New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09
THE ADMINISTRATIONS POLICY.


THE ADMINISTRATIONS POLICY.
The complaint that the Administration OF
President Harrison has not defined any large
and useful National policy, and in that respect
falls below the successful Administrations OF
the past, would be evidently premature even
if it were justified by failure thus far to devise
and recommend such a policy. The complaint
is made with curious formality by "Ihe New
York Sun" which admits that President Clcyc-
lands Administration failed completely III that
respect, because "swayed by provincial lgno-
rance and stupid self-conceit." But the first
wear of President Harrison's Administration has
scarcely ended, and the first session of Congress
under it has only lust begun If President Ilar-
rison had thus far made no important changes
in the administration of laws, or suggested no
important legislation, it would be obviously
premature to Judge him by this first fragment
of his term. The only National policy which
President Cleveland proposed, and that with
out success was not recommended until MS
term had more than half expired. In most IN
stances the successful and important measures
of each Administration have been those whlch,
after some years of experience and effort III
dealing with National problems, the President
has found to be necessary and the people have
become prepared to sustain Thus Mr.. Lincoln
did not propose the abolition OF slavery until
ratroic endcavors to reach some compromise
had been exhausted, and the whole Nation had
realized that the Rebellion could not be sup
pressed without striking at the institution which
gave il birth. While striving for nearly two
years to bring about peace by methods Tor
which the people were then ready, without
abolition of slavery, Mr.. Lincons AdminiStra-
ton appeared to many failure, but not as
failure in any sense has it gone into history.
President Harrison cannot be justly censurcd
as having made thus far no important changes
OF recommendations. The purpose which un-
doubtedly influenced more voters than any
other in his election was to sustain and improve
the system of protection for homo industry.
This purpose has been strongly presented by
the President in his inaugural and his first annu-
al message to Congress, and there is every
reason to believe that the first session OF Con-
gress under his Administration will accomplish
great reform in that direction. Nor has he left
| to Congress alone the development OF this pol
icy. He found the existing tariff crippled by
interpretations and rulings OF hostile Admin
is,ration. In practical working the tariff had
been deprived OF much of its efficiency by tho
rulings under President Cleveland, and il was
the first duty of President Harrison to mark out
the National policy he intended to pursue by
! revision of such interpretations and rulings.
This was done with great promptness in the
most important cases, and the work of construc-
ton in harmony with the purpose of the act Is
still in progress. So clear and earnest have his
recommendations been to Congress that If the
present session should pass without valuable
reform in the law, the President cannot be
held in fault
This is not the only subject upon which
large National policy is needed and has been
proposed. For many years no other issue has
caused more intense feeling than that OF the
currency, and the necessity Of securing settle
mcnt of the relations between silver and gold,
and at the same time providing for a currency
which could be expanded according TO public
needs, was recognized by the President. In his
first annual message he transmitted 10 Con-
gress the elaborate plan proposed by Secretary
| Window for permanent settlement OF the sill
yer and currency question. How far that plan
will be modified or approved by Congressional
wisdom it is too early TO say, but it IS plainly
too early to condemn the Administration for
failure, even if this most important question
should not be met in substantial harmony with
| its plan.
Other measures of National policy might also
be mentioned but the panAmercan Confer
encc points toward an international policy OF
the highest importance. The immediate effects
Of establishing closer relations with other
American Powers cannot be estimated until the
work of the Conference has been completed,
while the less speedy but perhaps far more i'm
portant results Will be appreciated only after
the lapse of years. Negotiations between differ
ent countries, changes in diplomatic relations,
and possible changes in legislation, must grad
uay follow the change of feeling and purpose
which the Conference was designed to promote
before its benefits can be intclligently esti-
mated 1t may yet prove that in this direction
the present Administration will have served
tho Nation more effectively than almost any
of its predecessors.