Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-10
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
A REVIEW or THE AFFAIRS OF
OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONGRESS
Currency Reform and Cuban Question
The Most salient Features or
the Document. o

III gives me plehsure 10 extenu greet.
ing to the Fiity.ffth congress assem-.
bled in regular session nc the seat Of
government, with many Of whose sen.
ators and representatives have been
associated In the Legislative ser.
vice. Their meeting occurs under fs.
licitous conditions. justifying sincere
congratulation and calling for our CRATE.
full acknowledgements to a benefcent
providence. which has 80 signally blessed
aud prospered us as nation. Peace
and good will with all the nations OF
the earth continue unbroken.
A matter Of great satisfaction IL the
growing feeling OF fraternal regard and
unifcation OF all sections Of our coun.
try. the inoompleteness OF which has too
long delayed realization of the highest
blessing Of the Union. The spirit Of
patriotism Is universal and Ia ever in.
creasing In fervor. The public questions
which now most engross US are lifted
far above either partisanship, prejudices
or former sectional differences. They
affect every part OF our common country
alike and permit OF no division on anoi.
ent lines Questions Of foreign policy,
OF revenue, the soundness OF the cur.
renoy, the inviolability OF national obi.
cations. the improvement Of the public
service, appeal to the individual con.
science OF every earnest citizen to what.
ever party he belongs or in whatever
section Of the country he may reside.
The extra session of this congress
which closed during July. last, enacted
Important legislation. and while its full
effect has not yet been realized. what it
has already accomplished assures Us Of
it's Thickness and wisdom. To test its
permanent value further time will be-
required and the people. satisfied with
its operation and results thus far. are
in no mind 70 withhold from IL q fair
trial.
Tariff legislation having been settled
by the extra session of congress. the
question next pressing for considera.
ton is that OF the currency.
The work Of putting our finances upon
O sound basis, difficult az IL may seem.
will appear easier when we recall the
financial operations OF the government
since 1896. On June 10 OF that year we
had outstanding demand liabilities In
the sum OF t72S. S6S. 447.4i. On Jan. /.
1879. these liabilities had peen reduoed
% $ss5sSS9, 400. 81. : Uf our Interest bear
Ing obligations. tthe figures are even
more striking. On July /. 1896. the
principal Of the interest bearing debt Of
she government was "a. 3S2. SSl, 208 On
July ]. 1893. this sum had been reduced
to 1856. OBJ 100. or an aggregate reduc.
ton Of 81, TAT. 2S4. l08. The interest bear.
ing debt OF the United on Dec. I, 1897.
was $Sl7. 1855. $40. The government
money now outstanding (Dec. ~ con.
sists Of $3i6, 8Sl, 0l6 OF United States
notes, Sl07. 793, $50 Of treasury notes Is.
sued by authority Of the law Of 1890,
t944, 96S. 604 OF silver certificates. aud
Sol. 2S6, 76l OF standard silver dollars.
No Time 10 Hesitate.
With the great resources Of the gov.
eminent and with honorable example
OF the past before Us, we ought not to
hesitate to enter upon currency 70.
vision which vii. make our demand OBJ
legations less ouerous to the govern.
ment and relieve our financial laws
from ambiguity and doubt
The brief review OF what was accom-.
plished from the close Of the war to
1895 makes unreasonable and ground.
less any distrust. either Of our financial
ability or soundness; while the situation
from 1898 to 1897 must admonish con.
gress Of the immediate necessity OF 80
legislating az to make the return Of the
conditions then prevailing impossible.
There are many plans proposed rs o
remedy for the real evil. 10 Is not that
our currency OF every kind Is not good.
for every dollar Of 1t is good-good be-
cause the governments pledge is out TO
keep 10 so, and that pledge will not be
broken. However. the guaranty Of our
purpose to keep the pledge will DO best
shown by advancing toward its fulflll.
ment.
The evil Of the present system is
found In the great cost TO the govern.
ment Of maintaining the parity OF our
different forms OF money, that Is. keep
ing all Of them at par with gold. We
surely cannot DO longer needless OF the
burden this imposes upon the people,
ever under fairly prosperous conditions.
while the past four years have demon.
strated that II 10 not only aud expen.
sive charge upon the government. but
dangerous menace 60 the national
credit
10 10 manifest that we must devise
some plan TO protect the government
against bond issues for repeated re.
demptiona We must either curtail
the opportunity for speculation. made
easy BY the multiplied redemptions OF
our demand obligations, or increase the
gold reserve for their redemption. We
have 5000. 900, 600 OF currency which the
government by solemn enactment has
undertaken TO keep as par with gold.
Nobody is obliged TO redeem in gold but
the government The banks are not
required to redeem In gold The gov.
eminent 10 obliged TO keep equal with
gold all it's outstanding currency and
coin outstanding. while lite receipts are
| not re0uired to ba Maid In gold. They