The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-05
PUBLIC OPINION
On the Presidents Message to
Congress.
AS REFLECTED BY THE GREAT
NEWSPAPERS.

Allies as Well as Friends-Not Popular
to the American Taste-venezuelan
Treatment the One Redeeming Feature
-Weat the Englishmen Say of 1t.
New York, December 4.-The leading
New York papers comment on the Presi-
dents message as follows:
The Tribune: president Cleveland's
message is unique, as a revelation of
character Sturdy adherence to opinion
in the face of majorities may belong alike
to the highest statesman and the widest
crank. But adherence in the face of
facts, ability to ignore facts utterly when
they conflict with ones opinions, is not
greatness No President has delivered
another message affecting SO large share
Of the people. Its treatment of foreign
questions will affront very many of his
party. Its treatment of the silver question
will offend more than Jwo,thirds of that
party. Its pretence that the present
whiskey and sugar tariff, which he de-
nounced as 'perfidy and dishonor' is "a
principle based ON the denial of the right
VI SOtCiAAiOhp w jlOUOOb uuoUIlCS, WILL
offend every sincere advocate of that
cause. And it's demand for the substitu-
ton of bonds for green backs will affront
many Democrats, while in scarcely any
respects will the message satisfy the great
majority who elected more than two
thirds Of the present. House Of Represen-
tatives. But while it may be heroic to
go down with the ship for any good
cause. it is something else to deny facts
for the sake of a personal theory. The
most striking feature Of the message Sc
far as foreign affairs are concerned, is the
discussion of the dispute between
Venezuela and Great Britain. Or, per-
haps, we should not call it discussion,
but merely a statement of this nation IS
attitude toward that dispute. There is
nothing novel in it, Mr.. Cleveland mere
ly repeats and confirms what has already
appeared in the public prints, but in do
ing SO he repudiates the cowardly and
dishonest clamor of the Cuckoo press,
and commits himself unreservedly and
emphatically to the identical policy which
the Tribune first outlined and has con-
sistently and persistently urged upon this
government.
The Times says: "The spirit of the
message is profoundly earnest. 1t would
be surprising if it were not. During the
past two years it is not too much to say
that Mr.. Cleveland has borne almost
alone, with no efficient aid from the
national. legislature, with soant sympathy
from It's members, the enormous burden
of maintaining the integrity of the
national currency and defending the
most vital interests of the country. In
this he had the support of the business
men of the country, who understood the
immense and the yastness of the peril
against which the President was fight
ing, but who did not and could not
understand the heroic courage, che
stauDch will required to perform such a
task without adequate means proved by
tho law and by the use of powers, hotly
disputed by political opponents, and only
too frequently criticised in ignorance by
political friends. The spirit of the
message is not less temperate, candid and
sconslderate than it is earnest
The Sun says: "There are two passages
in Mr.. Cleveland's message which deserve
unqualified commentator. The first is
his announcement that England has been
notified regarding her dispute with
Venez uela, that the resent administra-
the traditional policy of the United
States is firmly opposed to any forcible
increase OF the territorial possessions of
any European power on this continent,
and that the policy embodied in the
Monroe Doctrine is right and sound, and
Will be maintained. This is the the
impressive testimony to the strength and
extent of the public sentiment demand
ing that our foreign relations shall be
managed at Washington On American
principles. If Mr.. Cleveland lives up to
the words and the spirit of his present
declaration not only with regard to
Venezuela, but in every case where the
same principle is involved, his admins
uration will become truly and illustrious-
~ American in the last few months of
its existence. We note also with consider
able pleasure that the President takes up
somewhat theoretically the cause Of our
shamefully underpaid ambassadors and
ministers. We sincerely wish we could
say, that the message is equally good in
every paragraph of its dismal and didactic
length That is noe the case. Almost
the only beaks in the studied vacuity of
It's voluminous periods are such as cannot
be contemplated with increased respects
for the ca;ttaor or the sincerity of the
President. This is trus respecting his
labored explanation and disingenuous de-
fence OF the financial policy of the
present administration and the attempt
to exaggerate ana elevate the paper
curreey question into the place of supreme
Importance as Cleveland issue formerly
occupied by civil service reform and tari IF