Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-04
COMMENTS ON MESSAGE MT. Crisp Says MT. Cleveland Is
 Wrong and STATES HIS CASE UNFAIRLY The President Assumes Throughout His Mes sage That Our Obligations Are Pay-
 able in Gold.

Washington, Dec. 3.-It is stated at the treasury that Secretary Carlisle may not complete his report in time to sub init it to congress before Friday or Sat urday. As congress usually adjourns early in the session it may be next Mon day before Secretary Carlisle's report is made public. Ex-Speaker Crisp com mented upon the presidents message af- ter hearing it read today as follows:
 q heard with some surprise and great regret that part of the message relating to our finances. That relief is needed no one doubts. That it can be found in the direction indicated in the message I do not believe. The president makes as strong an argument as can be made in favor of the single gold standard, but l do not think it fairly states the case. He assumes throughout his message that our obligations are payable in gold. There is no law on the statute book jus tifying this assumption. All bonds, treasury notes and other obligations of the United States are payable in coin that is, gold and silver of the present standard of weight and fineness-and if the treasury would exercise the option which the law and contracts give of pay ing in those metals most convenient to 1t our difficulties would be less.
 q am opposed to the retirement of the greenbacks and Sherman notes because 1t would ruinously contract our currency. Neither can l approve the propositions recommended to enlarge the privileges of the national banks. I have no doubt that the president honestly believes he is right and know I honestly believe he is wrong"
 MT. Patterson of Tennessee said: The message is an exceedingly able state pa per. It is statesmanlike and courageous throughout. While listening to the presi- dents patriotic review of our foreign relations, his courageous adherance to the principles of tariff reform and his Jacksonian treatment of the currency question, I am profoundly impressed with the stupendous blunder many of his party associates have made in not standing by him. His party for time has gone down in defeat. but MT. Cleve- land remains in the unshaken confidence of the American people,
 MT. Newland ,silverite, of Nevada: MT. Cleveland In his message indulgeS in the usual fallacy of all gold standard men that gold is fixed and immuta ble stand ard of value. He measures gold by itself, and concludes that 1t does not change in value. The fact that gold measured by the prices of other products has constant 1y increased, and is still increasing in value, as the use of its only competitor, silver, has diminished. The sole cause of the prevailing depression is the low price of products and property and the high value of gold, which measures them. There Is but one way to cure this fall in prices. and that Is to take away a portion of the increased value of gold by re- storing silver. its only competitor"
 MT. McCreary, democrat of Kentucky, chairman of the committee on foreign af- fairs in the last house, said: That part of the presidents message which refers to our foreign relations is very interest ing. His recommendations are particu- larly important The Cuban question. the Venezuelan boundary line disputes. the Behring sea claims and the better preservation of seal life in the North Pa cifc and Behrng sea; the protection of American citizens in Turkey, China and Japan proper regulations to prevent un- favorable discrimination against our ex- ports to Europe, and particularly our cattle and other food products to Ger many and adjacent nations, and the ne- cessity for changing or modifying the treaty so as not to require the United States to act jointly with Germany and Egypt in paying expenses and assisting in the management of affairs in Samoa.
 ''The boundary dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela is attracting wide attention, and I believe our people, re- gardless of party affiliations, will indorse the president in an earnest and vigorous policy on the lines set forth in his mes sage Our government seems bound by considerations of honor and good faith to provide for immediate payment or for speedy adjustment of the Behring sea claims by arbitration as he recom- mends,"
 General Wheeler. democrat of Alaba- ma, said: "I think the presidents mes sage regarding the foreign policy of the government will meet the approval,of the United States. On the Venezuelan ques- tion the language of the message shows the firmly avowed determination of the United States to adhere to the Monroe doctrine in the strictest sense.
 'I think MT. Cleveland's reference to