The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-04
The Presidents Message.

The feature of Mr.. Cleveland's mes
sage, as had been copiously predicted,
is its treatment of foreign affairs; the
remainder Of 1t is merely a tame re-
echoing Of theories already well eX-
plotted. In three respects the message
in its references to diplomatic ques-
tions will receive popular approval;
In a fourth, 1t will not. The executive
reveals a firm and manly stand in re-
1ation to the Waller case, the Armen-
Ian massacres and the dispute concern
ing Venezuela. In each of these in
stances he shows that every due step
has been taken in the maintenance of
american rights and privileges. In the
last instance, which is perhaps the
most important, it is stated that in
July last q dispatch was addressed to
the American ambassador at London
instructing him to communicate to the
British government that the United
States Is firmly opposed to a forcible
increase by any European power of its
territorial possessions on this contn-
finite answer to it's question whether
Great Britain will or will not submit
the dispute in point, In its entirety, to
impartial arbitration. Although four
months have since elapsed, no reply
has yet been received, but one "is ex-
pected shortly" in which event there
can be-RSthine to do but to wait.
Had the president pursued this new
dispensation of Americanism to a log
ical conclusionS he would probably not
have written what he did write con-
cerning Cuba. In this portion Of his
message he is singularly infelicitous.
Retold in palmer words, he warns his
csuntrymen not to give public express
sion to their sympathy with the Cuban
insurgents lest 1t embarrass this gov
ernment in it's efforts to "observe In
good faith the recognized obligations
ff international relationship" Just
what this means is left to conjecture,
the president not deigning to specify
the details, wherein the voicing of
American sympathy for a people suf-
fering, as our forefathers suffered, un-
der the yoke Of tyranny and struggling,
as our fathers before us struggled, to
throw on that yoke, can in any wise
infringe upon our treaty obligations.
Under no treaty has the right of the
American people to give peaceable ex-
preston to their opinions been restrict
ed; and IL in their exercise of such right
they embarrass the executive officers
bf their government, it may we'll be
supposed that those officers have lost
touch with the people, their employers,
and consequently need to be embar-
raised.
The only other features of the mes
sage worthy Of note are its blind and
dumb adherence to the presidents
impracticable theory Of tariff reform"
and it's demand for the retirement of
the greenbacks from circulation
coupled with the substitution of an
hmplified bank note currency secured
by deposited government bonds. Not
a word is said as to the need Of imme-
dtate revenue replenishment. No
specific recommendation Is presented to
congress in relation to this grave crisis
save the suggestion that long-term
bonds be issued in redemption Of the
greenbacks and the treasury notes su-
thorixed by the act of 1890, and this
would to no appreciable extent relieve
the immediate tension in the treasury
department. In his attitude toward
this palpable fruit of Democratic in
capacity the president is stupidity OBJ
stinate and perverse. Ready enough
10 help on the mischief, he dog
gedly declines to recognize his
party's authorship of 1t, now that II
has reached formidablep proportions. and
instead branches of into dreary dis
quisitions upon subjects foreign to the
main point. In this respect the message.
while Enthusiastically Clevelandes-
que, ID grossly incomplete and falls so
Ear short Of its opportunity as to stamp
its author az simply a concelted and
obstinate theorist.