Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-12-10
SOUTH DAKOTA FRIDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1897.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Pres dent Mckinley sent to congress
his first annual message yesterday 1t
is commonplace document which has
been carefully edited and is warranted
not to offend the most delicate sensi-
bilities of the most pronounced gold bug.
It will likewise give but little conf
dence to anyone whose range of vision
extends further from Wall street than
Trinity church yard.
The message commences by apollo
giving for the Dingley bill, giving it a
certificate of good moral character and
promising that it will do better in the
future than it has in the past. This
part of the message is not very en-
thusiastic the fact being that the Re
publicans had to pass the Dingley bill
to keep their pledges to campaign fund
subscribers and, now that it is law,
are at loss to know what to do with
their Frankenstein.
The president then passes the cur
rency question. He commends the
plan proposed by Secretary Gage to
turn the monetary system Of the coun-
try over to the national banks and
advocates the turning Of the gree nbacks
into what would practically amount to
gold certificates, After advising that
the government abdicate it's constitu-
tional prerogative Of issuing money in
favor of the national banks he strongly
advises hat the secretary Of the treas
ury be given the power to issue gov
ernment bonds at such times and in
such amounts as he may deem expedi-
ent. In other words the president
wants Wall street given the power to
contract the currency and create a
panic every six months or oftener and
also desires to saddle upon the country
untold millions of gold interest bearing
obligations to absorb the, surplus earn
ings Of unborn generations For the
well-being of mankind every patriotic
citizen should thank God that there is
still senate
Upon the Cuban question the presi-
dent indulges in many meaningless
platitudes and weeps crocodile tears
over the horrors of tile Weyler regime.
But he thinks that after all Spain
means well and that it would be
violation of good morals for the United
States to interfere. His Cuban policy
is evidently only continuation of that
followed by Cleveland, the only differ
ence being that Mckinley puts into
language what his prede-
cessor announced with brutal frank
ness It is certain, therefore, that
Spain can continue butchering Cuban
men, ravishing Cuban women and
starving Cuban children to it's hearts
content So far as any interference by
the present administration is concerned
The dollars Of Wall street are of much
more consequence than are the suffer-
ings of the human beings of poor
ravaged Cuba.
The president favors strongly the
annexation of Hawaii He wants the
United States to encuber itself with a
few coral reefs in the Pacific ocean
inhabited by volcanoes, and a molly
population of Chinese Portuguese,
japanese. native Hawaiians and white
adventures. If acquired the island
would be source of constant trouble,
expense and annoyance and would add
to the country an element that could
never be assimilated but which would
be constant source of irritation. Once
the beet sugar industry is firmly estab-
lished in the northwestern states, Ha-
waii will be desert inhabited by peo-
pie notable only for their disreputable
morals
Increased appropriations are demand
ed for the navy in order that fat jobs
may be given to favored contractors
to build big warships whose only use
will be to increase the expense of the
government and to get the country in
to unnecessary quarrels with other ma
tiOns
More platitudes are indulged in res
pecting reciprocity. international aroi-
tration, civil service, the. merchant
marine, and other subjects They
sound well and everyone knows that
they mean nothing They are inserted
for mugwump consumption exclusive
ly.
The message is a disappointment, but
after all what was to be expected?
Wall street put the money in the slot
during the campaign and the machine
had to drop out the message. Sioux
Falls Press, Dec 7.
Real Estate Loans
At lowest rates. Enquire Of L. II. LAR
SEN. Cashier Canton State Bank. ;6tf.
Money! Money! at low rate of