The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-04
PRESIDENT M,KINLEY.


Today William Mckinley of Ohio be-
comes president of the United States.
and Grover Cleveland ceases to be
president. Major Mckinley enters
upon the duties of the high office to
which the people have elected him
with many grave problems confronting
him. The gravest ones, those calling
for the very highest qualities of states
manship in their solution, are of do
nestle nature. He takes hold of the
reins of government when the revenues
OF the government are wholly made
quate TO meet its expenses. He will
find the country suffering from great
and almost unprecedented business de-
preston. To relieve this depression in
so far as he is able will be one of
his first duties, but in performing it he
will find confronting him the very i'm
portant fact that the people of this
country are almost evenly but radi-
callv divided in their views as to the
cause of the depression and the proper
way to relieve it. He will call an ex-
ira session of congress to enact tariff
law whose double purpose will be to
provide revenue for the government
and protection for American CONNER
cial and business interests of all kinds.
Tariff laws in full accord with his
views may be enacted, yet he cannot
ignore the fact that he was elected on
an entirely different issue-the financial
one-and that his election was made
possible by the temporary accession to
his party of what are known as the
sound money Democrats" If his tariff
policy brings that relief to Che country
he anticipates for it, he can compla-
Gently ignore all other issues; if it does
not, his administration cannot but end
in failure, if not disaster. Even Major
Mckinley. devoted as he is to tariff.
believing as he does that it is a panacea
for all our financial ills, cannot be OBJ
livious 10 the fact that a very large
proportion of his own party is con-
WINGED that there is something radically
wrong with our financial system, and
that it must be made right before there
can be any genuine prosperity. The
6,500000 of Americans who voted
against Major Mckinley are also con-
WINGED there is something radically
wrong with the countrys financial sys-
TEN. These facts will make dealing
with the business troubles of the coun-
try more difficult than they otherwise
would be.
There are no serious foreign 'compli-
cations to veX the new president. The
Venezuelan difficulty. which once prom
Used to be source of serious trouble,
has been satisfactorily adjusted. The
only other foreign matter to give Major
Mckinley anv concern is the Cuban
question. Unquestionably the jingoes
will do all in their power to stampede
the new administration so that Cuban
independence will be recognized and a
policy of braggadocio adopted towards
Spain, the pretext being outrages on
American citizens. The very fact that
Senator Sherman is to be secretary of
state gives no assurance that a safe
and conservative policy will be pur-
sued. He is a weathercock, turning |
with every wind that blows. That |
Major Mckinley will enforce American
rights and protect American citizens, |
goes without saying. Every American /
president has done this.
Major Mckinley goes into Office with
the best wishes of all the American |
people. He was elected as a Repub-
lican. but he is the president of the
United States and not of any party.
If his administration fails. the result
will be felt by the whole people. Every
ono should do what lies in his mower
to make the new administration sue
cess; and to do this it is not necessary
to surrender political principles. May
Major McKinley's administration be
successful in every particular, for in
its success will be that of the whole
people