Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-12-11
Presidents Message.
AFFAIRS OF THE NATION

As Discussed and Laid Before Congress
ia an Able and Dignihcd Document.
The annual message of President IIar-
riSon was sent to Congress on Wednesday,
The document is of unusually great length
and we have therefore carefully distracted
those PORTIONS of il which are of the most
immediate public interest. The work Of
the state department during the year. the
President says, has involved an unusual
number Of important negotiations. In the
Boring sea dispute a satisfactory basis for
arbitration has been arrived at. by means
of the meat inspection law passed 10y the
last Congress it has been possible to induce
Germany Denmark, Italy, Austria and
France in the order named, to open their
ports to inspected American pork products.
Treaties of reciprocity have been negotiated
with Brazil. the West Indies and san
Domingo.
\ paragraph is devoted to the New Or
leans lynching, and the statement is made
that the government rntertains no doubt
that friendly conclusion with Italy of the
questions involved will be- arrived at. The
history of the recent war and political rev
olution in Chill is given, and the facts are
rccounted of the unprovokcd assault at
Valparaiso on the Seamcn of the United
States ship Baltimore. Our government
is awaiting the result Of an investigation
now being conducted by the criminal court
ut Valparaiso.
The government has taken occasion dur
ing the year to express in a friendly spirit,
but with much earnrStucsS, to the govern
mcnt of the ear, its serious concern because
ut the harsh measures now being enforced
against the Hebrews in Russia BY the
revival of anti-Senitic laws. long in ahcy-
ancc great numbers of those unfortunate
people have been obliged to abandon their
homes and leave the empire by reason Of
the hmposSibility of finding subsistence
within the pale to which it is sought to
cUnline them. The distress thus occa-
stoned to these people is not only very
great but their immigration To the | nited
States many other countries being closed
to them-is largely increasing and is likely
To assume proportions which may make it
difficult to find homes and employment for
them here and to seriously affect the labor
market.
The importance of the Nicaragua canal
to American interests is strongly urged,
and the President says he would have no
hesitation in recommending a suitable gov
eminent guaranty to assure the speedy
completion of the canal.
The New Tariff Law.
Upon this subject the President states
the arguments for and the objections urged
against the new enactment before its pas
sage, and he then says: 1t is not my pur-
pose to enter at any length into discussion
of the effects of the legislation to which
have referred but brief examination of
the statistics of the treasury and general
glance at the state of business throughout
tie country, will. | think, satisfy any i'm
partial inquirer that its results have dis
appointed the evil prOphesies of its oppo-
nents, and have in large measure realized
the hopeful predictions of its friends.
Rarely, if ever before, in the history of the
country has there been time when the
proceeds of one days labor or the product
of one farmrd acre would purchase so large
an amount of those things that enter into
the living OF the masses of the people !
believe that full test will develop the fact
that the tariff act of the iifty-tirst Congress
is very favorable in its average effect upon
the prices of articles entering into common
use.
During the twelve months from October
/, 1890. to September 30, 1891, the total
value of our foreign commerce imports
and exports cOmbned), was 81, IA, S06, 40d,
which was the largest of any year in the
history of the United States. The largest
in any previous year was in 1870, when
our commerce amounted TO 81, G47, l39, O93,
and the last year exceeds this enormous
aggregate by over one hundred millions.
1t is interesting, and to some will be sur
prising, to know that during the year end
ing September 30, 1891 our imports of
merchandise amounted to 1921, 10 20,
which was an increase of more than ST.
100000 over the value of the imports of
the corresponding months of the preceding
year, when the imports of merchandise
were unusually large in anticipation of the
tariff legislation then pending. The aver
age annual value of the imports of mer-
chandise for the ten years from 1881 to
1890 was SG92, lS6, up, and during the year
ending September 30, 1891, this annual
average was exceeded by Sl32, 52S, 400.
If we turn to exports of merchandise the
statistics are full of qualification. The
value of such exports of merchandise for
the II months ending September 30, 1891,
was 1923, 00l = 1886 while for the cores
pOnding previous II months ii was $780,,
III, ll5, an increase of S62, 0l4 Cpl, which
is nearly three times the average annual
increase of exports of merchandise for the
preceding 20 years. This exceeds in amount
and value the exports of merchandise dur
ing any year in the history of the govern
ment. The increase i'm the value of exports
of agricultural products during the year
referred to over the corresponding II
months of the prior year was $40, $40, 1877,
while the increase in the value of exports
of manufactured products was Sid, S3S, 240.
There is certainly nothing in the cOndi-
ton of trade, foreign or domestic, there is
certainly nothing in the condition of our
people of any class, to suggest that the eX-
listing tariff and revenue legislation bears
oppressiVely upon the people or retards the
commercial development of the nation. 1t
may be argued that our condition would be
better if our tariff legislation We're upon a
free trade basis; but it cannot be denied
that all the conditions of prosperity and of
general cOntentment are present in "A larger
degree than ever before in our history, and
that, too just when it was prOphesied they
would be in the worst state. Agitation for
radical changes in tariff and financial legis-
latiOn cannot help, but may seriously inn
pede business, to the prosperity of which
some degree of stability in legislation is
essential. think there are conclusive ey-
licences that the new tariff has created
several great industries which will, within
a few years, give employment to several
hundred thousand American wOrkingmen
and women. In view of the somewhat
"a al. Ii.