The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-07
The First Annual Message of william
Mckinley.

The First Annual Message OF William
Mckinley.
A spirited and patriotic prologue on the
growth Of the national sentiment OF unity,
and the gratifying disappearance Of sec
tional differences.
A guarded appeal to the people TO wait
. while before passing Judgment on the
Dingley tariff.
At the same time the assumption that
tariff legislation is settled, md that a re.
vision Of the currency is the next great
question for Congress.
A distinct and earnest" recommends
ton that "ds soon as the receipts of the
Government are quite sufficient to pay oil
the expenses Of the Government" green
backs once redeemed in gold shall not be
paid out again by the Government except
In exchange for gold.
Reference to the elaborate plan of Secre-
tary GAGE, with whom the President con.
curs in the recommendation that the ma
tional bank circulation be extended by al.
lowing the banks to issue notes up to the
full value Of the bonds deposited at Wash
inGton; by reducing the tax on their circu.
lation; and by reducing to sos. 900 the
minimum Of the capital required by law
for the establishment Of q national bank.
But the President adds at the same time
the recommendation that the national
bank circulation shall be restricted by
about one-third by combining II to denomi-
nations Of 80 and upward, that is to say,
by cutting out the $4,000, 900 or there.
: abouts Of national bank ives, and also that
? the national banks shall be required to re-
deem their notes in gold.
Reassertion Of the traditional American
policy respecting Cuba; namely, that the
United States will permit no disturbance
Of Cuba's connection with Spain, unless in
the direction either of independence or Of
acquisition by US. This is followed by q
recital Of the evils of the present war and
by the statement that there is no desire on
the part of our people to profit by the mis-
fortunes Of Spain. Our offers of friendly
mediation have been rejected at Madrid.
The President then proceeds to consider
fully the several courses which have been
suggested as proper for our Government to
take. He regards the recognition Of bellig.
erency as unwise and inadmissible. Inter.
vention on grounds of humanity is ID dismissed
for the present az unfair to the new Sagasta
Government, whose plan Of autonomy, So
called, is infinitely and not too critically
described by Mr.. MCKINLEY. The other
courses possible to our Government, namely,
recognition Of Cuban independence, neutral
Intervention to compel a compromise. direct
Intervention in behalf of one party or the
other. and iorcible annexation to the United
States, he mentions but does not discuss
except to say incidentally that the last
plan, annexation, is not to be thought of.
The long and short of Mr.. McKINLKY's rec
o~mmendations concerning Cuba is that our
Government should wait a while, to give
the Sagasta Government an opportunity to
conquer or pacify the island.
As to Hawaii, the President expresses a
positive opinion. He believes in annexa
tion- he declares that every consideration
OF dignity and honor requires the ~ratiica-
ton OF the treaty now pending in the SEN
ate, leaving TO the wisdom of Congress the
problems of assimilation.
II it is true, as is now reported, that the
japanese Government has neither with.
drawn nor modified its original protest
against our annexation of Hawaii, the part
OF President McKINLEY's message which
refers to Japan's attitude was prematurely
conceived.
NJ Wv oiilSbaIIiC CuNOyS ID
mentioned briefly, and the President hopes
earnestly that their labors may result in
an international agreement"
One new battleship for the Pacific coast
and several new torpedo boats; an arbitra-
tion treaty which shall embody the best
sentiment Of the civilized world without
In any way imperilling our interests or our
honor; improved government and addition.
nj military force for Alaska; readjustment
OF relations with the treaty tribes, with
citizenship for the Indians and individual
ownership of their lands; a meteorological
investigation of yellow fever the possible
acquisition and operation of the Kansas
Pacific as a Government railroad rather
than TO let it go at the upset price OF
$500, 600 these are some of the further
recommendations and suggestions in q
message which ends with a not very i'm.
pressive adjuration TO Congress not to in,
crease expenditures, but rather to "kee1
the appropriations within the receipts OF
the Government, and thus avoid a deficit
II we were required TO put into four lines
the Administrations advice, as gathered
from President McKINLEY's first annua.
message TO Congress, on the most impor
tAnt questions of foreign and domestic
policy now occupying the mind of the pub
lie, we should state it in thisf fashion:
Wait and see what Spain is going to d.
about Cuba;
Wait and see how the Dingley tariff Il
going TO turn ont by and by.
Mr.. MCKINLEY is a prudent statesman
and he crosses no bridges that he can ayoic
crossing by continuing to walk along III,
hither bank.
The HnIidnr Trada