The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-25
Public Domain and Silver Questions Both Left
Under President Cleyeland's Administra-
ton to Trouble His Successor.
Navy Department Without Word for Sew
en- Days of the Pursuing Charleston.
Postmaster General Wanamaker Declares the
West Must Have Better Mail Facilities
New Senators Pre-Empting Seats.
DEMOCRATIC HEIRLooMs.
President Harrison Has Been Compelled to

President Harrison Has Been Compelled toDo
Much Left Undone by His Predecessor.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, May A.-If President Har-
rison succeeds in settling satisfactorily the
Behring sea dispute he will have added an
other laural to his crown in the way of dis
posing of knotty questions which the ad-
ministration has inherited after many
years of unsuccessful efforts on the part of
his predecessors. The seal fisheries have
made trouble for Presidents almost ever
since the United States purchased Alaska,
a3oCt a quarter of q century ago.
The prospects of the early settlement of
the sealing trouble reminds one of the fact
that no President. in q time of peace. has
ever been presented with 30 many knotty
questions as heirlooms from predecessors as
president Harrison. Many of them came
through the Department of State, but most
of them had to be settled in Congress. be-
ing internal affairs. The Latln-American
questions are fairly determined by the es-
adjustment of the Bureau of American Re-
publics and the ratification of various
commercial treaties. The international
postal problems were taken up and dis
posed of in such a way that we now have
foreign mails. going and coming. made. up
on the mail ships. ready for immediate
transportation TO their destination, the
same as mails are "done up" on postal cars.
This appeared to be an insOluble problem
to the Cleveland postoffice authorities.
Congress made an appropriation for the be-
ginning of this work and facilitating
ocean mails. but Postmaster-general Villas
could not find o way to improve the service.
and SO the money reverted to the treasury.
The public domain, silver and various
other problems of the highest Importance
hung fire" under President Cleveland,
and finally were LAID upon the table for
last President thought. No sooner did this
administration come in than these hoary
problems were promptly taken up and dis
posed of in q way that has given. general
satisfaction. 1t Is a remarkable fact that
no partisan complaint has ever been heard
lem disposed of by President Harrison
with the exception of the tariff and silver.
and upon them the two great parties are
divided and probably will be divided dur
ing the lifetime of both parties. No one has
ever charged him with treating q nom
partisan question with q partisan spirit.
The administration has been and is for the
people.
President Harrison and the Republican
Congress which disbanded on March 4 were
confronted with one especially vexatious
problem which Is sure to come up again
within eighteen months in the form of re-
u3DllltdttQ pCIplcAltiOos ~ Wuo tndb Vi
Deficiencies III appropriations necessary to
run the federal government. One of the
greatest features of a brief Democratic ad-
ministration in Congress or In the White
House is economy, To save the money of
the government at the expense of the hon.
est citizen who has honest claims against
the government and by appropriating only
q portion of the funds absolutely neces-
sary to run the government from
late deficiencies: for a succeeding party
to make good is the stronghold of the Dem
ocrats. During the last session of Con-
gress under President Cleveland millions
upon millions of money imperatlvely neces-
sary for the operation of the government
was not appropriated, the object being to
make it necessary for the Republicans to
increase appropriations. thus giving the
Democrat o chance to cry extravaganza
1t is the policy of the Republicans in Con-
gress and the executive branches OF the
government to fairly and squarely appro-
pirate all the money necessary every year
to pay all honest claims OF honest citizens
against the government. and pay upon de-
mand all the running expenses of the same.
To do otherwise is as deceiving and dis
honest as it il for a banker to keep from
his published statements the amounts his
institution owes, and to charge as good
assets worthless paper. Under q Repub-
lican administration 1t IS as easy for any
citizen to get at q definite n faithful
statement of the condition OF the govern
ment as it is to learn the condition of the
bank where he keeps his deposits. He
always knows just where be stands. I'm
der a Democratic administration it is like
operation with ticker" bank, where the
real obligations. liabilities, are unknown.
and every honest debt is STAYED off as long
as possible, waiting for some unlucky Gus
toner.
Should another Democratic President be
elected the surplus will again pile NJ, if
the tariff avs are not destroyed. and there
will be deficiencies again in the operating
accounts of every executive department.
But the next President. be he Cleveland.
Harrison. or somebody else. will find no
deficiencies, no false bookkeeping. The
federal government Will be ready for
transfer into other hands or a continuance
of the present stewardship on the 4th
of March, 1893, in as clean condition as the
best-kept national bank-all the books
balanced, debts paid, money appropriated
for the balance Of the fiscal year. and a
statement laid upon the Presidents desk.
showing him honestly and faithfully just
hou TTpo1aS om afanda