Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-02
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1890.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE-SoME RE-
ELECTIONS.


ELECTIONS.
There seems to be an irresistible i'm
pulse on the part of small men to write
big documents. The messages of Presi-
dent Harrison have been distinguished
by that tediousness which old Polonius
called the limbs and outward fourishes
of wit. He begins his present very
voluminous document with lengthy
review. of our foreign relations, after the
traditional manner. In his summing
up of the government finances the claim
is made that the estimated receipts for
the year 1890 will be SIS, ,147, ,790.5S in
excess of the expenditures. Adding this
to a cash balance which is claimed to be
in the treasury, we will have a sur
plus of $67, 147 ,790.58 as the sum avail
able for the redemption of outside bonds
and other uses. If this be true, it is
somewhat singular that the national
debt was allowed to increase almost five
million dollars last month, as the pub
lished statements of the treasury de-
partme Mt show to have been the case. The
president assumes to be genuine
friend of silver, and says that the act
has been administered in good faith, and
with the view of getting the largest pos
sible amount of that commodity in cir
culation. He thinks that the monetary
troubles in England will lead to recon-
s;deration of the English attitude towards
the white metal. He favors an inter-
national conference looking to con-
asserts that his administration has
done much to relieve the mon
etary stringency existing in the United
States, making the statement that DUR
ing the nineteen months in which Mr.
Window has been at the head of the
treasury department the circulation has
been increased $93,SS6,S ,Sl4, or 81 80 per
capita. He felicitates the country on
the diminution of the national debt,
which he says has been reduced from
the 4th of March, 1889, $211 ,S32, ,45O, at a
cost of $246, ,620, ,741, through the pur-
chase OF AZ per cents. He next passes
to review of the newly created customs
board, for which he claims great eff
cheney, and to summary of the routine
work of the war, navy, postofice and
other departments. He favors the
energetic prosecution of coast de-
fenses, and assertse that some of
his postmasters have been inter-
fered with. He touches upon a great
variety of topics, including fraudulent
naturalizations, the Mormons, the six
new. states, the census, apportionment
of members of congress, public build
ings, and last, but not least, the farmers.
Mr.. Harrison assumes that there has
been a. great increase in the prices of
farm and stock products. He has the
hardihood to congratulate the fifty-frst
congress on what he calls its good work,
and in discussion on the tariff he en-
deavors to put in good word for Brother
Mckinley. According to the presi-
dent, it is not the tariff ITSELF
but the 'shenanigin" of the
business men that was responsible
for the enhanced prices of commodities.
and the consequent disgust of business
men. He hopes for good results upon
the national prosperity, and probably
upon the fortunes of the Republican
party, though he does not write the lat
ter clause, after the act shall have had
fair trial. He has good word for
Brother Blaine's reciprocity plan, and
glances at the unfinished legislation of
the last session of congress, which he
thinks should be expedited. He recon-
mends more liberal policy in granting
subventions to steamers for carrying the
mails between Australian and South
American ports, and concludes with some
minor notes of no great public interest.
The message is in every respect very
commonplace and wordy production. 1t
is not characterized by the aggressive
air of that which he addressed to the
first session of the Fifty-frst congress.
Even Benjamin Harrison has shown
that he can learn something. The i'm
mense shadow cast by his grandfather's
hat has not filled the drums of his ears
with wax. He sings small on his fine
plan OF investing the members of the |
supreme court OF the United States with |
more than the monarchical privileges
that hedged around the lord chancellor
OF England in the days of Wolsey and
Sir Thomas More. He is not fanatically |
devoted to the force bill. In fact, Ben
is a much subdued man. We can con-
done his anxiety to protect his post
mi a cfp in uiaxu Af ka Co.
he does not positively froth at the
mouth about the necessity of putting
the federal elections under the control
of federal bayonets. In fact, with a
little more time, we can hope for great
things from Ben enjamin-things as great,
at least, as any man could reasonably
expect from such a feeble-forcible sort
Of parsonage. If, by the end Of his
'erm, he can be brought to realize that