Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-12-11
THE NJ ESSAGE.

uNE. In the opening paragraph MIR.
Cleveland wantonly insults the loyalty
and intelligence of the people OF the
United States by intimatipg that it is
cause for congratulation that the cleo
ton of Mckinley was not followed by
riot and rebellion. The suggestion is
characteristicalIy Clevelandish and we
will let it pass
The portion OF the message awaited
with the most eager expectation was
that referring to Cuban atIaire. 1t is
safe to say that it will be read with al
most universal disappointment and dis.
satisfaction, for the overwhelming eenti-
ment of our people is in favor of the
revolutoniets and the moral, if not the
material aid OF our government in eecur-
ing victory. Mr. Cleveland has had
sources of information regarding the
condition Of affairs that are superior to
those enjoyed by any other person, and
| when he announces that the present
status of the rebellion does not warrant
| III lJlciltItuCC VI iCSOSIl tIC bthlC-
ment must be accepted as a fact While
all sympathizers would wish that the
contrary were the case, right thinking
men cannot find fault with the
president for the conclusion he
has reached. As the executive
of the nation he is charged with great
responsibilities, and one of the graveet
is the Cuban question. To use his own
language on previous occasion, he is
confronted with condition, not the
ory.' On the one hand is the instinct
i've impulse Of his fellow -countrymen
crying out, Cuba should be free" On
the other are the solemn treaty obliga-
tions with Spain, the observance or pom
observance Of which will be jealouely
noted by all the treaty making powers Of
the world. 1t is matter in which de
liberato judgment, not impulse, must
govern, for there is no telling where the
consequences of a wrong step would end
All in all, we believe that the president
is Justified in the stand that he hae
taken, though we sincerely regret that
otherwise. His talk of mediation ap-
pears to be Il forlorn hope, for all the
signs point TO a determination on the
part Of the rebels to be either slaves or
freemen. In the near future changed
conditions on the ssiand may warrant u
change in the attitude OF the govern
ment Of the United States, and this, it is
hoped, will soon arrive.
The two other material portions Of the
message are the chapters devoted tc
revenue and currency. 1t will be aeen
lation during the present session
Though he declined to sign the Wilson
German bill he now comes to its de
fense, and asserts that under ordinar,
circumstances it will produce sufficient
revenue to meet the expenses of the gov
ernmcnt, that its failure to do so wat
not due to any inherent defects of the
bill, but to the extraordinary business
depression during the past two years
This would indicate that he has the veto
club in readiness for the Dingley bill
should il show its head at the White
house.
His views on the currency question art
but repetition OF those previously OK
pressed. lie is ready and anxious t
carry out the program Of the gold mono
metalists to the letter, and to this enc
urges the retirement Of greenbacka anC
legal tender notes and an in crease 10 tn,
paper issue of the national banks. Ii
other words, he would place the business
of the nation at the mercy OF the bank
by permitting those institutions to regu
This measure will probably not succeed
, during the present session OF congress
= but it ecema inevitable in the Fifty-iiftl
congress- for the men who will run botl
the Legislative and executive depart
. ments of the government after March
:, favor it, and their word will be law. A
= extraordinary effort on the part Of tn
people may prevent this, but the chance
: are that the designs OF the money king
= will be carried out by congress and tn
president.
The concluding portion of the met
n sago is sample OF Mr.. Ceveland's il
" tenHc egotism Ia the face OF the gel
Il eral diegust no has inspired, he coolly al
l. eumeB that he administration has bee
l. signal success and compliments hin
It self upon having conscientiouelY pc
% formed his duty. With Bomo little col
10 eiderution for the facts, he doea not n
g. cuHe the public Of sharing with him tn
i belief that his conduct has been deHer
" ing Of Commondatlon, but with question
II ablo taalo HuundH hia own pruifcs an
20 Iikr littlp Jack iIorncr, oxrlalmo
~ "Whnt II great man am ~