The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-04
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

Recent events have given so much
prominence to international questions
and national finances that the President
owed no apology for devoting his entire
message to these two topics. Probably
no presidential message has ever dis
cussed either topic as fully as this one
does. Much Of the discussion is surplus
age, and the message might have been
greatly abbreviated without sacrificing
anything of Importance Mr.. Cleveland S
style is so heavy and his sentences so
long that he consumes a great deal of
space In saying comparatively little.
His presentation of the riots and mas
sacres in China adds nothing to facts
published In the newspapers many weeks
ago. His statement of the Waller case,
reduced to plain terms. shows that the
French government has been playing a
game of bluff against the United
States for months and still refuses to
submit a copy of the evidence on which
Waller was convicted. Meanwhile he is
in jail. though the President says. in
his polysyllabic way, that Ibis confine-
ment has every alienation which the
state of his health and all the other cir
cumstances of the case demand or per-
nit" This is poor consolation for an
American citizen confined in a foreign
prison.
The discussion Of our trade relations
with Germany and the exclusion of
American meats is simply an exploita-
ton of the Presidents free-trade ideas,
without any recommendation calculated
to improve matters. The only recon-
mendation regarding the Boring sea
question is that Congress pay the lump
sum Of s425. 900 in settlement Of British
claims, which 1t has already refused to
pay. OF course, Congress will disregard
this recommendation and insist upon an
arbitration Of the points in controversy.
The two most interesting features in
this part of the message are the Ven-
ezuelan boundary dispute and the Cuban
question. AS to the first, the President s
statement is clear and satisfactory. 1t
shows that, in communication to the
British government the administration
has distinctly reaffirmed the Monroe doc
trine, declared it's opposition to any at
tempt on the part of Great Britain to
appropriate Venezuelan territory, and in
sisted that all the points in dispute shall
be submitted to arbitration. AS far as
can be gathered from the President s
statement. the position taken by the ad-
ministration ON this subject is firm, de-
cided and satisfactory.
The treatment Of the Cuban question
will fall far short of meeting the approx
al Of those who believe that this govern
ment should extend some recognition or
encouragement to the insurgents. The
President speaks Of them as struggling
for larger autonomy and greater free
DOM" as If they had a particle Of either.
His treatment Of the subject is cold
blooded, and he sees no obligation except
that of enforcing the neutrality laws.
There is nothing American In this part
Of the message.
The Presidents discussion of national
finances is like presentation of Ham
let" with Hamlet left out. He touches
on many phases Of the situation, but by
great effort and with surprising circum-
locution avoids the vital one Of increased
revenue. He even makes the astonishing
statement that '.in the present stage of
our difficulty the amount of our revenue
receipts does not directly affect It." And
with amazing stupidity adds: THE i'm
portant question is not the quantity of
money received in revenue payments,
but the kind of money we maintain. -
| On some phases of the financial question
| the President is sound, but in the light
| of the statements above quoted one is
forced to think that his soundness on
any phase Of the question is purely acci-
| dental Having shown his utter inability
| to deal with the financial situation, 1t re-
mains for Congress to adopt its own
/ ynafbo6c