The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-12-15
PRESIDENT TO CONGRESS-.
Digest of President McKinley's
First Annual Message.
Currency Reform. the Cuban and Hawaii
an Questions Dealt with Along Con-
sentative Lincs-Other Matters
Given Consideration.
Congratulations.

Congratulations
WASHINGTON. Dec. 6.-President Nc
Kinley sent his annual message TO con-
gress.
He congratulated IL upon assembling under
felicitious conditions. Peace and good will with
all nations Of the earth continue unbroken. he
says, and We should feel genuine satisfaction at
the growing spirit OF fraternal regard and uni
ficatiOn in all sections Of our country and the
lifting of great public questions above party
prejudce.
The Finances.
Beginning with the subject Of the finances.
the president says that while the full effect OF
the legislation Of the extra session has not yet
been realized what IL has already accomplished
assures u OF its tim illness and wisdom. To
test its permanent value further time will be
required and the people. satisfied with its oper-
atlons and results thus far. are in no mind TO
withhold from IL a fair trial The next queS-
lion pressing for consideration is that Of the
currency. With the great resources of govern
ment ana with the honorable example OF the
past before US. we ought not TO hesi-
tate 10 enter upon currency
revision which will make demand oDliga-
tions less onerous TO the government and re-
lieve our financial laws from ambiguity and
doubt The evil of the present system is
found In the great cost TO the government of
maintaining at parity with gold our different
forms OF money. and the experience Of the past
four years have demonstrated that this Is not
only an expensive charge upon the government,
but dangerous menace to the national
credit 1t Is manifest that we must devise
some plan to protect the government against
bond issues for repeated redemptions. We
have s9OO,U0OU OF cure cy, which the gov
eminent, by solemn enactment, has undertaken
TO keep at par. and nobody is Obliged to redeem
In god but the government, which must borrow
the gold. The law, which requires the payment
out Of the treasury of redeemed United States
notes, demands constant repleniShment OF the
gold reserve, especially in times of panic and
insufficient revenue. aud during the preceding
administration 1862 3l5, 400 4l4-pcr-cent bonds
were issued and sold to sustain
he nd no mon lRS
OF the government in excess Of revenue While
1t Is true that greater part of this is used to
supply deficient revenues, q considerable por-
ton was required to maintain the gold reserve
Ii no further legislation is TO be had, to correct
this and the policy OF selling bonds is to be
continued, then congress should give the sec
rotary of the treasury authority to sell bonds
at long or short periods, bearing less rate of
interest than Is now authorized by law. The
president says:
kecomme dations.
81 Earnestly recommend as soon as the receipts
of the government are quite sufficient to pay all
the expenses OF the government, that when any
United States notes are presented for redemp-
ton in gold and redeemed in gold, such
notes shall be kept and set apart and only paid
out in change for gold oh This IS "a. an
United States note prefers the gold
and gets it from the government
ne should not receive back from the govern
ment a United States note without paying gold
in exchange for it,
That amounts, to the presidents mind to CIV
bond, for non-interest bearing debt United
States note Tue government should be
| lieved from the burden of providing all the
| gold required for exchanges and exports. This
| ought TO be stopped. With an era of prosper ty
and sufficient receipts we may feel no immediate
embarrassment, but the danger will be ever
| present.
The president invites careful consideration
for the detail plan of the secretary of the treas
| ury to protect the gold reserve. He concurs
| with him in the recommendation that national
banks be allowed to issue notes to the face
value Of their bonds deposited; that their cir
culation tax be reduced to One-hah of one per
cent, and national banks may be established
with a capital of 5000, He also recommends
| that the issue of national bank notes be re-
stricted TO the denomination of ten dollars and
| upwards and that they be required to redeem
their notes in gold.
| The Cuban Question.
Turning to ign affairs the president de-
| votes much space IN his message to consider
| alton OF the Gu an question, which he says, is
| the most important problem with which our
| government Is now called upon to deal IN It's
| foreign relations. Summarizing the history OF
| former outbreaks, the president comes down to
| the present Instruction speaking of its re-
| markable increase, its tenacious existence
| against enormous forces ma iSe1 by Spain the
| widespread destruction OF property and the
dis egard o. the civilized code OF
war on both sides. He says these conditions
| give rise TO gravest apprehensions. There is
/ no desire on part to profit by SPANS mis-
| fortunes, and we have only the desire to see
| CubanS enjoying that measure of sclf-control
| which is the inalienable right of man. OF the
concentration policy of Weyler he says: 1t
| has utterly failed as war measure. 1t is not
| civilized warfare-it Is determination"
| Our Governments Protest.
