The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-15
~HE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

acteristic of the Presl0enUlahuu ooo
not dlsappoint either his poiltica'
friends or his opponents.
It is a message Of many tgures-
indeed 1t fairly brlstles with figures.
To those who are acquainted with
the condition of The people 1T Is
quite evident that the very flrst
sentence in the message is mislead-
ing,
Here it is: "In submitting my
animal message to Congress l have
great satisfaction in being able to
saw hat the general conditions
affecting the commercial and indus
trial interests of the United States
are in the highest degree favorable,
A comparison of the existing con-
dltlons with those of the most
favored period in the history Of the
country will, believe, show that
SO high a degree Of prosperity and
80 general d diffusion of the COM
forts of life were never before
enjoyed by our people,
This is only half truth. The
commercial and industrial interests
of the country may be IN the
"highest degree favorable" but we
are of the opinion that the President
means by the industrial interests
the protected interests of New
England. He certainly does not
mean the agricultural interests OF
the South.
AS to the tariff question the
President says that "the result oil
the recent election must be accepted
as having introduced new policy
And ne concludes his tariff para
graph with the recommendation
that the whole matter be left to the
incoming Congress.
We give the paragraph on silver
In full. He says:
"The Congress has been already
advised that the invitations of THU
government for the assembling o
an International conference tt
consider the question Of an enlarged
use Of silver were accepted by th'
nations to which they wer,
addressed. The conference Assem-
bled at Brussels on the 22d O
November, and has entered upol
the consideration of this grea
question. | have not dOubted, ant
have taken occasion to express tina
belief as we'll III the invitation
issued for this conference, as in m,
public messages, that the fire,
coinage Of silver upon an agreed
International ratio would great,
promote the interests OF our peOpl
and equally those of other nation.
1t Is too early to predict wha
results may be accomplished by vh
conference If any temporary checl
or delay lntervenes, | believe tina
very soon commercial condition
Will compel the nOw-reIuctant gov
eTnments to unite with US in thi
movement to secure the enlarge
ment Oh the volume OF coined none
needed for the transaction of th
business of the world"
About pensions and sugar tn
President boasts ''that there hav
been paid out for pensions durlny
this administration up to Novembe
L, 1892, 1882, 564,l78 7O-an exces
Of $lI4,466,3S6.O9 over the sui
expended during the period fro1
March 1, 1885 to March l, 1889.
And then he deplores the fact tina
"under the existing tariff, up t
Decembe list, about $93, 100000 c
revenue which would have bee
collected upon imported sugars
the duty mad been maintained Ina
gone into the pockets of the peopl
and not into the public treasur
as before"
1t seems to us that he woul
better have boosted on the none
gong into the pockets of the peopl
and deploIed the increase in pei
sjOns.
The President says that 9Th
estimate for this fiscal year wa
Sl44,956, 900; and adds:
The estimate for pensions fe
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1879.
is S165,O0O,O00. The Commissions
of Pensions believes that if til
present Legislation and methods az
maintained, aud further addition
10 the pension laws are not mad
the maximum expenditure for pel
SONS Will be leached June 50. lS9.
anu vii be al the highest premium.
: : think tuat the President ma
rest assured that there will be L
further additions to the penslo
laws" under the incoming admin,
tratiOu.
The message gives lnterestin
figures and comments on agricu
tuIe. 1t says:
agricultural products const
tuted 1871 per cent. of our unpret
edented exports for the fiscal YEA
which closed June 80, 1892, th
total exports being S1,O3O,27s. O3(
ana the value OF the agricnltnra