The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-04
A Long Message with Little In It.

aRraphs might I've printed in three quarter,
OF a column. The sentences which are oh
viously of the Presidents own composition
would occupy much less space than that
The enormous length Of the document
Is due solely to the industry Of tn,
clerks who have been engaged in summarize
ing and p~araphrasing the annual report.
from the several departments, and to 4
creditable desire to impart to this year.
message what IL called n businesslike ap
pearance. in point OF volume. IL not OF con.
tents. The result Is an unprecedented and
unfortunate aggregation OF chaotic matter,
containing throughout the greater part no
statement Of any important fact not already
known to the public. no rev announcement
Of q policy intended to I've pursued. aud NJ
recommendations sufficiently definite to in.
fluence legislation. The writing is n very
good specimen Of what is known rs the ad
ministrative style, smooth. colorless, and
ineligible, and in marked contrast with
the few paragraphs which bear the indi.
yidual marks OF Mr.. C~LEvELAND's we'll
known rhetoric. For example, the intro
ductory passage:
The s~emblase within the nations legislative
halls Of those charged with the duty Of making laws
:" - ;" senerons y Ise peop,e, I'm
orabls responsibility involved In their task"
After the first three sentences, the pea
evidently passes into the hands Of Secretary
GRESHAM, or some one Of Secretary GREsH-
" trained assistants. Unless in a brief
and Chin. ,he NO, do.s moi, oo, haoL IT,
NJ c,rvr, - nwn s,a.r. En- -, -
tho d;.c,..ion ~ n. n.nsinn Sr.nds III
tho .,y,o - aa.in nn~mi.,..ah,a.
o.. nj. :, .y,a.nce a, unfr,s,tIIn.,, ,ou.ra y -or'
thy veterans and a denial Of their claim, to Oh. rener.
osty " the Government, suggests an unfortunate
,nu'ne'ence ,o .ne commission on any offence which
.a,.. !. x,m,nsns.. - Wv ",.o T = " .n",
mean and trcacherous crimes which NAV up m d.ms.
sosIc fears and make sport OF the patriotic impulse OF
"s'A'e'u' peope'
We suggest to those readers who find lit
tie or nothing in the message To hold their
interest, and yet regard il ~ n patriotic
duty to wade through the entire document,
that they pcrrse it continuously with "A
view to identifying and separating all the
passages which Mr.. CLEVELAND himself
wrote. This will lend at least the zest and
sport Of . literary game or puzzle to what
would be otherwise a dreary task.
Considering first the GRESHAM part OF the
message, it is a melancholy fact that. with a
single exception, every important reference
To International affairs is an indirect con
fession Of failure and humiliation. The
exception Is the part devoted to the Blue
fields incident and the policy OF our Govern
ment with regard to the Nicaragua Canal:
and here we have nothing positive or en-
tightening. Mr.. GRESHAM has to record,
in the least mortifying words he ran
find, the circumstance tina: the initial
blunder OF his attitude toward Japan
a. The beginning of her war with China, led TO
the natural and proper rejection by Japan Of
his extraordinary offer of Mr.. CLEvELANp's
mediation between the two countries. Hawaii
l. disposed of in a single short paragraph;
but even in that paragraph appes RI the re-
luc'ant admission that President DOLLS
Government. which Mr.. C%LEvELAxDand Mr..
GRESHAM did their utmost to overthrow, is
firmly established and in effective operation.
Thu reference TO Samoan affairs IL a propo-
sitipn Of withdrawal and surrender. in the
line Of Mr.. G~REsHAM's former essays upon
that subject. Mr.. CLEVELAND does not
conceal his hope that the present Congress
will I've unpatriotic and shor,- sighted enough
to abandon all that we have gained in Sa-
mca, and To authorike him and his wonderful
Secretary Of State to extend TO those islands
the shamefully un-American policy which
they seem bent on applying whenever and
wherever they get a chance.
There are only a few important recon-
menda,ions n tG domestic policy. aside
from those which are mere repetitions and !
perfunctory approvals Of what the various
members of the Cabinet say in their re-
ports. The condition OF the Treasury, with
now running $4,000, 900 above
receipts. and a deficiency certain for the
next fiscal year, is exhibited without
comment. The President declares himself
without qualification for the repeal Of
the American registry law. and, therefore,
for free ships. This was to Ike expected
from his remarks at the launching Of the
steamship 81. Louis the other day. About