Against this abuse OF the rights of war, the
pre- ident says he has felt constrained, on re-
peated occasions, to enter the firm ana honest
protest OF this government lie outlines his
| instructions to Minister Woodford, which were
| in substance to impress upon the Spanish gov
eminent the sincere wish OF the United States
| to lend its aid toward the ending of the war by
reaching peac full and lasting result, just and
honorable to SPAN and to the Cuban pcop4e
| 1t also asked whether Spain of her own
volition should not make proposals for settle
ment and it said that we could not contem
plate an indefinite period for the accomplish
ment of this suit.
The spanish Reply.
The Spanish reply to Mr.. Woodford, was, in
| the presidents opinion, in the direction of
better understanding. 1t admitted our friendly
purposes and deep interest, and declared that
| the new government was bound TO change OF
| policy that should satisfy the United States and
pacify Cuba within reasonable time 70 this
end political reforms Will be put into effect ana
military operations conducted on humane
| lines. 1t was suggested that Spain be
left free to conduct military operations oI
| United States for its part should enforce neu-
| trai obligations and cut on the assistance
| which the insurgents IL was asserted, received
| from this country. Early and complete pacih-
cation is hoped for.
The president declares that the Spanish dis
| position to charge with failure to meet in
| ternational duties is baseless, and points to
| the efforts this government have made at the
| cost of millions, and by the employment OF the
| administrative machinery of the nation to per-
| form its duty well. He also says that the fact
| that no military expedition or armed vessel
| has left our shores has been dplomatlcally
| represented with Spain. Promising that
| throughout all the horror and danger to our
| peace, the United States has never abrogated
| It's right to determine its policy as to Cuba, the
| president points out that, of untried measures,
| there remains only Recognition of the insur-
| gents as belligerents, recognition OF the Inde-
L init ion tn md
| the war by imposing a rational compro Use be-
tween the contestants. an intervention in favor
| of one or the other party.
No Forcible Annexation.
| He saws: Il speak not of forcble annexa-
| ton for that can not DE thought OF. That by
our code of morality would b criminal aggres-
| sion Taking up the question of liigerency,
the president quotes at length from President
| Grants message OF December z 1870, wherein
| he declared that the condition in Cuba war
ranted neither the recognition OF independence
/ nor the recognition of belligerency. He adds
thai moreover recognition OF beiiig-
ereney would s confer upon neither The,
| ually possessed while 1t would weigh heavily
in SPANS behalf, giving her the right TO search
/ on the hi seas and extending her maritime
/ rights to the margin OF our territorial waters.
For these reasons, says the preSl lent Il
| regard the recognition of the belligereney OF
/ the Cuban insurgents as now unwise and there
/ fore inadmssible Should that step hereafter
/ be deemed wise a matter of right AMI duty.
| the executive will take It,
| Mop, fui Caanse M spanish Policy.
| He points to the hopeful change in the Span
| ish policy to the pledge of reform and To the
abatement of the horrors OF war as reasons
against intervention on humanitarian grounds.
The first acts of the new government lie In the
| honorable paths it has outlined; the policy of
| pine and determination has been reversed
/ and broadclemencies pronered; measures have.
been taken to relieve the horrors OF staryatio n
| The power of the Spanish armies it Is as
| serted is TO be used not to spread ruin and des-
/ olation but to protect the resumption OF agri-
| cultural industries The president sketches
| the autonomy scheme of the Spanish govern
| ment and says that it is honestly due to Spain
| that she should be given reasonaie chanee to
| realize her expectations and to prove the as
| serted efficacy of the new order of things to
| which she stands irrevocably committed He
| points to the many concessions already made,
/ To the notifications of the horrible order of
| concentration, TO the release of the Com
| petitor" prisoners and the fact that not
| Single American citizen Is now under
| arrest In Cuba He says the near future will
demonstrate whether a righteous peace is likely