Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-12-12
AccoMAo COURT House, VA.
Entered at the Postoff1ce at Accomac
G. H. Va. as second-class matter.


in session. Both Houses met prompt
ly at noon on Monday, and appointed
committees to wait upon the Presi-
dent and inform him that Congress
was ready to receive any communities
ton he might be pleased to make.
The message was promptly submitted
and is lengthy document-too
lengthy to have a place in our col
umns, if our readers wanted us to
publish it, or if there was much
in it commend it to tbem-the merits
of which, at least, we fail to see. 1t
will make but very little impression
upon the honorable body to which it
has been submitted, because very
few of the democratic members of
that body are in sympathy with the
President, and because the republi-
can members, now that he has served
them as they desired, have no further
use for him or his opinions-and it
cannot, of course, be received with
much favor by the great body of the
democratic people, who have long
since ceased to regard him as their
President or to care much for his
views on any subject. Whatever of
merit there might be in the message,
most democrats would fail to see it,
if for no other reason, because as
republican Senator says, ''it is the
first time in our history than an eX
ecutive who is the representative Of
q defeated party ever glorifed, as
Mr.. Cleveland does in the first para
graph of his message, over the sue
cess at the polls of his party's oppo-
nentS.n
Important subjects, of course, are
treated by the President in the mes
sage, but about the only one that
suggests, that it emanated from a
democratic President, is the reference
to trusts and monopolies, and his
views Oh these matters cannot strike
the average democrat with much
force, since no step has been taken
by any official OF the government
since he has been President to break
up or control the trusts, or to see that
the laws relating to them are en-
forced.
Other matters treated by the Pres
ident will attract attention, but not
altogether, perhaps, of a compliment
tary character. For instance, his
views on the financial condition of
the country is not likely to be ac-
cepted with much favor, since under
his administration nearly three hun
dred millions of dollars has been
added to our national obligations,
and he recommends nothing better
to the country than to go still deeper
in debt.
The attitude of the President
towards Cuba is one of interest, and
in accord, it is believed, with the
views of Consul General Lee. He
thus expresses himself on the subject:
1t would seem that if Spain should
offer to Cuba genuine autonomy-a
measure of home rule which, while
preserving the sovereignty of Spain,
would satisfy all national require
meuts of her Spanish subjects-there
should be no just reason why the
pacification of the island might not
be effected on that basis.
Neither party can fail to see the
Importance of early action and both
must realize that to prolong the pres
ent state of things for even a short
period will ado enormously to the
time and labor and expenditure nee
essary to bring about the industrial
recuperation of the Island. 1t is
therefore fervently hoped on all
grounds that earnest efforts for heal
ing the breach between Spain and the
insurgent Cubans upon the lines above
indicated may be at once inaugurated
and pushed to an immediate and sue.
cessful issue. The friendly offices Of
the United States, either in the man
ner above outlined, or in any other
way consistent with our constitution
and laws will always be at the dis
posal of either party.
The message, while it contains
some good recommendations, taken
as a whole, is below the average and
a disappointment.