The Van Buren press., 1894-12-08
The Message.

MO AVoouSts
President Cleveland presented his message to
the second session Of the Fifty-third Congress
on Monday. He reviews In detail our foreign
relations, fnanccs, the condition of the army.
the ncbs strike. condition of the Postal depart
1ncnt navy, Interior department. Agricultural
department, civil service, recommends the
inauguration of a National Board of Health.
reviews the report of the Strike Commission
On the tariff question the President writes with
his old time vigor. He recommends the pass
age of what is known as the ''pop-gun" bills
In regard to the sugar question he Is especially
vigorous In his message. as follows:
$50 far ~ the sngar schedule Is concerned. l
would be glad, under existing ag2rayafi0ns, 10
see every particle Of diierental duty IN favor o.
refined sugar stricken out OF our tariff law. II
with all the favor now accorded the sugar
refining interest In our tariff laws II still
lnnguishes TO tho extent OF closed rchncries ana
thousands Of discharged workmen as .ash,a ~ wouin
Legislative aid, and whatever else 10 done OF
omitted. earnestly rcprnt here the recon-
mcndation have made In anotner poru1on, ~, .. ,.
at one tenth Of o cent per pound laia upon sugal
imported from countries paying bounty on ~ y.
export be abfogated. 1t seems TO me !ha.
exceedingly important considerations poins "
the proprlety OF this amendment
Another interesting portion of the message Is
that relating to the Indian question aud aliot-
ment. lie thinks there should be Federal
court established for the Indian Territory, with
sufficient Judges und that this court should SIT
within the Territory and have the same juris-
diction Us to territorial officers as Is now vested
In the Federal courts sitting in Arkansas and
Texas. He fayors the abolition Of the fee
systen, the enlargement Of the powers Of United
IT,. I'm Torr
allowance Of writs of error in criminal cases on
behalf Of the United States. and establishment
of degrees of murder III the matter OF ailot-
mont OF lands in the Indian Territory. 1t cannot
be said that the President very heartily favors
It and he recommends that 1t should be made
sparingly aud slowly. Allotment says the
President, should be cautiously done. and
when settlements are made. the balance OF the
reservation, instead OF being bought by the
government from the Indians, and opened to
scttlement, should remain as common land, or
be sold by the government on behalf OF the
Indians In An orderly way, and at fxed prices,
and che proceeds. less expenses, held In trust
for the benefit OF the Indians On the whole,
Mr. Cleveland Is very conservative In his views
on the Indian question:
The main interest attaches to his recommend
ations on the currency question:
s'During the last month the gold reserve in
tho Treasury for the purpose Of redeeming the
notes Of the Government circulating as money
In the hands of the people became so reduced,
and its further depletion IN the near future
seemed so certain, that In the exercise Of proper
care for the public welfare II became necessary
popular faith in the stability and determination
Of the Government to meet as agreed, its
pecunisry obligations Itwonld haye been well
II in this emergency authority had existed 10
Issue the bonds Of the Government bearing 4
low rate of interest AMI maturing within q
special period. But the Congress having failed
70 confer such authority. resort was necessarily
had to the resumption act of 1s75. and pursuant
10 its provisions bonds were issued drawing
interest at the rate Of 8 per cent per annum and
maturing 10 years after their issuing, that being
the shortest time authorized py the aet , -
these bonds the premium received oper ated to
reduce the rate Of interest to be paid by the
Government to less than per cent
Nothing could be worse or farther removed
from sensible tinance than the relations existing
between the currency the Government has
issued, the gold held for Its redemption and the
of replenishing such redemption fund when
impaired. Even II the claims upon this. fund
were confined to the obligations originally In
tended. and 4 the redemption od these a oDngsdi d
be very small. But these obligations, when
received and redeemed In gold, are not can
Gelled, but are reissued and may 40 duty many
times By way of drawing gold from the
Treasury. Thus we have an endless chain In
operation, constantly depicting the treasury 8
gold and never near . final rest As II this was
alton that It Is the policy of the Government. to
maintain the parity between gold and silver.
aided the force and momentum OF this exhaust
ing process and added largely to the currency
obligations claiming this peculiar gold redemp-
tiOn. Our small gold reserve IL thus subject to
drain from every side. The demands that In.
crease our danger also increase the necessity q
protecting this reserve against depletion and 1t
3s most unsatisfactory to know that the prOtec-
ton afforded Is only temporary paliiation.
1t Is perfectly aud palpably plain that the only
way under present conditions by which this
reserve, when dangerously depleted, can be
rcpiehishcd Is through the issue and sale of the
bonds of the Government for gold; and yet Con-
gross has aotonly thus far declined 70 authorize
The issue OF bonds best suited to such purposes
hut there seems disposition In some quarters
70 deny both the necessity and power for the
issue Of bonds ut all. cannot for moment
believe that any Of our citizens are dclibera,eiy
willing that their Government should default In
its pecuniary obligations or that Its financial
operations should be reduced to silver basis
AT any rate should not feel that my duty
was done II omitted any effort could make to
avert such u calamity. As long, therefore: as no
provision IL made for the final redemption or
the putting aside Of the currency obligations
now used to repeatedly and constantly draw
from the Government Its gold, aud as long as no
better authority for bond Issues Is allowed than
mt present exists, such authority Will be utilized
whenever and as often as it becomes necessary
To maintain sufficient gold reserve, and In
abundant time, to save the credit Of our country
and make good the financial declarations of our
Government
QursIions relating to our banks and currency
are closely connected with the subject Just
referred TO- and they also present some unsatis-
factory features.
Prominent among them are the lack of
elasticity in our currency circulation and Its
frequent concentration In financial centers when
il il most needed in other parts of the country.
The absolute enforcement Of the Government
from the business OF banking is the ideal
relationship Of the Government to the circula-
sion of the currency of the country
He endorses Mr.. Carlisles' plan, which, how
ever, for want Of space are unable to reproduce
this week.