The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-01-31
A MESSAGE EXPECTED.
The President May Soon Issue
Another.
SUBJECT, GOVERNMENT FINANCES.

In IL He Will Arraign Congress For Its
Failure tn Provide = New Money Sys-
tem-It VIII BE Written In the Presi-
dents own Hand, as Usual.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 30. - Special. -
President Cleveland is expected soon to
send another message to congress. 1t will
be on the financial question. Men near
10 the president are responsible for the
statement that he will use the coming
bond issue as pretext for another COM
munication TO the national legislature.
According to the programme, the bids for
bonds will be opened at the treasury de-
partment next week, and as soon as the
awards shall have been decided upon the
president will communicate with congress,
announcing the results of the loan and
making the occasion a test for reading the
statesmen another of his vigorous lectures
The message is expected to point out how
much of the peoples money might have
been saved in the interest account II con-
gress had simply authorized the issue of
bonds expressly payable in gold. But the
principal point of the message, as IL Is
outlined by members of the administration
who know the presidents views, is 20 be
an arraignment of congress for its failure
TO prescribe q new system of government
finance.
Finance Near to His Heart.
Those who talk with Mr.. Cleveland on
this question represent him TO be very
much in earnest. In fact, he talks of lit
tie else 1t is the one topic near TO his
heart and constantly in his mind. Some
of his private remarks concerning the fail
ure of congress TO enact laws that Will re-
lieve the government of its present situa-
tion are very severe and even picturesque.
Mr. Cleveland has "a blunt and emphatic
way of talking, and in private denuncia-
tion of the do nothingism of congress he
is not careful to choose nice words. He is
more anxious to express himself forclbly
than TO impress his hearers as master of
refined rhetoric. Understanding the pres
idents great earnestness on this question,
the members of his cabinet are expecting
a most vigorous message They look to
soc him call congress sharply To account,
10 remind it that, by failing to act, it is
neglecting the interests of the country
and that the people will hold it responsible
for all its shortcomings.
No one expects Mr. Cleveland will be
able TO secure results in congress, no mat
ter how many messages he may send in.
Nor does any one suppose Mr.. Cleveland
himself entertains the notion that congress
can be driven into compliance with his
will. And yet men who are near TO the
president say he is not without hope. He
has constantly in mind his remarkable
achievement of securing the repeal OF the
sherman silver purchase law by hostile
and most unwilling senate. Mr.. Cleveland
attributes his success on that occasion
wholly TO the power of public opinion, in
which he Is a great believer. he Is not
without hope that public sentiment may
again bring such pressure to bear upon
congress as will secure results before ad-
iournment. At any rate Mr. Cleveland
believes il TO be his duty, as 1t certainly Is
his pleasure to do everything in his power
10 rouse public sentiment and to make
things uncomfortable for the statesmen in
congress. it is with this in view that he
meditates another message.
A Hard Worker.
Mr. Cleveland is fond of writing mes
sages To congress. 1t is said he has writ
ten "A greater number of messages than all
his predecessors combined. He set the
pace during his first term with his numer-
Gus vetoes of pension bills, breaking all
records, and during the present term he
has found it convenient quite often to
communicate his views in writing" to
the national legislature. Mr.. Cleveland
writes all his messages with his own hand,
and every bit of manuscript turned out by
him is as neat as any schoolgirls essay.
His writing is very regular, and he Is
careful To put in all the punctuation
marks. In writing messages he likes TO
use small tablets of paper. Mr.. Cleveland
never dictates. He does not even dictate
letters. These he either writes himself or
tells Mr.. Thurber the substance of what
he wishes TO have said, the private secre-
tary supplying phrascology of his own.
This refusal to adopt modern methods Of
work is one reason why the president finds
his task so laborious. He could save him
self many hours of drudgery IL he would
learn to dictate. but he says he is too old a
dog TO learn new tricks. General Harrison
used stenograpber every day while he
was in the White House, and even now
takes with him whenever he leaves home
his private secretary and shorthand writ
er. Mr.. Tibbetts. The presidents messages
to congress are never sent to the capitol in
sthe original manuscript. They are tran
scribed by Major Pruden and Mr.. Young
of the White House staff. Even if printed
before going to congress, the handsomely
engrossed copies are always sent to the SEN
ate and house, while Mrs. Cleveland takes
possession of the presidents original man.
uscript and has it bound up in book of
her husbands state papers which she is
preparing.
Local Topics.
The interesting disclosure has beer
made here that Uncle Sam owns more
than one half of the taxable real estate in
the city of Washington. This fact, or al
legged statement of fact, came out in a dis
cussion concerning bridge across the
Potomac which congress is asked to au-
thorize 1t is proposed as memorial
bridge" connecting the Capital City with
Arlington, the old Lee estate, now owned
by the government and to be adorned by
statues of Grant and Lee. OF course all
the Washington people want the bridge,
but Senator Blanchard of Louisiana has
proposed an amendment requiring the Dis
triot of Columbia to pay one-half the cost.
OF course the government does not pay
taxes on its property. Instead 1t pays one
half the exnensee If the District of COlum-