Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-09
Mr.. CIcvciand's Inaugural Message


The message delivered on Saturday by
Mr.. Cleveland on the occasion OF his second
inauguration as president Of the United
States is a characteristic utterance and one
which from the very circumstances attend q.
ing its delivery will be read with no little
interest at homo and abroad. While the
message contains the enunciation OF no new
| principle and includes the advocacy of no
new policy, it must be confessed that it is
from the democratic standpoint a strong
document and as specious and plausible a
statement of the democratic position on the
various issues mentioned as could ordinarily
| be made.
Mr.. Cleveland takes an unequvocal stand
! against the policy of protection, thus plac-
ing himself in full harmony with the tariff
plank adopted 10y tho last national demo-
cratic convention, and while be does not re
affirm the unconstitutionaity of protection
and call it fraud he holds the principle res
sponsibe for number of evils, named in an
abstract manner, which it might bother
| even the president himself to illustrate
with examples cited from the Ainer-
can republic. According to the demo
|
protection, but also every form Of bounties
and subsidies are to be rejected matter
of principle, and American industries and
en- terprlses of every description must stand
or fall upon their own merits. 1t our coun-
try has reachedits present unparalleled pros
perity in spite Of the maintenance OF pro
tective duties, and subsidies, az the democrats
claim, it might be able for a brief period to
undergo a regime based upoa the princi'
pie of free trade. and possibly it would be a
well for the business and industrial Interests
of the country to have the merits Of the two
policies tested now as later on, as they sure
ly will be if Mr.. Cleveland's Interpretation
Of the Chicago platform is adopted as thu
rule OF action in the treatment to be giver
the tariff issue by tbs democratic Congress
Mean while it should be remembered thai
protection is protection, and its effects arr
the same whether it is labelled incidental o.
in territorial.
Mr.. Cleveland justly rebukes the las
democratic Congress, which was the mos
extravagant and reckless in the history 0
the country, when be says that the waste o
public money is crime against the citizen
and II his rebuke serves as q warning to tn
next Congress and restraints it from follow
ing the example Of its immediate pre-
decessor Mr.. Cleveland will have dom
the material interests of the country
signal service. He alao recommends tina
combinations and trusts be restr aimed by tn
federal power so far possible, and in thi
respect the president will have not a lttl
support in all parties. All efforts to max
protection responsible for combines Of thI
sort, however, must fail in the light Of tn
existence Of multtudes OF the most power
full and oppressive trusts in free trade Eng
land.
The extent which number of States il
the solid South have strayed from the pat
Of right and fair government is indicated b.
Mr. Cleveland when he says that "Loyalt
to the principles upon which our govern
ment rests positively demands that tn
equality before the law. which it guarantee
to every citizen, should be justly and il
good faith conceded Ia all parts of the land !;
and that "the enjoyment of this right fol
lows the badge of citizenship whsreve
found, and. unimpared by race or color,
appeals for recognition to American manl
mesa and fairness"
This language, being interpreted, mean
I a fair ballot and a fair count, il it mean
3 anything and whether the white democrat
of tho South will accept 1t as a serious criti
cism and rebuke, or az merely high sound
r ing utterance for political effect in til
r North only, remains to be shown in larg
= part by their treatment of the colored voter
= in their section In the future.
Civil service reform is strongly CON
Q mendsd by the president for the benefit
t which have already resulted since it foun
( a place in our public policy, and the ''dC
a NOR alizing madness for spoils" is condemn
ed. The silver question 10 touched upon |
Y a general way, but no spscif recommend
4 tions arc intimated, it being the president
o evident intention to allow the party I