The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-08-09
Text of His Message to Congress. In Which He
Lsys All Blame for Present Financial Con-
ditions on Republican Legislation.
Distrust of Democracy, the Chief Cause
of Trouble, Ignored by the Executive.
Tariff Reform Matter Of Second Importance
Now-The Message Listened To with Close
Attention by Members of Both Houses.
EVERYBODY WANTED TO HEAR IT.

The Presidents Message Receives Close At
tention from Members of Congress.
WAsHINGToN. Aug. S-By q peculiar
combination Of circumstances the commu.
nicatlon of the Presidents message TO the
two houses to-day was delayed until some
time after the oonvening of Congress. The
President fully expected to send in the
message yesterday. but the Senate. otter
appointing it's members of the joint COM
mlttee on notification. adjourned until to-
day. and this precluded the receiving OF
the message on yesterday. When Mr..
Springer. chairman of the committee on
the part of the House. sought the Senate
members of the joint notification
committee. he found that some of
the Senators had made engagements
which would prevent their performance of
the committee functions this forenoon. and
1t was impossible to get full meeting of
the committee before noon to-day. At
exactly 10 o'clock the joint committee met
on the Senate side, and after having made
the suggestion that the journal of the two
houses be read as leisurely rs possible. In
order to preclude the intervening of other
business before the reading OF the message,
departed in hot haste for the White House
to notify the President that the two houses
of Congress were organized and ready to
receive any communication he might de-
sire to make on the state of the Union.
Tho message was received By the House
at 12:45 O'Clock and was read by the Clerk.
1t was listened to with intense interest
during its entire reading and there was q
dead silence In the House. General James
b. Weaver of Iowa, the late Peoples party
candidate for the presidency, was on the
floor by virtue of his right as an ex-mem.
ber. aud occupied q seat by Mr. Hayes, of
Iowa. General Weaver. is an ardent free
coinage man and Me-. Hay es. although aDem-
ocrat 10 one of the most vigorous antI-sil.
yer men In the House. There were a mum.
ber of broad smiles on the Republican side
at the Presidents allusiOn to tariff reform
as Q secondary issue just at this time but
at the conclusion of the message 1t was
loudly spplauded by the Democrats.
In tho Senate, after the recess had ex-
pired. Mr. Harris. of the committee to wait
upon the President. reported that the COM
mittee had performed that duty and had
been informed that the President would
communicate with Congress Immediately.
ThereupOn Mr.. Pruden. one OF the Presi.
dents secretaries. at 12:45. appeared and de-
livered the message which was Immedi-
atelv read to the Senate by MIR. Johnson,
its Chief Clerk. Not often has an executive
communication been listened to in the
Senate with such profound atten-
tiOn and interest as this message
was. Every Senator was seated and
appeared to be on o nervous strain not to
lose word. MIR. Stewart, of Nevada. had
moved down to one front seat on the Re.
publican side and kept his eyes fixed on the
reader. So had Mr.. PETER. OF Kansas. Mr.
Mcpherson. of New Jersey. and Mr.. Hun
ton. of Virginia, had seats at either end of
the reporters table. Most Of the other
Senators occupied their own chairs. There
was no difficulty. however. about hearing
the message in all parts of the chamb ber.
The reading occupied about fifteen min nutes.