Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-12-05
Congress and The Presidents
Message.

wyoming we're sworn in, and drew lots
for the short and long terms; the Presi- |
dents Message was read and then the Sen
ate adjourned till next day.
In the House, Speaker Reds gavel fell
al noon, the crowded room came to order,
227 members answered to the Clerks roll
call; comm ittees to notify the President
and Senate that the House was in session
we're appointed; the credentials Of c. Z.
Rre cker ridge Of Arkansas, Willis Sweet Of
Idaho, c W. Stone of Pennsylvania and
C. D. Clark Of Wyoming, who had been
elected to fill unexpired terms We're read
by the Speaker and these gentlemen were
sworn in; as were also three other mem
bers whose credentials Lad not yet arrived
and delegate from the territory Of Okla
homa.
The Presidents Message was then read
and the House adjourned till next day
THE MESSAGE.
In his annual editorial on the affairs OF
the Nation, the President first refers to the
reports Of the heads Of the departments,
then to our relations with foreign Govern
mcnts and the work Of civilizing Africa,
the Central American affair, the negotia-
tions with China, the Samoan treaty, the
dispate with Portugal, the restoration of
the remains Of John Ericsson to Sweden,
the finances, the operations of the silver
law. the ?. o. department, the lottery law,
the Army and Navy, the Pension depart
ment. the recent financial disturbance, the
new tariff bill and reciprocity, the Federal
Election biz, and concludes by giving Con-
cress some advice as to Fastening the work
Of the session.
Regarding Uucle Sans balance sheet
| be says:
"The revenues Of the Government from
all sources for the fiscal year ending June
30. 1890. were $463, 963, ,0o055, and the
total expenditures for the same period were
1856. .6I8. .5S4. 50. The postal receipts have
MOI heretofore been included in The state
ment Of these aggregates. and for the pur
! pose of comparison the sum of 500, s82 O9f
| should be deducted from both sides of the
account. The surplus for the rear, iDciud-
ing the amoant applied to the sinking
fund. was Sl05, ,344 ,496 o3. The receipts
for 1890 we're s46. 03O. 1913 70, and the ez-
! penditures s15, ,739, 81 il excess Of those Of
/ 1850 The customs receipts increased 90
o35. $40 So. and the receipts from internal
revenue sil ,s2j, l9l. 50; while, on the SIDE
Of expenditures, that for pensions was 3d.
3i2. 075 96 in excess ofthe preceding year.
OF the Pension law he says:
tine Disability Pension Act, which was
approved on the 9th Of June last. has been
nut into operation as rapidly as was prac-
iicable. The increased clerical force proyid-
ed was selected and assigned 10 work, and
A considerable part OF the force engaged IN
examinations IL field, was recalled and
added 10 the working force Of the office.
The examination and adjudication ofclaims
have. by reason of improved methods,
| been more rapid than ever before. There
i DO economy TO Government in delay,
while there is much hardship and injustice
to soldier The anticipated expenditure,
while very large will not, it is believed, be
ia excess Of the estimates made before
enactment Of law. This liberal enlarge
ment OF the general law should suggest
more careful scrutiny of bills for special
| relief both as to the cases where relief is
granted and as to the amount allowed"
or the McKinly Law he says:
"The apprehension that our terf may
again and at once be subjected TO important
| general changes woald undoubtedly add
| depressing influence Of the most serious
character"
.eThe general Tariff act has only partial
| ly gone into operation, some of its import
| ant provisions being limited to take effect
At dates yet IN the future. The general
| provisions Of the law have been in force
less than 60 days. Its permanent effects
| upon trade ana price. soil largely stand in
conjecture. It Is curious to note that the
| advance in the prices Of articles wholly
unaffected by the Tariff act was by many
hastily ascribed to that act, Notice was
not taken Of the fact that the general
tendency OF the markets was upward from
influences wholly apart from the recent
| tariff legislation. The enlargement Of our
currency by the Silver bill undoubtedly
gave an upward tendency to trade and had
| a marked effect on prices; but this natHra
and desired effect of the silver legislation
was BY many erroneoasly attributed to the
| Tariff act"
..Ihere is neither wisdom nor justice in
| the snggestion that the subject Of tariff re-
vision shall be open before this law has had
| a fair trial u is quite true that every tariff
schedule is subject 10 objections. No bill
was ever framed, suppose, that in all its
rates and elassiGcations had the full ap
prova even OF a party cancus. Such
| legislation Is always, ana necessarily, the
| product OF compromise as to details, and
| the present law is no exception. But in
| its general scope aud effect | think il will
| Justify the support Of those who believe
| that American legislation should conserve
and defend American trade and the wages
| of american workmen.
The President urges the passage OF q
| General Pubic Building act that viii reg
ulate the demand for public bulldingson an
economical basis: urges the passage of the
| bill for the relief Of the Supreme Court; the
| bill 10 settle unadjusted Spanish and Mex.
can land grants;the enactIueBto ola National
| Bankrupt law; the passage Of the Internal
tional Copyright bill; the adoption Of meas
urcs to secure greater safety TO railway
employees, ard legislation looking to the
| irrigation OF The Grid lands OF the country.
On tie subject OF postal teegraphy the
President says: '"Ihe use 81 tho telegraph
by the Post0ifice Department az means
for the rapid transmission Oi written com
municatiun is, believe, upon proper terms,
quito desirable. The Government does not
own or operate the railroads, and il should
not, think, own or operate the telegraph
lines. Ii does. AoTeger, seem to be quite
practicable for the Government to contract
with telegraph companies, a. il does with
railroad companies, to carry at specified
iiiaR tANi ItfEtNhifiAutifl| tHH VIZ 0af+HfAH
may designate for this method Of transmits
sion. recommend that such legislation
De enacted as VIII enable the Postoilice
Department fairly to test by experiment
The advantages of such use Of the
telegraph
The most vigorous portion of the message |
IS that which deals with the subject Of Fed |
efal elections. The President says:
"if any intelligent and loyal company Of
American citizens were required 10 cata-
lpgac The essential buman conditions Of |
national life, | do not doubt that with |
absolute unanimity they would begin with |
Free and honest elections And { is |
gratifying to know that generally there il |
u growing aud non partisan demand for |
better election laws. But against thi. sign |
Of hope anl progress must he set the |
depressing and nudeniable fact that election |
laws aud methods are sometimes cunuingly |
contnyed TO secure minority control, while |
violence completes the shortcomings of
fraud"
This is followed by a review Of what he |
said ou The same subject year ago, aud (
az argument for the passage Of the bill. |
Escape and Re-capture OF The |