Evening journal., 1893-12-06
No cANT, No eAckpoWN.


Cleveland's message is characteristic It
is like him aud like his ways. It Is direct,
candid, honest, brave But, above and
beyond all things, there Is an entire, and
II we may be excused for the expression,
beautiful absence of cant.
We hate cant. All honest. earnest
men must hate it. Hence. we cannot do
otherwise than remark its absence
Cant, like too much sweetness, sours.
We have have had too much cant
Whatever else may said Of President
Cleveland, or Grover Cleveland, as we
prefer to call the sturdy American Cit
zen, there is never any posing for effect
His message, though longer, as Mr. Har
rison says, than the average Harrlsonian
special plea, is a clean, clear, straightout
effort to state the general condition Of
the country and the relative position of
each department of the government. He
does not shiIk, falter, or argue; he
simply states the case.
Asan instance Of this the message states
that the Ways and Means Committee had
provided against deficiency by arranging
for "a few additional internal revenue
taxes, including a small tax upon in
comes derived from certain corporate in
vestments
That may have been a surprise to those
who did not know that the tariff reduc.
tions, proposed by the Wilson bill on the
necessaries of life and raw materials.
would probably reduce the revenue
800 900, 900 year. 1t is not surprising
to those who have been anxious to End
some relief for the burden that the peo.
pie bear in the taxation of the neees-
saries Of life which pay 81 to the Treas
ury and So to the monopolist.
The next surprise Of the message, es-
pecially to those who were anxious for
surprises, is the sting in the tail Of the
Samoan paragraph, where the President
says: This incident signally illustrates
the impolicy Of entangllng alliances
with foreign powers, is enjoyed by many
who see al once its application to the
Hawaiian matter He refers to the
fact that revolution" had
occurred after which Mataafa
was defeated by King Malietoa.
and he and ten of his principal adherents
we're transported to a German island by
the British and German vessels in the
absence Of any vessel Of the United
States, and held as prisoners there.
There is the same beauty In the strict
Observance Of the Monroe doctrine as
there is courtesy in the Chesterfeldlan
precept; Beware Of quarrel but be
ing in let thine adversary beware Of
thee" President Cleveland uses the
Samoan incident with effect 70 show
the sense and philosophy and the
honesty too OF non.interference.
The country understands pretty well.
where President Cleveland stands ON the
tariff question. but it is not superauous
for him to say
After a hard struggle tariff reform is
directly before us Nothing so important
claims our attention and nothing so
clearly presents itself as both an oppor-
tunity aud duty-an opportunity to a,
serve the gratitude of our fellow citizens
and duty imposed upon us by our Oft
repeated professions and by the EN-
phatic mandate Of the people After
full discussion our countrymeu have
spoken in favor of this reform, and rhey
have confded the work of its accom-
plishment TO the hands Of those who are
solemnly pledged to 10. Mani
testify, If We are to aid the people di
rectly through tariff r. form. one Of
most obvious features should be a re
duciiou in present tariff charges upon
the necessaries Of life The benefits of
such a reduction would be palpable and
substantial, seen aud felt by ihous
ands who would be better fed and better
clothed aud better sheltered These gifts
should be the willing benefactions of a
COVER ment whose highest function is the
promotion Of the welfars of the people
The message is not disappointment.
Having known the Presidents positi n
thoroughly beforehand, there was ioth-
ing new to expect The message does
not contain anything new. It is simply
a restatement. 1t begins indeed, with
the statement that the message is writ
ten, not because it is necessary just now,
but because it is constitutional duty
required Of the President.
No comment that we have seen on the
message seems fairer. more unbiased and
more truthful than that Of the London
Standard: "Mr Cleveland has stood fol
reform like a rock No words could b,
clearer in dealing with the thorny tariff
question, and no attitude could be
sounder from the American standpoint.
The President and his Cabinet hav,
chosen their position with remarkable