The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-12-15
THE PREMDEN7vS MESSAGE.

OF the defense Oh u Ddu CauS0'
While apparently the message re-
CARDS the interest of the country
above partisan consideration, it is IN
fact so intensely partisan that 1t re-
fuses to recognize the expressed Will
of the people, in that it advises the
present congress to let the tarif1
severely alone. In other words the
president refuses to permit a congress
over which he has control,
by reason Of the Republican
majority in the senate, to obey the
will of the people and inaugurate a
tariff reform and especially when he
admits that to be the meaning of the
late election, does this manifest a
party zeal defiant of public opinion.
The president eongratulates the
country upon it's general prosperity
and it's increased production, ana
mentions with statistics every depart
ment of industry except the farmer
The low price of cotton and wheat he
considers as Zone of the unfortunate
Incidents of agriculture" For all the
increase in production, wealth and
prosperity he gives credit to the pro-
tective tariff. He does not consider
the development OF the natural re-
sources of the country and its unpar-
alleled growth, but "the untavorable
Incidents of agriculture" that is
having no protection and paying
a large share of its earnings to pro-
tected industries accounts to some ex-
tent for the prosperity of protected
interests and its own unfavorable con-
dition.
The president evidently desires to
leave the impression on the country
that the Republican party has done
its work faithfully and wisely, and
calls attention in advance to what he
hopes will be the contrast under a
Democratic administration with a
different policy. And yet the i'm
portant thing that he emphasizes
with statistics and says is 'intolerable
and disgraceful" is the result of in
action or inability on the part of the
Republican party to correct in it's
long lease of power since the civil war.
The president says "Ever since our
merchant marine was driven from the
sea by the rebel cruisers during the
war of the rebellion, the United States
has been paying an enormous annual
tribute to foreign countries, in the
shape of freight and passage moneys"
Will the Republicans never forget
that the war is over and that they
have been in power nearly thirty-fve
years? Rebel cruisers, forsooth? 1t
is "disgraceful and intolerable," but
the Republican party, with full means
and opportunity to correct it, has per-
mitted our vast carrying trade to be
monopolized by foreign bottoms, sail
ing under foreign flags. They have
permitted our merchant marine to be
driven from the high seas, rot by
rebel cruisers, but by unjust
chipping laws operating directly
in favor Of foreign vessels. A mer-
chant marine that whitened every
port of commerce with it's sails and
proudly floated the American flag,
has boen driven from the seas by the
inaotion and incompetency of the Re-
publican party, and the president
may we'll characterize 1t as "intoler-
able and disgraceful."
The president in his conclusion
again manifests his partisan bias. He
says "the growth and prosperity of
this country will give us level to
note the increase or decrease that new
legislative policies may bring to u.s."
The president evidently expects and
desires o "decrease" under Democratic
policy, but he will be mistaken. At
the close of Mr.. Cleveland's term he
will be enabled to congratulate the
country on the agricultural prosperity
as well as of those indus
tries that have heretofore been
protected. He will not like
Mr.. Harrison be compelled to speak
of lone of the unfavorable incidents
of agriculture" for the policy will
equally favor all Industries, and not
burden agriculture with the pay
ment of bonus to manufacturers.
The message is meant to give great
glory to the Republican party and
convince the country that that party
has left splendid legacy to the DEM
ocratic administration, with de-
fiance to that administration to keep
up the gait of that prosperity. The
president forgets to tell us of an enor-
nous debt his party has saddled upon
the country and the embarrassments
that will at once confront the Demo-
Gratis in administering upon such an