The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-12-04

stantial governments in all OF our
newly acquired possessions pending ac-
ton by Congress as to the most prac-
teal form of government to be created;
The War Department scandals VIII
not be passed over in silence, but the
President will refer to his appointment
of the war investigation committee
and will assure Congress that IT'S IN
vestigation is to be thorough, and that
if any persons are found blameWorthy
they will be punished, and if faults are
found in the system they VIII DE cor
rected.
In view of the space devoted to the
war the message will be unusually
long. for the President has not slighted
the finances of the Government or any
other branch of the public service in
the message. AS to revenues 1t will
be shown that the demands upon the
treasury are SO great now and promise
to be heavy for many years to come
that it is a practical impossibility to
materially reduce the present war tax
1t is conceded, with some qualifica-
lions, that customs duties are not suf-
ficient and may never be sufficient to
meet the requirements of the changed
condition of our national affairs. I'm
der the circumstances financial reform
and tariff reform are not strongly rec
commended at this time.
One interesting feature of the mes
sage will be a detailed statement of
the expenditure of the $50,000,000 war
appropriation, which was really the
first declaration of war with Spain.
There will be an abundance of figures
and some dry statistics rendered neces-
sary by the course of events and con-
flicting statements made in connection
with the conduct of the war.
The Nicaragua canal will be strongly
commended as a national necessity,
and immediate steps for its construc-
ton recommended.
The main object of the President is
to present to Congress clear and com
prehensive history of the nations af-
fairs during the last war. His first
work upon the message was COM
menced in Philadelphia while he was in
that city attending the peace jubilee
From day to day since then he has de-
voted such time as he could spare from
his other duties to debating and COM
posing parts of the important docu-
ment. The work has been done so sys-
tematically that page by page it has
been delivered to the printer without
the slightest confusion. The last re-
vision went to the public printer to-
night.
Not more than half of the members
Of the Senate and one-third of the
IHeIHDerS OIL the house Oh 6epTeSSHld-
tives have arrived in Washington for
the opening of the session. They are
coming in by every train, however. and
many will arrive tomorrow and Mon
day morning, so that when the gavels
of the Vice-President and Speaker
Reed fall at noon on Monday there will
be more than a quorum in each house.
President Hobart has been at his
Washington home in Lafayette square
for more than a week. Speaker Reed
arrived tonight and is at the Shore
ham, where he will put in a busy day
tomorrow with members of the House.
A great deal of work has already been
done by various committees. The
House Committee on Appropriations
has been hard at work every day this
week and has made rapid progress in
the preparation of appropriation bills.
The Congressional members of the
Hawaiian Commission-Senators Gull
lom and Morgan and Representative
Hitt-have completed their report, and
the President has been made acquaint-
ed with it's contents
Appropriations and routine business
will probably occupy the first part of
the session in both houses.