Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-12-09
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S
MESSAGE.

message prevents its being gwen III
whole and we publish the following
comprehensive epitome from the
Burlington Free Press:
Few presidential messages during
the past quarter of century have
been awaited by the American pubic
with greater interest than that dellv-
cred by President Cleveland yester-
day to the Fifty Fourth Congress.
Circumstances conspired to render
the presidents communication at this
time of twofold Importance. Not
only has the country just passed thro'
a period of business and financial dis
the consequent appearance of new
and pressing monetary issues, but
there has also been a succession of
foreign complications since the begin
ming of the present presidential term
involving American interests to a de-
gree not equalled in any similar peri
cd since the close of the civil war.
President Cleveland deals first in
his message with our foreign relations,
and it is interesting to note the man
ner in which he gradually leads up to
the point where he speaks of the rad
ical change that has characterized his
foreign policy. After summarizing
the notable features of our South
American relations since the last con-
gress adjourned, and claiming for the
democratic tariff act a single effect
which he is amusingly careful not to
characterize as reciprocity, the pres
ident turns to the subject of the Chi
nese atrocities, and tells of the efforts
made to secure reparation for the
murder Of American missionaries, and
of the assurances of the Chinese gov
erDment regarding the protection of
American residents in the Flowery
Kingdom in the future.
In the succeeding passages of the
message the president treats briefly
of the part played by our govern
ment in the settlement Of the trouble
between China and Japan; of the
Waller controversy between France
and the United States; of the discrim-
nations instituted by various Euro
pean powers against the United
States on account Of protective duties
which, by the way, the democratic
tariff does not appear to have amel-
iorated or prevented; and of the re-
! taliations that are likely to follow the
! imposition of protective duties, with
disastrous effects upon American
trade. In this connection President
| Cleveland expresses the opinion that
| international trade should be reclpro-
cal, but he neglects to point out any
provision embodied in the last tariff
act. having this object in view as die
the eciprocity clause Of the Mckinley
act.
The president next turns to our
relations with Great Britain. He re
! fers to the several questions left un
d 9termined by the Behring sea arb1tra
ton tribunal, and urges the Sanction
bv Congress of the arrangement auth
orized by the Paris tribunal, by whIc1
the United States was to pay Grea
Britain 1926, 200 in full settlement o
all British claims arising from thu
seizure of their sealing vessels. Ii
speaking of the Alaskan bOundar.
controversy the president advocate
as imperative the authorization b.
Congress of a joint delimitation will
England of the 141st meridian.
That part of President Cleveland
message treating our foreign relation
which will overshadow all others, o
course is that dealing with the Anglo
Venezuelan boundary dispute, involv
ing the Monroe doctrine. The pres
ident says that the memorandum sen
to Ambassador Bayard for transmits
sion to the British government was il
substance that our traditional polic
opposes forcible increase by an Euro
pean power of its territorial posses
sions on this continent; that this poll
cy is as well founded in principle a
supported by precedent; that we ar
} bound to protest against the enlarge
rnent Of the area of British Guiana i
derogation of the rights and agains
the will of Venezuela, and that th
dispute can be reasonably settled b
, arbitration, which should include th
; whole controversy. The presider
adds that the dispatch called upon tn
British government for definite ans
, wer to the question whether or not
q would submit the controversy in il
e entirety to impartial arbitration an
q that although no answer bas been re
: ceived reply is shortly expected
f This was radical step for the pre-:
q ident to take in view of his previot
| tor ord Il