The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-12-12
The Presidents Message.

III ODSQleHCe W COllSlllullOIldl iC
quirement President Harrison sente
to Congress on Wednesday his an
nual message on the state of the
Union. Every impartial reader of
it will concede, that it is an able,
exhaustive, and business like pres
entation of the work of the admins
tration for the past year. The
Presidents treatment OF our foreign
relations has the true American
ring, and the country at large may
rest confident that the final settle
ment of the Gillian botheration will
be IN keeping with our national
dignity and honor. In reviewing
the work OF his administration in the
removal Of restrictions on the i'm
portation of American meats, the
President INDUCES tone OF gratitl-
cation in being able to state that
Germany, Denmark, Italy, Austria,
and France have removed such re-
strictions, and that looking to
equitable trade relations with Ger
many, an agreement is pending by
which sugars from that country will
be admitted free.
The President vindicates the
wisdom OF recent tariff legislation,
by the statement that "a brief exami-
nation of the statistics OF the Treas
ury, and a general glance at the
state of business throughout the
country WILL" he thinks, satisfy
any impartial inquirer that its results
have disappointed the evil prophe-
cies OF its opponents, and in large
measure realized the hopeful pre-
dictions of its friends. Rarely, if
ever, before in the history of the
country has there been a time when
the proceeds of one days labor, or
the product of one farmed acre,
would purchase as large an amount
of those things that enter into the
living OF the masses of the people"
81 believe" the President continues,
that full test will develope the
fact that the Tariff act OF the Fifty
first Congress is very favorable in
its average effect upon the prices OF
articles entering into common USE"
During the year from October 1,
1890, to September 80, 1891, the
total value OF our foreign commerce,
exports and imports, was SI,747,-
500, 4o6-the largest in any al in
the history of the United States. Of
that vast sum the imports amounted
to SS247I5, 27o. The revenue OF
the Government for the year ended
June 80 was S45S,544, 233 %, and
the expenditures for the same period
were s42I, 3o4,47o 40, leaving a sur
plus of S37, a39,767 81.
Upon the question of the free
coinage of silver the President re-
iterates his opinion that its free
and unlimited coinage would under
existing conditions "d!sasterously
affect our business interests at home
and abroad" and recommends that
existing laws be given a full trial
Between February and July of this
year the peculiar financial conditions
then prevailing in Europe caused
drain of gold from our country
amounting to sos, 900, 900. The
fact that no serious monetary dis
turbance resulted to us vas a fresh
evidence to Europe OF the strength
and stability of our financial insti-
buttons. Up to December Ist ST.
$4,000 Of that sold had come back,
and a largely increased return is
expected during the winter and
coming spring. Since March, 1880,
no less than S259o79,35o of our
interest bearing securities have been
redeemed. There has been an in.
crease of the volume of money in
circulation, which on the first day
of December, 1891, amounted to
SI,577, 262, o7o, or S34 80 per head
of the whole population, men,
women and children.
In partizan political sense, pos
sibly the closing recommendations
OF the Presidents message with
reference to the defects in our
Federal election system, and the
evils of gerrymandering will excite
the most sensation. After abiding to
the gerrymander in Michigan affect
ing the method OF selecting electors
of president by congressional dis
tricts, and to the attempt made in
the last Congress to bring to bear
the constitutional powers of the