The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-12-11
AN ABLE DOCUMENT.
Press Comments OF President
Harrison's Message.
A sinte Paper That Is n Mode, of
Stntosmanship nni Patriotism
Tho Issues of 1902 Clear
ly Defined.
Protection Clearly Defined.
[Chicago Inter Ocean.

If President Cleveland's last annual
message stands as the highest official
exposition and iudorsemento of free trade,
her surely President ilarrison's latest
annual message must hcncoforth stand
as the highest official exposition and in
dorsemcnt of protection. Tho American
doctrine never had more felicitous and
unwavcriug expression. Coming as it
does upon the heels of an election
which seemed upon its face to be n pop
ular reputation of that doctrine, it re-
calls the sublime rcatlirmation of Re-
publicanism which characterized Prcsi-
dent Lincoln's annual message of 1862,
when the air was still smoky with the
boniircs of Coppcrhead jubilation over
election returns
The Cleveland message was wholly
devoted to the advocacy of free trade.
Not so much as n paragraph was re-
served for the general purposes of an
annual Presidential address to Congress.
The Harrison message commits no
breach of official propriety. The condi-
ton Of the country, both in its foreign
and its domestic relations, is set forth
in proper order and proportions. The
more important legislation of the last
session, apart from the Mckinley bill,
is stated and commented upon. So, too,
are the mcasur IS still pending, especial
ly supervision of elections and appor-
tionment. In a general way the mes
sage is an able and appropriate stale
paper. The silver act is admirably dis.
cusscd, also tho London panic, and the
salient fpntnraG of Tho SEypppI lpnurt-
mental reports. But the tariff comes
in for a discussion which gives this mes-
sage a pre.cmincnce over ordinary IN
nual messages.
With n clcarncss which leaves no
room for misintcrpretation the presi-
dent demands for the new tariff u fair
trial. There is he says, neither
wisdom nor justice in the suggestion
that the subject Of tariff revision shall
be opened before this law has had a fair
trial" llc thus serves notice on not
only this Congress, but the next, that
he will not be u party to any such re-
vision, and nobody can for Il moment
suppose that such a bill could be carried
over the Executive veto.
The effect of this unpquivocal declara-
tlbl NUll lpb ltll " Dt EtuSSlEtlT 10 lup
country. Farmers and manufacturers
with all their financial and industrial
associates can go forward with the de-
velopmcnt of domestic interests under
the Mckinley bill in the assurance that
the measure will be afforded ample op-
%pOrtunity to be judged by its actual
fruits, instead Of the gross misrepresen-
tations of its enemies. Without such an
assurance there might be q general
timidity in proceeding under it's pro-
visions. just such a declaration was
especially needed. The President, and
no one.else. could make it.
The subject of reciprocity is discussed
in q remarkably clear and perfectly
sound way. The President brushes
away, wholly and without showing the
least feeling in the matter, the cobwebs
Of II false issue which the spiders of
free trade have spun over the Mckinley
bill. Protection does not stand in the
way of an enlarged trade with the other
American countries, And rs for the
two reciprocity amendments, the Halo
or Blaine amendment, which was not
adopted. and the Aldrich amendment,
which was, he frankly gives the prefer
cllce to the latter, setting forth the
best of reasons for that preference.
1t is nov a mon h since the great
political cyclone of 1890 passed over the
country. Tho free traders cherished the
hope that the very foundation stones of
protection had been looScned, and that
the editico itself rocked to its over
throw. Bcnjamin Harrison, who was