The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-09
The Presidents Message.


attracts the admiration and wins the
benedictions of observers, but people
worship the rising sun. The course of
President Cleveland's sun through the
political heavens has hardly been of
the kind that draws the eyes of the
people to the western horizon, except
to emphasize their gladness that dis
NAL day has had its dismal ending.
They view its inglorious decline with
no feeling of regret, but their faces are
turned hopefully to the East, waiting for
the luminary with healing in his beams.
The subjects upon which the presi-
dent touches that will attract the widest
curiosity and attention are Cuba and
the financial and economic questions.
Upon the first of these he discourses at
great and tiresome length. The reader
misses that crisp, incisive and chivalric
style of treatment that Americas states
men, most beloved and honored, have
put into their discussions of questions
relating to the cause of people wrest-
ling for their freedom from the gross-
est tyranny. The president does "not
believe that the present sombre pros
pect in Turkey will be long permitted
to offend the sight of Christendom,"
but he maintains that the sombre pros
pect of devastation and murder in
Cuba shall still longer offend the
American part of Christendom be-
fore this government shall put forth
its hand to stay the work of the devas-
tator and murderer. If Spain's ina
bility to deal successfully with the
present instruction is not already
manifest, when will that fact become
apparent? If the past does not pro-
claim the inability of the 'toothless
wolf" to seize and strangle it's prey,
what prolongation of horrors must
the world await before the United
States shall be justified in interfering?
For ten years, ending in 1880, the
Cuban patriots defied the power OF
Spain. They were then cajoled into
surrender by the promise of reforms
that were never made. Two years ago
they took up arms again against the
faithless tyrant and the present insur-
rection is tenfold stronger than the
preceding one. If the time for inter-
ference, in the sacred name of humanity
and Justice, shall ever become ripe, it is
now. Every hour the barbarous strug-
gle goes on, its added atrocities and
crimes against humankind are as d.
rectly chargeable to this government,
as are the brutalities of the unspeak-
able Turk to the governments of
Europe. The government of the
United States may not be held even
remotely responsible for the contiuu-
ance of the former; for the latter it
must be held Immediately and directly
responsible in the judgment of man.
kind. On this question the hearts of
the people are right, and their right
eous judgment will soon find official
expression. They will become en-
bodied in fewer words than President
Cleveland employs, but in louder.
speaking actions.
In the presidents discussion of inan-
cal and economic questions he dis
plays a guilelessness that is, indeed
"child-like and bland" He reasons
that we cannot hope that our recuper
alton from this business depression
(deplorable result of his Inflated admin
istration) will be sudden, but it has
already set in with promise of accler
alton and continuance "-benefcient
result of republican victory and the com
ing republican control of the govern
ment. In the face of an existing defici
of S40,000,000 in the five months of thu
current fiscal year, which will swell tt
$75,O00,000 or $S0,000,000, if no change
is made in the revenue laws, with large
deficits in previous years, he compla
Gently believes that "our present tariff
law will in the near future yield reve
nue. which will overcome all deficen
cies." He rejoices over the fact tina
there is in the treasury SO surplus o
more than S12S,OOO,OOO applicable t.
the payment of the expenses of tn
government" but does not explain tina
bonds, aggregating some 100000
issued by him, ostensibly to protect tn
gold revenue, but really to cover tn
expenses of the government, have con
tributed to this surplus. or that with
out those bond issues, his boaste'
treasury surplus would be an enormOu
deficiency; or that, if all the claim
against the government, convenient
side-tracked in the interest of "a GOO
showing" were paid this surplus, tn
product of borrowing, would vanish lik
tho Mat Tha praaidantIa arnnnan