The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-05
rre.ldent MckInIey.. Aaar..aa.


leave the country in doubt as to what
his views on public questions are. In
view of the fact that he gives the cur
rency question the leading place among
the topics discussed 1t is but fair 10 as
sumo that he regards it as the most i'm
portant with which congress viii have
to deal during his administration. We
are not surprised that he advises the Gre
alton of a commission to study that ques-
ton carefully. with the view of aiding
congress to reach a wise conclusion as to
the kind Of legislation necessary to give
the country a stable, safe, elastic and
satisfactory currency system.
There are conflicting views as to what
the country needs in the way of currency
legislation, and it is certain that many
of these views are based upon incorrect
information and ignorance of the pre-
vailng monetary conditions. The infer
ence from what President Mckinley says
is that congress, at the extra session that
will be called to meet March Is, should
authorize the appointment of a currency
commission. so that the commissions re-
port would be ready for consideration at
the regular session in December.
The President clearly favors the ma
tional banking system-at least he favors
supervision of the currency by the ma
tional government-and he favors retr-
ing the greenbacks and treasury notes.
He makes it very clear that all the power
he possesses will be used to keep the
currency on a gold basis. Therefore no
bill favoring free and unlimited coinage
at the ratio Of 16 to / will receive his APP
proval, unless the commercial value Of
silver advances sufficiently to justify such
a coinage ratio, or an international agree
ment in respect to silver coinage is reach
ed. Our money is good now, and Presi-
dent Mckinley announces that he in
tends it shall remain good.
What the President says about the tar
if is just what it was expected he would
say. He seems to think that in some way
a tariff framed in accordance with the
tariff principles of the republican party
is going TO have the effect of restoring
prosperity. He does not appear to be SO
sure that the tariff that will be adopt
ed will yield a revenue sufficient to meet
the expenses Of the government, and
therefore he urges the necessity for a re-
turn to economy in the public expendi-
lures.
The spoils seekers are, doubtless, great
ly disappointed at what the President
said about the civil service. The civil
service laws are going to be enforced. If
congress has any intention of repeating
these laws, it might as well abandon it.
The civil service system is here TO stay
The politicians haven't power enough to
abolish it,
The President couldn't have said less
about trusts, the navy, our merchant
marine and immigration laws without in
wiling criticism His utterances in refer
ence to those matters may mean much
or little. They will not attract great
deal of attention. He is against trusts,
of course-that is, trusts which hinder
trade and Cypress the people--and he
wants our ship building interests encour-
aged. The best way to encourage ship
building is to radically reform our navi-
cation laws A free ships policy would
cover the seas with ships carrying the
American flag.
President McKinley's policy in respect
to Cuba isn't going to differ greatly, as
far as we can judge from what he says,
from that of President Cleveland. He
doesn't intend to allow the lingo states
men to run his administration. He doesn I
want war. and the country isn't going to
be plunged into a war. If he can help It,
without a very good reason. He is going
to protect Americans and American in
terests, but before acting he is going to
be sure he is right.
It is evident that the day of bloody
shirt talk and sectional legislation is
past President Mckinley declares that
it shall be his purpose to encourage the
growing sentiment of unity and co-opera-
ton between the north and south. In
fact, he contends that the north and south
will never again be divided by sectional
feeling.
No great weight, probablyfi. will be
attached to the inaugural address. Its
utterances will be taken as an expression
Of the Presidents views on public ques-
tons. The people viii wait until the
President begins to put his policies in
force before they come to any conclu-
sion in respect to his administration.