The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-12-14

impartial student of the facts will
inquire by what process of ledgerde-
main the greater half of some thirteen
million voters in forty-four states were
persuaded to turn out an administra-
ton that can honestly make such
showing, and turn in a party whose
administration of the government
when it has been in power-has been
in recent times associated with rebel
lion and disaster, and, when out of
power, with vehement opposition to
every public measure for the reunilica-
ton of the states, and for advancing
their material prosperity. In the late
election its candidate repudiated the
party's platform, its canvass before the
people was a canvass of evasion, of
false pretense, and of perversion of all
the essential facts of the situation,
politically and industrially. A victory
so won will prove more damaging to
the victors than to the vanquished
In his discussion of the tariff ques-
ton President Harrison has trench
antly stated the embarrassments that
will environ the triumphant democracy
when its official representatives take
possession of the government. There is
keen irony in every sentence of the
presidents reference to the industrial
situation under democratic rule. He
has also drawn, with that peculiar
and forceful definiteness that has
characterized all his discussions of vital
public questions, the line of demarka-
ton between the republican and demo-
cratic economic policies-if the demo-
cratic party has anything that that can
be fairly called policy-if that can be
called settled line of action that is
eternally shifted and made running
mate for every popular prejudice, every
political craze that is bred in the torrid
zones of American politics, if perchance
it may win feeting triumph. In
sort of political frenzy melted by
gross misstatement of all the facts and
conditions of the real situation, the
American voters have been persuaded
to call halt to trade, comm cree and
manufactures in the midst of a pro-
gressive march the most rapid and
brilliant in the history of the worlds
industrial development. The presi-
dent in his incisive way calls attention
TO these facts. His words will be read
with even greater interest four years
from now. Very naturally, his remarks
on this subject attract the greatest at
tention and are the subject of the widest
comment.
OF minor dramatic interest but really
a matter of great significance, and
gratifying indication of {" the march of
empire" is the presidents statement of
the extension of the postal system and
the growth of the revenues of the pos
tai department. Nearly 1,600 new mail
routes have been added during the year,
with mileage of over $500 miles, aud
the total number of new miles of mail
trips is nearly seventeen million. The
large annual deficit between income
and expense that followed the adoption
of the two cent postage rate and
the increase of the rate limit to one
ounce has been reduced to a million
and half dollars, and during the next
year will not only be wiped out entirely
but the department will show a surplus
of million dollars, opening the way,
unquestionably, to the ultima thule of
postal enterprise ond ambition-penny
postage.
The president shows characteristic
strength of purpose and breadth of
mind in every subject he discusse g.
The message is American, in the best
and most.exalted sense in which that dis
tinction may be employed and intensely
American in the last bugle strain; " We
carry the great impulse and increase of
these years into the future. There is
no reason why in many lines of pro-
duction we should not surpass all other
nations, as we have already done in
some. There are no near frontiers to
our possible development. Retrogres-
sion would be a crime"
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