Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-03-13
THE PRESIDENTS FIRST YEAR.

four years of Democratic rule ended
and the Republican party, restore
in both branches of the Nationa
Legislature and Executive, began it
second lease of power. Four years o
Cleveland had satisfied majority of tn
people that the party which had depend
ed for its victory upon a series of acci
dents in the State of New York and tn,
suppression of the ballot in the South
had no intention of fulfilling the falst
promises with which it had beguiled the
voters, and that the safety and prosperity
of the republic itself depended in nC
small degree upon the return to the
helm of the Republican party. The
party which saved the Union, which lib
Grated the slaves, and which has upheld
fiscal policy that has developed the
mighty resources of this continent anC
given to American bread winners better
pay and better opportunities than are
afforded those engaged in the gainful
occupations in any other country in the
world. The party which represents to,
day the national, progressive and ag.
gressive spirit of the country, and to
which the people most look to carry out
the measures which will enable us to
keep in advance of all other nations in
the world in those attributes which go
to make a nation not only great and
powerful in itself, but a nation which
will command the respect of the rest of
the world, and which will not only be agri-
culturally and industriously but CONNER
cially great.
The Democratic administration prom
ised to reduce the revenue, to revise the
tariff and to reform the public service
1t had not the courage to reduce the rev.
enue, because its leaders knew that upon
the absurd cry of the surplus depended
their chance of success in the forthcom-
ing Presidential campaign. 1t did not
dare revise the tariff, because the free
trade spirit of the South refused to be
satisfied with anything but a radical
measure that would have swept away
the industries of the Northern States.
1t could not reform the public service
because President Cleveland weakly
yielded to pressure and substituted for
the faithful and long tried public serv-
ants dismissed ward politicians, Tam
many heelers and blacklegs, who like a
pack of hungry wolves, besieged all
branches of the Executive for the re-
wards of their party services.
One year of President Harrison's ad-
ministration has demonstrated to the
country that the words which he spoke
on the historic spot which has witnessed
the Inauguration of so many Presidents
were earnest and sincere. In the matter
of appointments no President has been
more painstaking, and although there
are murmurings and mutterings by dis
appointed politicians in various parts of
the country, it is safe to say that when
the appointments of this administration
are carefully examined in the future it
will be difficult to find fault with the
President has shown in his selections.
In the matter of appointments and of
earnest adherence to civil service reform
there has been no departure from the
Chicago platform or the message of the
4th of March.
1t is not difficult, though the first year
of the Harrison administration only
closed yesterday, to point to many i'm
portant achievements. A treaty has
been negotiated with Great Britain which
will protect the rights of our fishermen,
which gives England no advantage over
the Irish political offenders, and which
will prevent the territory of either coun-
try being made harbor of refuge for
and evil doers. The Samoan
difficulty, brought about by Mr.. Cleve-
lands Secretary of State, has been set
tied honorably and satisfactorily to this
country, and the consul who was dis
missed for his patriotic defense of Amer
lean interests returns to his post of duty
as the representative of this government. |
The strength and influence of the ad-
has likewise been extended |
without stint to hold up the hands of
our leaders in the House of Representa- |
tives and in the Senate; to settle the
tariff question; to continue the work of |
building up navy, begun under Repub-
lican auspices, to protect and defend |
our defenseless coasts; to build up the |
merchant marine, and to pass any need |
ed legislation in order to facilitate the |
payment of pensions to nearly half a |
million veterans applying to the Pension
Bureau for their rights, and asking the
government to fulfill the contract made |
with them when they came forward to |
defend the Union. The passage of the |
tariff bill, the rulings of |
the Treasury Department, the provisions
of the tariff bill now being prepared by |
the Ways and Means Committee, to- |
gether with the admirable report and the
of the Secretary Of the
Treasury in regard to the silver question
all point hopefully to a speedy and
settlement of the vital ques-
tions And with this settlement, to-
gether with firm and vigorous enforce
ment of the election laws in the Southern
States, may we not look forward hope
fully to three years of prosperity and
progress at home, with peaceful and sat
isfactory relations with foreign coun-
tries? Nor should we forget, in this
brief reference to the first year of the ]
present administration, that the Pan
American Congress has done much to
bring about union of interest and to
extend our trade to the sister republics
to the south of us.
Upon the whole the mind must be
jaundiced and warped which will not
honestly admit that the country is the
better for another year of Republican
H. W. MoRGANTHALER has begun
in mandamus at Lima, o.,
to compel the Auditor of Allen County |
to list Brlce's delinquent taxes.
Two children were burned to death at |
Moore's Vineyard, Ind. Their mother
left them alone in the house while she