The Portland daily press., 1895-12-04
CAUSTIC.
Are Most Of the Comments on the
Message.
DEMOCRATS AS WE'LL AS REPUB-
LICANS SCORE 1T.

he President Severely Criticised-Hale,
Dingley, Boutelie, Tillman, Crisp. Villas,
Allison and Many Other Leaders Ex-
press Themselves Forcibly-What They
Say.
Washington, December 3.-The follow
ing are the comments of some members
of the House on the Presidents message
Ex-Speaker Crisp said: 81 heard with
some surprise and great regret that part
OF the message relating to our finances.
That relief is needed no one doubts, that
1t can be found in the direction indicated
in the message, don't believe. The
President makes strong argument as
can be made in favor of the single gold
standard. l do not think he fairly states
the case. l am opposed to the retirement
OF greenbacks and Sherman notes because
II would ruinously contract our currency.
Neither can approve proposition rec
commended. to enlarge the privileges Of the
national banks. l have no doubt the
PRESIDENT honestly believes he is right as
well as l honestly believe he is WONG"
Congressman Dingley said: "The most
astonishing feature Of the message was
the fact that it entirely omitted to inform
the Congress, whether there was or was
not any necessity of providing more rev.
enue. Yhis was an omission more amaz-
ing in the face of the fact that for twenty
nine months there has been a deficiency
or revenue, amounting in aggregate to
$3.50. 600, 600. OF this sum $1S 600, 600 was
obtained by selling bonds ostensibly for
the preservation OF the greenback redelnp-
tion fund. The reference from the gener-
raj tenor fof the message was that the
PRESIDENT did not desire more revenue,
holding that bye and bye the present "
enue laws would yield enough revenue,
ana that he proposed to continue to use
the 500, 600, 900 in cash in the Treasury
which represented the balance of the pro-
ceeds OF bonds arleady sold, to pay future
deficiencies in the Treasury, as the ad-
ministration had done in the past
The Presldent's reference to the protect
i've policy under which the country has
prospered so signally, from 1861 to 1S93
as one designed for protection and ben
etit OF favored classes, at the expense of
the great mass of our countrymen," and
as one inefficient for purpose of reven-
ue'' is singular disregard of the fact
that during the time in which the policy
in was in effect, revenue was always in
excess OF peace expenditures and the mas
ses Uf the people of the country were never
before SO prosperous.
The effort OF the President to divert at
tention from the real causes of the fnan-
clal stress of the government by charging
the responsibility on the presence of the
greenback in our currency will not prove
a success.
The salient features of the Republican
policy were:
First, revenue in excess of current ex-
penditures.
Second, rigid maintenance of the gold
redemption fund or reserve, at a mini
mum of $i00, 900, 600.
Third, the maintenance of an assured
protective policy that would encourage
home production and the consequent pres
ervation of a favorable balance of trade,
with resultant domestic prosperity that
insures revenue and confidence.
The Democratic party reversed this pol
icy.
First. by announcing it's purpose to ov-
erthrow the portec6.ve policy.
Secondly, by failing to provide legisla-
tion that was to provide a sure adequate
revenue to meet the current expenses of
the government.
Thirdly, by allowing the redemption
fund to repeatedly fall far below the slO0,
600, 600 safety line and using the redeemed
greenhaoks to make up the defciencJ."
INDIVIDUAL OPINIONS.
Among the Senators, Mr. Hale said 'sThe
distinctive feature of the message is it's
for the retirement OF the
greenback. think the sentiment of th
country is against such policy. The
Presidents omission of any reference to
the tariff is suggestive. His treatment of
our foreign affair seems to be conserva-
tive 81 d satisfactory"
Mr.. Boutelle said 'sThe whole sicnifi-
canoe of the message as relating to the
financial situation, was to be found in
the Presidents refusal to recognize the
question of revenue as material factor
His indifference to the relations between
our income and our exenditures, was
pronounced as his theory that we could be
come more prosperous by borrowing mon
ey on interest-bearing bonds, than by
raising revenue at the expense of foreign
competitors with our own wage earners.
The issue raised by the President is fund
amentally the same issue between promo
ting American and foreign prosperity
raised in the elections of 1894 and 1885
and decided by tremendous majorities in
favor Of the true policy under whic the