St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-03-05

Presidents Inaugural.
Fellow Citizens: In obedience to the
will of the people, and in their presence.
by the authority vested in me by thls
oath. | assume the arduous and respon-
sible duties of President Of the United
States relying on the support OF my
countrymen and invoking the guidance
Of Almighty God. our faith teaches us
that there is no safer reliance than upon
the God of our fathers. who has so slngu-
larly favored the American people In eV-
cry national trial, and who Will not for
sake us so long as we obey his command
ments and walk humbly in his footsteps.
The responsibilities of the high trust
to which / have been caled-always Of
grave importance-ar augmented by
the prevailing business conditions, en-
failing idleness upon willing labor ana
loss to useful enterprises. The country
is suffering from industrial disturb
ances. from which speedy relief must be
had Our financial system needs some
revision; our money Is all good now, but
its value must not further be threatened.
It should all he put upon an enduring
basis. not subject to easy attack, nor It's
stability to doubt or dispute. our cur
rcncy should continue under the super
vision of the government. The several
forms of our paper money oiler, in my
Judgment, a constant embarrassment TO
the government, and to a safe balance
In the treasury. Therefore, | believe 1t
necessary to devise a system which,
without diminishing the circulating me-
dunn or Offering premium for It's con-
traction, will present a remedy for these
arrangements, which, temporary in their
nature. might well, in The years of our
prosperity. have been displaced by wiser
provisions. With adequate revenue Sc
cured. but not until then we can enter
upon such changes In our finance laws
as will. while insuring safety and volume
to our money. no longer impose upon the
necessity of maintaining so large n gold
reserve. with It's attendant and ineVita-
Bile temptations to speculation. Most Of
our financial laws are the outgrowth of
experience and trial, and should not be
amended without investigation and dem
onstration of the wisdom of the pro-
posed changes. We must che sure we
are right" and make haste slowly"
IT. therefore. congress, in its wisdom,
shall deem 1t eXpedient to create a COM
mission to take under early consldera-
ton the revision of our coinage, bank
ing and currency laws, and give them
! that exhaustive careful and dispassion-
ate examination that their choice de-
nlands. | shall cordially concur In sucf
iC
president, it Is my purpose to appoint
a commission of prominent, well-in-
formed citizens of different parties, who
will command public confidence both or
account of their ability and special fit
ness for the work business experience
and public training may thus be com
bined, and the patriotic zeal of the
friends of the country be so directed that
such report will be made as to receive
the support of all parties and our finan
ces cease to be the subject of mere par
tisan contention. The experiment is, a
all events, worth trial. and in my opin
ion. 1t can but prove beneficial to the en-
tire country.
The question of international bimetal
ism will nave early and earnest atten
ton. 1t will be my constant endeavo
to secure 1t by cooperation with TIN
other great commercial powers of tn
world Until that condition is realized
when the parity between our gold ant
silver money springs from, and is sup
ported by the relative value of the tw
metals, the value of the silver alread
coined, and of that which may hereafte
be coined, must be kept constantly a
par with gold by every resource at on
command The credit of the govern
ment, the integrity Of it's currency an
the inviolabiity of its obligation mus
be preserved. This was the command
ing verdict of the people, and it will no
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