The evening times., 1897-03-04

Feilow-c1tiZcns: In oDe0ience 10 lne VIII
of the people and in their presence by the
authority vested in me by this oath
assume the arduuus and responsible duties
of President OF the United States, relying
on the support OF my countrymen and In
roEing the guidance of Almighty God Our
faith teaches that there isno safer reliance
than upon the God of our fathers, who has
so singularly favored the American people
in every national trial and who will not
forsake us SO long as we obey Bis com
mandments and walk humbly in His foot
steps
The responsibilities OF the high trust
60 which I have been cailed-always of
grave importance augmented by the
prevailing business conditions, eatailing
idIeness upon willing labor and loss TO
useful enterprise. The country is suffer
lnrfron Industrial disturbances. from which
speedv relief must be had. Our financial
system needs some revision; our money
is all good now, but its value must not
Further he threatened. II should all be
put upon an enduring basis, not subject
60 easy attack, nor its STABILITY to doubt
or dispute.
our currency should continue under the
tuneryision OF the government. The sew
eral forms Of our paper money offer, in
my Judgment, a constant embarrassment
10 the government and a safe balance in
the Treasury Therefore l believe Ii nee
cssary to devise a system, which, without
diminishing the circulating medium, or Of
ferinp a premium for its contraction, VIII
present a remedy for those arrangements,
which. temporary in their nature, might
well in the wears of our prosperity have
beep displaced by wiser provisions.
With adequate revenue secured, but not
until then, we can enter upon such changes
An our fiscal laws as will, while insuTing
safet and volume to our money, no
longer impose upon the government the
necessity of maintaining so large gold
reserve, with its attendant and inevitable
teuptations to speculation. Most OF our
financial laws are the outgrowth Of ex-
perience andtrial, and should notbe amended
without investigation and demonstration
Df the wisdom OF the proposed changes.
We must be both ''sure we are right, and
"nlake haste slowly"
shall deem it expedient to create commits
sion TO take under early consideration the
revision of our coinage, banking and cur
rencv laws. and give them that exhaustive,
careful and dispassionate examinati On
that their importance demands, shall cor
dially concur in such action Ifsuch power
is vested in the President, ii is my pUr-
pose to appoint commission of prominent,
well informed citizens OF different par
ties. who will command public confidence,
both on account of their ability and special
fitness for the work
Business experience and public training
may thus be combined, and the patriotic
zeal of the friends OF the country be sc
directed that such a report will be made
as to receive the support OF all parties, and
our finances cease to be the subject OF mere
partisan contention. The experiments, at
all events, worth atrial, and, in my opinion
1t can but prove beneficial TO the entire
country.
The question OF international bimet-
alHsm will have early and earnest atten-
ton. IL will be my constant endeavoI
20 secure it by cooperation with the other
great commercial powers OF the world.
Until that condition is realized when the
parity between our gold and silver money
springs from and is supported 10y the rela-
tive value OF the two metals, the value Of
the silver already coined, and OF that
which may hereafter be coined, must h'
kept constantly at par with gold by every
resource at our command. The credit OF
the government, the integrity OF its cur
reney and the inviolability OF its obhga.
tions must be preserved. This was the
commanding verdict OF the people, and it
will not be unheeded.
Economy is demanded in every brancf
of the government at an times, hut espe
cially in periods like the present, of de
preston in business and distress among
the people. The severest economy mus
be observed in all public expenditures
and extravagance stopped wherever it il
found, and prev snted wherever in th'
future IL may be developed. If the rev
erues are to remain as now, the only re
lief that can come must be from decreaset
expenditures But tie present must no
become the permanent condition of ths
government. 1t has been our uniform prao
tice to retire, not increase. our outstanding
obligations, and this policy must again b.
resumed and vigorously enforced.
Our revenues should always be large
enough Go meet with ease and prompt
ness, not only our current needs, and
the principal and interest OF the public
debt. hut to make proper ana liberia
provision for that most deserving bod,
of public creditors. the soldiers and sail