The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-08
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

All conjecture as to what the presi-
dent would say in his message is set
| at rest. The greatest interest centered
upon what he would say concerning
Cuba. 1t occupies more space than
| any other subject. The message is ex-
tremely conservative upon the matter,
and evinces a high sense of the duty
of this country towards Spain. 1t can
not fail to be entirely satisfactory to
Spain, while the Cubans can have no
just cause of complaint. There can be
no doubt that the insurgent government
Is no more than a government upon
paper. What the president says about
some of the Cubans who have taken
out citizenship papers while they are
stin Cubans at heart and their inter
ests are also, should commend itself to
the consideration of the American peo-
pie. Many naturalized citizen be-
comes SUCH that he may escape the
duties he owes to his native country
and gain the protection of this with
out being at heart or in material inter
est an American. If this evil could be
stopped in any way it should be.
In what he says about Cuba the
president makes two very important
remarks, the most important of all he
says about the subject. The first is
that our nations ample and diver
sifed domains satisfy all possible long
ings for territory, preclude all dreams
of conquest, and prevent any casting
of covetous eyes upon neighboring re
gions, however attractive.
The other remark is the bold asser-
ton of the Monroe doctrine. 1t is in
these words: Whatever circum-
stances may arise, our policy and our
interest would constrain US to object
to the acquisition of the island or an
interference with its control by any
other power" This is as bold an asser-
ton of this doctrine as was Mr.. Cleve-
lands message of December II, 1855.
The statement that this country can
not always be expected to maintain an
expectant attitude will find general ap-
proval among the people. How long it
will be maintained is the next import
ant question. In answer TO this it is
safe to say it will be maintained during
the remainder of the present admins
tration.
The matter of sincerest congratula-
ton in the entire message is that where
it is stated that the Venezuelan bound
airy question has ceased to be a matter
of difference between Great Britain
and the United States their respective
governments having agreed upon the
substantial provisions of a treaty be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela, |
the whole controversy to
and that the provisions of
the treaty are so eminentIy just and
fair that the assent of Venezuela there
to may confidently be anticipated That
is a triumph for the Monroe doctrine;
it is a triumph of the principles of
it is triumph for civiliza-
ton.
What is said about the pension list |
is proper. The pension roll should be |
the roll of honor, but it is not always. |
The soldiers who were disabled in the
war for the preservation of the Union /
cannot be too we'll cared for, and the
same is true Of the families of those !
who LAID down their lives upon the field |
Of battle, but the pension business has
been overdone. Many and many a.
woman has married an eX-soldier be-
cause she knew she would be enabled |
to continue to draw his pension after
his death; in fact, married him, not
for the support such marriage would
bring her during his life, but as a con-
of his death. The government
owes no debt of gratitude to any such
class
The president has q kind word for
he present tariff even though it be-
anne a law without his sanction and
lis denunciation of it in unmeasured
erms. There is no doubt that
t has stimulated our trade
With foreign countries to an
.lmost unprecedented degree. Tar
# legislation of a radically differ
mt nature in an opposite direction
would have a very bad effect upon our
oreign trade. Legislation intended to
Increase the revenue should take the
orm of internal taxes rather than of
ariff duties. They would supply the
evenue and would not interfere with
rowing foreign trade.
What the president has to say on the
urrency question is in line with his
ormer recommendations on the same
ubject. His heart is set upon the re-
irement of the greenbacks. They have
roven themselves a source of danger ,
4 times of panic and will do so again,
o doubt. The statement that not the
of the currency should be
voided so much as an unequal dis
ribution of it, has much food for
bought in it. The remedy for this :
tate of things is yet to be found.
The message has considerable to say !
bout trusts and monopolies, but the I
eople do not believe that the admin
'tration has done anything like its
uty in trying to enforce the antitrust $
NV, however defective it may be. This t
) one of the grave charges against the
administration
On the whole it is a very good mes