln did it when the mem
ace of rebellion was upon us. Cleveland
did it when he wished strongly to
emphasize his conviction that the para
mount need of the country was tariff re-
form. But, pursuing the old lines,
President Harrison opens with couple
of columns descriptive of the status of
our affairs with foreign lands, in all of
which, since we are at peace with the
world, there is little of genuine interest
For the rest the message, save SIS the
Presidents view has been changed by
recent elections and by Department re-
ports, is a restatement of his letter of
acceptance and his speech on the 4th of
March last after taking the oath of Office.
The obligations of his Office make him
more SoiicitOuS about the evil effects of
= Treasury surplus than when he was
a candidate. The surplus for the last
year was in round numbers So, 800. 900.
The estimated surplus for the next year
Is $40, 900, 900. AS matter of fact this
may be falsifed, and it is altogether
likely that it will, for when Con-
greSS will have made its appropri-
| atoms 1t is not likely that the show
| ing will be quite so rosy. the President
| speaks upon this question as 1t he were
Cleveland himself, save that his rec
| concentrations are not so logical He
would have the internal tax on tobacco
| removed. He would have the free list
| of the custom-houses enlarged. He
would have the tariff revised; but he
| would have the protective feature re-
| tanned in revising the schedules upon all
articles of domestic manufacture, and is
particularly solicitous upon paper that
| farm products shall come in for share
of protection. just how this can be
done he doesn't stop to say. The farmers
of Iowa recently considered the subject,
| and concluded with eminent practicable
| ity that it wasn't in the power of Con-
| gress to do it. The farmer can be re-
Heved at the custom-house by a reduc-
ton of taxation. He can not be bene-
| fitted in any other way.
| Passing from the report of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury the President treats
of a variety of subjects in perfunctory
| way. He wants the law for the exclu-
sion of Chinese rendered more efficient.
He wants coast defenses improved and
discriminating appropriations made for
| - H.
| legislation for intermediary Federal
courts, increased payment of district
judges and greater protection for Fed
eral judges and witnesses summoned
thereto. A small paragraph against
trusts is followed by a recommendation
that an international copyright law be
| passed, that National bankrupt law be
enacted and that the naturalization laws
be so amended as to guard against adj
hitting to the privileges of citizenship
| aliens who can not be trusted.
| Upon departmental questions the
| President follows the information and
| adopts the recommendation of the chief.
| He notices that the pension roll in
| wolves at tremendous expenditure, but he
| asks for more upon the suggestion that
there are numerous dependent veterans
who ought to be provided for out of the
| National exchequer. Regarding the
Interstate commerce law the one recon-
| mendation, humane enough, is that COM
mon carriers be required to look special
| ly to the safety of their employees, es-
| pecially brakemen and yardmen. Con-
| corning the District of Columbia it is
| asserted that 1.-THE laws regulating the
| sale of Intoxicating drinks should be re-
v.sed with a view to bringing the traffic
under stingent limitations and control, .
which will be taken by testers as sly
thrust at our amiable Vice-President,
mine host of the Shoreham, and its at
| tractive buffet
| While recommending the Worlds Fair
he prudently refrains, of course, from
| naming particular city.
The negro and the civil service are
| taken care of in the usual method. The
message, having recommended subsidies
| for ocean mail service between our ports
and South and Central America, closes
with suggestion which was not needed
that Congress mustn't mistake cheese
| pairing for economy. When Congress
will have voted large additional sums
for pensions, for education, for coast
defense. for naval increase, for subsi-
dies, there will be NO further need for
the Presidents solicitude about the sur
plus. That will disappear as totally as
the lost tribes of Israel and the embar-
rassment will not be, as in Cleveland's
day, to find means of reducing the rev.
enue, but to devise ways of increasing
taxation.-Chicag Times
| LABOR AND PROTECTION.
L