The free press., 1895-12-19
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Continued from first page J

and because their payment could be we'll
postponed to period far removed from
present financial burdens and perplexi-
ties, when with increased prosperity and
resources thdy would be more easily met
To further insure the cancellation OF
these notes, and also provide way by
which gold may be added to our currency
in lieu of them, a feature in the plan
should be an authority given to the sec
retary OF the treasury to dispose of the
bonds abroad for gold if necessary to com.
plete the contemplated redemption and
cancellation, permitting him to use the
proceeds of such bonds to take up and can
eel any of the notes that may be in the
treasury or that may be received by the
government on any account.
While l have endeavored to make a
plain statement of the disordered condi
ton of our currency and the present dan
gers menacing our prosperity, and to sug-
gest a way which leads to a safer financial
system, | have constantly had in mind the
fact that many of my countrymen, whose
sincerity | do not doubt, insist that the
cure for the ills now threatening us may
be found in the single and simple remedy
of the free coinage of silver.
They contend that our mints shall be at
once thrown open to the free, unlimited
and independent coinage of both gold and
silver dollars of full legal tender quality,
regardless of the action OF any other gov
ernment and in full view of the fact that
the ratio between the metals which they
suggest calls for one hundred cents worth
in the gold dollar at the present standard.
and only fifty cents in intrinsic worth OF
silver in the silver dollar were there in
finitely stronger reasons than can be ad-
duced for hoping that such action would
secure for us a bimetallic currency.
Moving on lines of parity, an experiment
so novel and hazardous as that proposed
might well stagger those who believe that
stability is an imperative condition OF
sound money.
In conclusion, I especially entreat the
peoples representatives in the congress.
who are charged with the responsibility OF
inaugurating measures for the safety and
prosperity of our common country, to
promptly and effectively consider the
ills of our critical financial plight.
| have suggested a remedy which my
Judgment approves.
| DESIRE however, to assure the congress
that | am prepared to cooperate with
them in sperfecting any other meas
ure promising thorough and practi.
cal relief, and that l will gladly
labor with them in every patriotic endeav-
or to further the interests and guard the
welfare of our countrymen whom in our
respective places Of duty we have under
10 serve.
Lynching of Italians.
The deplorable lynching of several
italian laborers in Colorado was nat
urally followed by international repre-
the best efforts of the state in which the
outrages occurred have been put forth to
discover and punish the authors of this
atrocious crime. The dependent families
of some of the unfortunate victims invite
by their deplorable condition gracious
provision for their needs.
These manifestations against helpless
aliens may be traced through successive
stages to the vicious Padronia system,
which, unchecked by our immigration
and contract labour statutes controls
workers from the moment of landing on
shores, and farms them out in distant
and often rude regions, where their
cheapening competition in the fields
of bread winning toll brings them into
collision with other labor interests.
While welcoming as we should those who
seek our shores to merge themselves in
our body polite and win personal COM
petence by honest effort, we cannot regard
such assemblages of distinctively alien
laborers, hired out in the mass to the
profit of alien spectators and shipped
hither and thither as the prospect of gain
may dictate, as otherwise than repugnant
to the spirit OF our civilization, deterrent
to individual advadcement, and hindran-
cAs to the hnildine up of stable commit
resting upon the wholesome ambi-
tions of the citizens and constituting the
prime factor in the prosperity and pro-
gress of our nation. If legislation can
reach this growing evil, it certainly should
be attempted.
ISignea} Grover Cleveland.