The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-12-08
CONGRESS MEETs-pREsIDENT's MESSAGE

~VNuSEoo NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MESSIAH
The first regular session of TIL
Fifty-fifth Congress met at nool
Monday. Seventy-seven Senator
and S05 Representatives wer,
present at the opening session ant
answered to their names on roll
call. A large number of specta
tors were in the galleries to wit
ness the opening ceremonies. The
business was all of routine char
acter and without special incident
The message of President Nc.
Kinley was read to both houses
and was listened to with close at
tention. 1t is a long document
and cannot be given in the ROBE
soNIAN. The following editorial
review of it Is taken from yester-
days Charlotte Observer:
The message of President Nc
Kinley, delivered to Congress yes
derday, consisted of $4,000 words.
Instead of printing it in full-in
which case nobody would have
read tive print q carefully ed
tied abstract of it of 7,15O words.
There is nothing very remarkable
about it and yet it is rather enter
talning-more SO than President
Cieveland's last message, which
was not only too long but was
numbered up with the dullest of
statistics made up from the re-
ports of the heads of departments
and of the tedious discussion of
uninteresting foreign affairs.
The President treats the tariff
question as settled, as indeed it is
during his term of office. He is
not Dragging much, however. On
the results it has thus far pro-
duced. He gives the assurance
that during his administration all
the money of the country will be
kept of equal value with gold, but
wisely suggests that q cheaper
method of doing this, in case of
stress, shall be provided. The
government, he points out, is the
only institution that is called
upon 70 redeem IN gold, and he
shows the necessity of doing some
thing about the demand notes
which will not stay redeemed after
being redeemed. His suggestion
thatnotes which are redeemed in
gold should not be paid out again
except in exchange for gold is a
good one, as also the other sue-
gestion that banks be required to
redeem their notes in gold. The
only recommendation he makes
looking to the expansion of the
currency Is that national banks be
allowed to issue notes at the nor
value of the bonds they deposit to
secure their circulation and that
a
the tax upon their circulation be
reduced-this obviously for the
purpose of inducing them to take
out more. ~.
In his treatment of the Cuban
question the President is conservo-
tive and sensible. He perhaps
sets more store by Spain's good
intentions than the facts warrant.
but he plants himself against anv
proposition which would involve
TINS country in needless war with
Spain. While opposing the an
nexatlon of Cuba, he favors annex
ing the carpet-baggers, heather
lepers and volcanoes of Hawaii
Tor no other reason than that tho
national "honor' demands Il
we are at loss to know what this
means unless it be that this COM 7:
Try, having, aided in the theft of
the Hawaiian government from the a.,
people to whom it belonged, is ,
bound to stand by its pals, agreea- !
Oily to the proverb which tells MS :
mat there is honor among thieves ;
The country is informed official 7
~ by the President of the falling :
down of tho GRAND of the bi-met :
allie commission. He breatbes :
upon the dry bones of information :
al bi-metallism, but it will 10 {
without result. T.
His zeal for reciprocity is gro- .
tesque. Reciprocity is free trade r
The declaration that eve sbould :
10 our full share of the carrying b
Trade OF the world" and that orr /
'hips should be familiar visitors
1t every commercial port of the l.
World sounds like irony in the !,
mouth OF purblind protectioni. b
whose policy tends to shut chr !
ports against all the world and 70 :,
hut all the worlds ports against
Is.
Eoh international arbitration o.
IND quarantine laws the President, =,
axes good ground. He re-affirms O.
lis devotion 10 the cause of civil -
srvice reform and pledges him A