The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-12-10
CONGRESS llA
IN SESSION.
GlLLMl1I0
President Mckinley Sends His
Annual Message.
The Recognition of Cuban Independ-
ence Is Now Out of All Question
No Belligerent Rights.
Annexed - Congratulated Upon
Assembling Under 'Felici-
tOus Conditions"

President Mckinley last Monday
sent his message to the first regular
session of the Fifty-fifth Congress.
The document is a lengthy one and
would occupy nearly two of the
HERALn's pages. The main points
of his address are as follows:
To the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives:
1t gives me pleasure to extend
greeting to the Fifty fifth Congress,
assembled in regular session at the
seat of government, with many of
whose senators l have been associa
ted in the Legislative service. Their
meeting occurs under felicitous con-
ditions, justifying sincere congratu-
lations and calling for our CRATE
full acknowledgment to beneficent
Providence, which has so signally
blessed and prospered us as a nation.
The Financial Question.
With the great resources of the
government and with the honorable
example of the past before us, we
ought not to hesitate upon cur
rency revision which will make our
demand obligations less onerous to
the government and relieve our
financial laws from ambiguity and
doubt.
The evil of the present system is
found in the great cost to the gov
eminent of maintaining parity OF
our different forms Of money, that
is, keeping all of them at par with
gold. We surely cannot be longer
needless of the burden this imposes
upon the people, even under fairly
prosperous conditions, while the
past four years have demonstrated
that it is not only an expensive
charge upon the government but q
dangerous menace to the national
credit. ao
II the holder of the United States
note prefers the gold and gets it
from the government, he should not
receive back from the government a
United States note without paying
gold in exchange for it.
I recommend that the issue OF
national bank notes be restricted to
the denomination of $40 and up.
wards. If the suggestions 1 have
herein made shall have the approval
of Congress, then / would recon
mend that national banks be re.
quired to redeem their notes in gold
No Help for the Uubans.
The most important problem with
which this government is now
called upon to deal pertaining to its
foreign relations concerns its duty
toward Spain and the Cuban insur-
rection. Problems and conditions
more or less in common with those
now existing have confronted this
government at various times in the
past. The story of Cuba for many
years has been one of unrest, grow
ing discomfort, and an effort toward
a larger enjoyment of liberty ano
self control; or organized resistance
to the mother country; of deep de-
preston after distress and warfare
and of Intellectual settlement to be
followed by renewed revolt.
The civilized code of war has beer
disregarded no less so by the Span
iards than by the Cubans. The eX
listing conditions cannot but fill this
government and the American peo-
pie with the gravest apprehension
There is no desire on the part of ouI
people to profit by the misfortune'
of Spain.
Let the Cruel War Go On.
In the absence of declaration Of
the measures that the government
proposes to take in carrying out its
proffer of good offices, it suggests
that Spain be left free to conduct
military operations and grant politi
cal reforms, while the United State:
for its part shall enforce its neutra
obligations and cut off the assist
ance which it Is asserted the insurg
ents receive from this country. Th'
supposition of an indefiuate pro
longation of war is denied. 1t il
asserted that the western provinces
are already we'll nigh reclaimed
that planting of cane and tobacco
therein has been resumed and tina
by force of arms and new and ampl,
reforms very early and complete
pacification is hoped for.
Sure of the right, keeping fire.,
from all offense ourselves, actuateC
only by upright and patriotic con
siderations, moved neither by pas
sions nor selfishness, the govern
ment will continue its watchful car,
over the rights and properties o
American citizens and will abat
none of its efforts to bring about b,
peaceful agencies peace which
shall be honorable and enduring
II it shall hereafter appear to be
duty imposed by our obligations Il
ourselves, to civilization and hu
mainly to intervene with force, /
shall be without fault on our par
and only because the necessity TO
such action will be so clear as t
command the support and approva
of the civilized world.
He Wants Hawaii.
BY a special message dated tn
l6lh day of June last, l laid befOT