The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-06
DEFERRED COMMENTS ON THE
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

ident, and are in possession Of its lead
ing points. The address is suave, polit-
ic and in many important particulars
wise, judicious and admirable. It's
most remarkable feature is it's tone Of
conservatism. There is a vein Of eau
zion running all through it. While
public utterancas by public men are SO
often and so soon forgotten by them
arc often but sounding brass" it is
TO be hoped that President Mckinley
will exhibit a higher conscience, a pro-
founder sense Of responsibility, a deep
er regard for his own real convictions
and u~tterances than ave some times
marked the conduct Of perhaps more
than one chief executive of the United
States.
President Mckinley takes his seat
not ignorant of the real condition Of
his country. He is familiar with the
depressions and hard tines of the peO-
pie of the great west whenc he comes.
He has not lived in a corner, but has
nae long experience in public life,
has sat for years in the federal con-
gross, is a politician and has had large
opportunities for observing and under
standing the actual conditions. He be-
gins office under many and great en-
b~arrassments. No president since
Washington has ever undertaken the
great and manifold duties and respon-
sibilities of the high place under such
positive and commanding difficulties.
His environment from the hour Of in
ductiOn into office is peculiar, intricate,
perpleXing beyond all former presidents
except the first. He inherits from his
immediate predecessor the most diff
cult, complex, embarrassing public
domestic policy are involved. He is
TO be pitied and sympathised with for
his labors are herculean, his difficulties
immense, his situation painful, his flu
ture heavy with gathering clouds. Then
ne has also inherited some of the short
comings and sins of commission Of the
last republican president who bank
rupted the treasury and made it pos
sible for his successor to pursue the
un-Anlericans, un-demOcratic, most
dangerous course Of issuing bonds and
increasing the public Indebtedness by
more than $500, OOO, 900, interest included.
beginning official life under such sin
gular, oppressive, gigantic difficulties
let all Americans be willing to give the
president a fair, just showing. Let him
have opportunity to work his own
plans, wise or otherwise, and let the
future report as to the beneficence Or
ruin, the wisdom or folly Of his manner
of government. The people have put
him and his party in power. They are
responsible now, and if they fail to re-
store peace, cOntentment and prosper
ity to this great country the people
will surely reject them in 1900, and try
other men with very different policies.
In the address President Mckinley
briefly touched upon several very inn
portant measures and conditions. He
admits the depression. the complaints,
the inequalities and says squarely that
the financial system demands revising.
He gives out a clear note of indorse-
ment and promise favorable to interna-
tional bimetallism, not treating it as
political barney and claptrap, but as a
SIetl. StIIouS L o. ~
be sought of accomplishment. ~pledging
himself to an earnest, honest effort to
nave it established. Let him be faith
full to his declarations. He is for the
"~severest economy" That will strike
the congress as a huge joke, for the
congresses have lost all sense of public
economy, whatever their private econO-
my may be. He tells the country of his
disapprOVal of the Cleveland policy Of
increasing our outstanding obliga-
lions" He is for big pensions. we
He says nothing of reducing
the enormous figures made thereby.
He is fer a protective tariff. That is
his hobby. The vilest of vile robber
tariffs wears his own name. He be
3ieves in making a great country rich,
prosperous by levying a high tax to
enrich the few at the expense Of the
many. That is precisely what a pro-
tective tariff means and what it doe
a republican supreme court has put
the stamp of condemnation upon it by
calling it robbery" Thai is the true
name for such a monstrous Dick Tur-
pin system. He is favorable to putting
up foreign products high, thus COM
pelling the purchasers to give from Is
TO 100 per cent. more, and unfavorable
TO taxing such dainty luXuries and ex-
w. auisite necessities as whiskey n rum,
beer and porter. wines, ETC., and such
health giving necessities as tobacco and
cigars and cigarettes. This, however,
is an inference we draw from what he
says of internal taxes.
The new president, we are glad to
see, is not so blind as some other folks
hitherto in Office, and their worshippers
around the circle. He admits that there
is really great agricultural depression,
Some of the Cleveland tooters were al
ways blowing over the great prosper
ity of the farmers. Some of the most
implacable and infatuated and r~esolute
of these blowers were of the south. The
president lives in the west and he