New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-03
HARRISON'S RECORD.
-FOUR YEARS OF 4 REPUBLICAN,
ADMINISTRATION.
A BRIEF REVIEW OF rrS POLICY AND
ACIIlEvEMi> IS.
THE NATIONAL DIGNITY rpuELp-FINANcIAL
MEAsCETs-HI, ErFIIrivE NAvY-sA1A.
CIOrS CONDUCT OF INTERNAL Az.
FAIRS THE LAWS rpHELD-RE-
InpMs ACCOMPLISHED

Ciors CONDUCT OF INTERNAL Az.
IMRs-TnE LAWS rrHELp-IE.
FORMS ACCOMPLISHED.
Washington. March = Special The AdminiA
tration Of President Harrison IL rapidly drawing
20 close Before the week IL over IL will have
become 90 Record If the Past" II Is too early,
p"rhaps-the proper perspective backing
TO review that record entirely without
bias or prejudice. Time and distance aione
can supply the proper point Of view
and correct a defective vision Neither from
enc nor tho other. however, need the friends Of
President Harrison fear that his name and fame
will suffer The future historian. II he he but
just will have no difficulty IN discovering through
the mist and vapor generated by party strife AMI
confer entons the truc outlines of the man AMI Presi-
dent. But although this must largely bc the task
of the student Of history hereafter, II can do no
harm 20 note slccinctly and IN the brief space
circum.cribod hy the necessities Of daily newe-
paper the salient ACHE ieyements OF President iiar.
rison> administration
The record of the last four years Will not sup
port upon an unpr"judiced examination, any other
Judgment than that President Harrison has well
and faithfully done the duty that expected
from him. lie did not enter the White House
with vocirrous declarations of Lis superiority 10
the rest Of mankind He never pretended that he
possessed a monopoly OF civic virtues, and that
wisdom wolld die with him but. having taken tho
oath Of Office h. forthwith began the great work
of raising the standard Of the public service. de-
noral7cd by four years of Democratic Incompetence
and pcrvcr-ty In some respects his work was
brilliant; in all respects IL has been good ana
WHOLESOME and in no respect can IL bc Justly as-
.ailrd as harmful or inefficient. From the very
inst the President surrounded himself with able
advisers. men Of reputation ard experience. each
admirably fitted by training and taste fer Lis par
tcular work. The result has b,cn harmonious
administration. sure of what II needed and OF how
il needed TO be done. The petty s1uabbcs OF 10
predcccs ,or il. bicsernrs and scandals have been
unknown to this In the State Department
ct nscrvatvc. sagacioas and patriotic policy re-
placed the dull aims and timid methods Of Mr..
Bsyard. In the Treasury Department the eil.-
cheney of the customs service has been restored,
loans unwarraniably made to favored banks have
been withdrawn, and the public debt has been ~
duced upon terms much better tnan thoc secures
by Democratic administration. Tho Navy DE-
partnent under Secretary Tracy, has taken greatS
strides toward efficiency than before. not only
in the number Of powerful modern vessels added TO
the Navy but in the development Of spirit or
discipline and devotion 10 duty among officers ana
men hitherto unknown. The conduct OF the In
terror Department has been characterized ny
liberal but prudent Interpretation OF the lana laws
bv a wise and consistent attitude toward the In.
dians and BY an economical and efficient admins
tration Of the Patent Office. The War Departments
inaugurated reforms. far reaching in character,
which have already begun to demonstrate the Wis
dom Of those who conceived and executed them.
The Department of Justice, from being the cess-
pool of scandal and corruption. became, under
,f,I 4 Ini nj.
impacablc foe of ringsers. financial mountebanks.
swindlers and violators of the law. The DEPART
ment of Agriculture has risen within the last four
years superior to it, old and unsavory reputation
of furnishing haven of refuge TO cranks and dis
credited Missionaries. and has once more become
public OF CO, the conduct Of which commands tho
confidence and respect Of the class for whose eene-
fiji it was presumably created. The Postollce de-
partment has steadily increased its field Of beneh-
cent Use fulncsS and has grown 10 he more nearly
self-supportine than before. And it has done
this without finding il necessary to discriminate
in favor of foreign mail carriers, either. Such. IN
brief, is the condition of the departments which,
on the 4th of March, President Harrison will turn
over to his successor. In the main, their present
efficiency is MS work and that of the able assist
ants chosen by him. He has every reason to b
proud of the manner in which lie has discharged
his trust.
VIGOROUS FoREIiN POLICY.
The four years OF President lIarrisons Admin
istration have been marked by unusual activity
and striking success in the mana cement of foreign
relations American interests have been vastly
promoted and the aims OF the true American dlpio-
macy emphasized The record of the Adminstra-
tion begins with the highly important and ssnlfi-
cant meeting of the International American Con-
pI dc .yif
clnson OF the Hawaiian Treaty Of Annexation.
Tho International American Conference assembled
in this city IN October. 1889 with delegates repre-
.cnting all the independent governments OF the
two Americas and continued in session until APRIL
| 500 Many plans for the establishment Of closer
relations among the American Republics were dis
c,lsscd and several definite propositions were
agreed upon for reference TO the separate Govern.
ments represented. Ar itration was recommended
rs the basis of the settlement Of all disputes he
tween countries. except when the National in-
:egrity was involved: surveys for international
railway were provided for: bureau Of information
was established, to bc conducted in Washington.
and many other PROJECTS # mutual bcnett were
started for future consideration and adoption 10
the go,d feeling and better understanding resulting
from the conference must be- ascrbed too, in great
part the successful negotiation later on OF the
brazilian and other reciprocity treaties.
While thr American Nations discussing
PLANS for closer intimacy another important inter-
national conference WAS being held for the bet'er
Of lives and property at sea. All the
leading maritime countries rcpre~arte1, and
many useful and valuable recommendations were
made TO be carried out later in legislation by the
| 'nitcd States Great Britain and other partici-
pants in the conference. During the first year OF
the Administration negotiations between England,
Germany and the United STATES for the preserve
ton Of peace and good government in the Samoan
Islands, which had been broken of in 1881 wef0
renewed with success, and a convention,
signed in iIrlin, was Submitted early in 900 and
ratified by the Senate. \ treaty Of cytraditon