The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-03-24
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

brevity and the use of the plain |
est and most easily understood
language to convey his meaning
to the two houses Of Congress.
Heretofore, it has been the custom
of our Presidents to transmit to
Congress verbose recommends
tious, couched in recondite Ian
guage, not easily understood or
decipherable by the "common peo-
pie" Indeed, the customary read
ing of these usually prolix and IN
interesting state papers are gener.
ally listened to with impatience,
apathy and indifference by the
members of Congress themselves,
some one of whom always arises
when the reading of the message
has been flushed by the respective
officers of the Senate and House,
moves its reference to the usual
committee and that so many thou
sand copies be printed for the use
of members and for general dis.
trihution.
! The message of the new Presi-
dent. therefore, is unique depar.
ture from the lengthy, labored and
uninteresting documents of hi,
predecessors, which are rarely
ever read or understood by the
masses. AS we have inti.nated,
the Mckinley message is short,
sharp, concise and 10 the point.
He seeks to impress upon the
members that an extraordinary
exigency has arisen in the history
of the country, whereby it has be-
come necessary to convene them,
so that i'm their united wisdom
they may devise ways and means
to raise sufficient revenue to keep
the wheels of the governmental
machinery revolving smoothly
. without borrowing the deficiency
, from individuals or syndicates.
He assures them--as his predeces.
. sor has done many times before
him-that the governmental ex
= penditures are largely in excess OF
the revenues, entaiing a consider
able deficit at the end of every ifs
cal year, which must be provided
' for by succeeding session OF Con
q gress. That nations, like indiyid
q uals, must necessarily lose tbeil
y credit and be thrown into bank
n rup,cy, when they repudiate Their
d honest Obligations.
S While 10 one will dissent from
u the proposition Of the President
:, that it is the duty of Congress, ii
u view of existing insufiicieGcy o
i revenue, to raise the necessary III
T. come by levy of sufficient taxes tt
: carry on the government economi
II cally administered, many thou
e sands will differ with him as Il
i the proper and legitimate methot
T. of accomplishing the desired Oh
g ject. President Mckinley believes
IA belief in which we do not con
- cur-that the enactment of higl
It tariff which will increase taxes Oh
n the necessaries of life for the bene
fit of the protected industries o
d the country and the further en-
y richment of the plutocrats at tn
20 expense of the tOi!ing masses, Wi
m produce the desired result in til
ic attainment of increased revenue
ID While we are satisfied that on
s. chief magistrate is reasoning frol
of Illogical premises to erroneous col
O. illusions and that his Wanted pol
is ey Of protection will have dis
rs metrically opposite effect to thu
n which is intended, by reducing tn
st amount of imports and correspol
it dinghy decreased revenue to be d.
OF rived therefrom, we entertain I'll
le opinion, that the Democratic N
nority in Congress should cease
make any factions or partisan OF
70 position to the new President, bl
:, throw all responsibility upon hi
y for the conduct of the national al
sc ministration, even to the extent {
el "giving him sufficientrope to han
IN himself"
. The Vets Passing Away.
The Grand Army is diving at II