Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-04
The Message.

stand taken by the President in favor OF
abrogating the additional duty OF one
tenth Of cent per pound laid upon the
sugar imported from countries paying a
bounty on its export will surprise many
and affect the stock market. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY no surprise to President Havemeyer
of the sugar trust and it is believed that
his having received intimation of the
Presidents position was the reason Tor
the Thanksgiving shutdown OF the rein
cries But when the different statements
made by the President at the time this
sugar duty was pending before Congress
are recalled this new position assumed
will be appreciated for its true weight. 1t
seems very doubtful If Congress will so feel
the necessity. as the President evidently
do es, that Of getting himself into a
more favorable light before the country.
As was expected the President wants
free ships. The object lesson he witnessed
at the Cramp ship yards was unheeded.
His method followed, the wonderful
achievements in the building Of American
ships would never have existed, and from
this forth would be paralyzed.
The message as a whole Is SO prosalc
and much of il so sensible that one is I'M
prepared for the slur made at the pen
sioner We are willing to believe that the
Presidents gout revived his old animosity
when he penned the words, 50 the bare faced
and extensive pension frauds exposed un-
der the direction of the courageous and
generous veteran soldier now at the head
of the bureau leave no room for the claim
that no purgation of our pension rolls was
needed If those frauds have been
discovered they have never been Eek
posed All that the country knows, is,
that terrible suffering and the rankest in
lust ice were inflicted on deserving pen
sioners by the incompetent minions of the
department without frauds being dis
covered to greater degree than hereto
fore. Until the people are furnished more
proof of pension frauds they will place
no confidence in such brutal and false in
situations as that of the President.
The President would have the "pop gun"
bills taken up he says. Yet he advocates
other legislation as Immediately neces-
sary and he must know that if the tariff is
brought up at this session nothing else
will be done. We believe that this part of
his message is simply to show that he still
considers himself consecrated to the idea.
There is nothing in the Presidents
message which promises any relief to the
farmer for the loss of those great markets
through the repeal of the beneficial reci-
procity treaties.
The President refers with evident pleas
IRE to the attitude of this country during
the Brazilian revolution. While there was
nothing done mt that time other than that
which was dictated by good sense, never
thelcss, in comparison with other phases
of the administration attitude on foreign
questions it was markedly creditable. 1t
is evident that the President so recognizes
it and this of itself is promising. His
reference to the attitude toward the China
Japan controversy is colorless and does
not do away with the feeling that Secre-
tary Gresham grossly blundered at the be-
ginning of the war by assuming to lecture
Japan upon her attitude toward Corea,
l., TO- hp
least in recognizing Japan's progress
The opportunity which this government
had of being the first to recognize
Japan's position as member of the fam
lily of nations is lost to us, Great Britain
taking the initiative. AT least nothing re-
mained fer this government but to take
cognizance of Japan's advanced position.
The brevity in which the President re
fers to the existence of the Hawaiian gov
ernment and its effective operation is so
marked as to be almost pathetic, under
the circumstances, were it not apparent
that he refuses to acknowledge only so
much as he is actually compelled to.
The President calls attention to the
feasibility of extending in every way pos
sible our commercial relations with Mexi-
co. What he has to say concerning the
Bluefelds affair leads the country to be-
licve that nothing has transpired that may
impair the future of the Nicaragua canal.
The President defines his position toward
naturalized Armenians returning to Tur-
key to be, that while recognizing the latter
countrys right to expel them it does not
recognize its right to imprison and pun
ish them.
As regar Is Samoa the President
stubbornly adheres to his POSITION ia.
yoring withdrawal from partic patton in
the present government of that country.
But what he does say indicates that such
withdrawal would be the means of work
ing great injustice upon the Samoans.
The deficit caused by the lack of receipts
to meet expenditures is of itself fitting
commentary upon the administration
L. ~