Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-12-05
TIL & MESSAGE.
HOW IT is REGARDED BY
PROMINENT MEN.
TEE PORTIONS OBJECTED TO.
The Treatment Of tho Negro Question
Condemned asU wise-.-Nis Views
on the Merchant Marine
Approved.
BY Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, D. c., December 4.
Now, that time has been given to read
the presidents message, the general
opinion among fair-minded men is
that it is an exceedingly weak docu-
ment TIE local papers all publish
comments about it and some OF these
are given below
Senator Vest, of Missouri: l did not
hear it as | had some writing to dc
when it was read. it was terribly
long; just what we might expect from
Harrison. He strung out what he had
to say like u schoolmaster writing q
composition. ! will take it up some
rainy day and look it through.
Senator Call, OF Florida; So far Is
the negro portion of 1t is concerned,
the president, l think, has made a
very great error. His message is cal
culated to incite trouble among the
negroes of the south. 1t is an incite-
ment to arson, murder. and other
crimes which are usually developed
among ignorant people. The princi-
pal crime among the negroes is rape.
and | think that many white families
of the south will have cause to fear the
consequences of this message. The
idea of giving jurisdiction to United
States courts in elections is another
error. The message will SOW the seed
of trouble. and will cause great harm.
Judge Crisp, Of Georgia, stated that
the president had gone too far in his
message. and both he and his party
would discover it. and the last chair
man of the committee on elections
expressed his opinions as to what
course his party would pursue in the
event elections legislation was at
tempted on the lines laid down by the
president.
In the first place, said the judge, we
will not oppose the creation of a
special elections committee, nor VIII
we endeayor TO prevent any bill such
committee may report from going IN
its proper place on the calendar. we
will resist the attempt to confer on
such special committee the priv
leges of the regular elections commit
tee, which can demand consideration
of its report at any time.
The message demonstrates that 1t Is
to be the most partisan administra-
ton in the history Of the country,
said Representative Gambler, oil
Georgia. The language of this nes'
sage is not the utterance OF a wise
statesmen, but of narrow partisan
demagogue. No such state Of things
exists as he assumes in any part OF
the south, and he certainly knows his
utterances on the negro question are
untrue. His object is purely partisan
for the purpose OF perpetuatlnS the
the power of the republican party;
If the message is reflection of the
presidents knowledge of the south,
said Representative Oates, OF Ala
bama, it shows that he does not
know anything about that section.
1t looks, said Representative q Fer
rail-. of Virginia,as if Harrisons eulogy
of the negro was for the purpose OF
capturing the southern negro dele
rates to the national convention.
Senator FarweIl: The only part OF
the message to which l listened
attentivelv was that relating TO the
merchant marine. l am very glad the
president has called the attention OF
congress and OF the country to this
great question. | think the people OF
the United States are ready and anX'
ious to do what is right to restore
things to their old basis. | have
always favored the payment OF
increased postal appropriations, OF
subsidies, if you choose. to the mer'
chant marine. | AIN gradually begin
ming to favor the payment OF suDsl-
dies to all vessels engaged i'll the Tor
eign trade.
Representative McCreary, of Ken,
lucky, said: l did not hear much OF
the message. l was much pleased,
though, with the presidents refer
ence to the international American
congress. | was the author of the
hill under which that congress was
called together, and | naturally feel
great interest in it.
Representative Frank; L am
pleased with the presidents message;
IT covers many topics that l feared
he would not touch upon. am much
eratified that he has given attention
to commercial topics, such as the ma
tional bankrupt law, the aiding, OF
the merchant marine, and the world
fair project. -,
Representative Cultivate: From
what | could hear of the message
it seems that it is obscure in regard
to silver. This will be All important
matter of legislation this winter, and
the president does not seem to be II
line with the majority of his party