The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-04
CLEVELAND's MESSAGE.

The best summary which can be given
of the Presidents message is that which
Hamlet gave of the book he was reading
when questioned by Polonius. 1t contains
words, words, words" Faithful support
ers of Cleveland may believe that in this
haystack of verbiage there is some needle
of sense, but few will venture to go
through the dreary mass in search of it,
and those who do will hardly have more
than their trouble for their pains.
The message leaves the general affairs of
the country to be learned from the reports
OF the various Cabinet officers and directs
attention mainly to our foreign relations
and questions Of finance. As these are de-
cideGly the most important of our political
issues, and engage the greater part of
public interest in National affairs, it was
right enough In the President to give them
this prominence in his formal address to
Congress. When he had thus limited him.
self in matter, however, he should also
have limited himself in words, and fur
nished the country with such a review CT
these subjects as could have been read by
the average man without neglecting his
business. AS 1t is instead of statement
of existing conditions we have a yolumin-
Gus document containing few facts, and
which will in no wise serve to give the
people comprehensive idea OF the affairs
of the Government.
Those who read the document will learn
that under the Cleveland foreign admins
tration our relations with South America,
China and Japan are pleasant. We are
having trouble with Germany, France,
Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Spain, Ea-
wall and Turkey. Some of these troubles
are slight, but others are of consider
able Importance. The most serious
are the disputes with England over
the seal fisheries, Venezuela and the
Alaska boundary, with Germany over
the exclusion of American farm prod
ucts from German markets, and with
France over the Imprisonment OF ex
Consul Waller. On all of these Cleveland
writes much and says little. He makes
the usual statement that diplomatic nego-
| tiations will arrange all of these difficulties
| satisfactorily. but we find nowhere any
| trace OF that long-promised vigorous
| foreign policy" In fact, there is no vigo1
| even of words.
| Turning to the financial issues the Presi
| dent writes an elaborate treatise on our
monetary history, varied now and then
with disquisitions on the theory OF money
| 1t is well known that no two people have
ever yet agreed on any money theory, and
it is not likely that CIeveland's theories
will break the record. His recommend
ations contain nothing new nor different
from the policy which he has been advo,
eating all along, He urges the retirement
of greenbacks, opposes the free coinage Of
silver, and advises the issue of bonds as &
means of Withdrawing all forms of Govern.
ment notes and preparing basis for the
| issue of bank notes.
All that Cleveland has said in this long
tedious message could have been more
effectually said in one-fourth the space
Presidential messages are intended to give
| the people an understanding of the affairs
OF the Nation. If they do not serve that
purpose they are of no use. Cleveland's
certainly does not serve that purpose, and
will have no other effect than that OF
emphasizing how fat-headed a man he is
in everything.