The Portland daily press., 1898-04-04
THE PRESIDENT.
He Has Begun the Writing of the Mes
sage.

sage.
Washington, April AIT II O'Clock
this morning a cabinet officer said there
| was no change in the situation from
Yesterday and he expected that events
would move along the present line until
the Presidents message was sent 10 Oon
gress early the coming week. The mo-
mentous message was begun by Presl-
dent Mckinley this morning AFTER long
conferences with his cablnet ADVISERS
and public men on the lines 1t should
| take in order that the position OF Ame-
RIGA in this crisis may stand forth IN a
clear and intelligent and justinaple way
before the present future generations.
The advice proffered most urgently upon
the President has been the recogn1tlons
of the independence of Cuba and inter
vention at once to end the horrors OF tne
situation. This course has been urged,
especially by senators and members OF
the lower House. The President has
| listened to all these views but hos not ex-
pressed his own freely. Approaching
the wish Of Congress that the message be
transmitted to that body at the earliest
practicable moment and the fact that
document of It's grave significance ano
| its character req uires the utmost deilDsia.
! ton and consultation with his ofnclal
advisers, he has determined to put ASIDE
all but the most important matters untll
| the message has been put in shape 1or
submission to the National Legislature.
With this end in view he denied himself
to long line of callers today, but saw
quite number of persons whose knowl-
edge and experience might be of service
| to him in this task. Throughout the day
there were rumors of all kinds in c1rcu-
lation and there was much subdued ex-
citement among those who formed the
| throng of visitors.
| Assistant Secretary Day was visitor
at the White House and was with the
| President by clock. He made a num-
| Der of suggestions as to the discussion OF
| ths situation to be Incorporated in the
coming message. He was the first per-
son to see the President and soon after
his arrival Major Easton, the Presidents
military aide, slipped in for brief in
terview.
Secretary Gage came over from the
| treasury about 10 o'clock and for over an
hour remained in consultation with the
| President.
Meanwhile large party OF Congress
sional callers had assembled. Senator
Frye of Maine had personal interview
| that lasted few minutes. 1t 1s bel1eveSs
that Senator Frye called to ascertain
| when the message of the President might
be expected, so as to guide the senate
committee on foreign relations in Its
work. 1t is known that Senator Frye is
for vigorous action and would like to see
the coming message take strong grounds,
md has n
ministration in a firm policy to secure the
independence Of Cuba by Intervention
at once to that end.
Later, Representative Hull, chairman
of the military affairs committee, had a
brief interview with Mr.. Mckinley. re-
lating to army organization. The Ere
sident expressed his desire that the bill
should be enacted into law at the earlt-
est possible moment and said it was wise
to have it on the statute books in readl
ness for carrying out its war footing pro-
visions in view of the expected serious
elimination of the present crisis. AT the
close of the conference, Mr.. Hull said the
army bill would doubtless be passed by
the House next Monday and that few
Incidental changes desired would be cor
rected by amendments when the bill is
acted upon by the Senate. There Id
much significance in the early date fixed
upon for bringing the bill into Congress.
The bill is an administration measure
and provides for the adoption of the
three battalion war formation in war
times.
About half past eleven Secretary Long
brought over some friends to present to
the President. He stated that there had
been no new developments. When asked
about the recall of Minister Woodford at
Madrid, he replied that if the recall had
been made it WAS unknown to him.
Secretary Alger, who called with some
department. papers, also denied ths report.
Dingley of Maine, chairman of the House
ways and means committee, were in
| conference with the President during the
| forenoon on business which is said TO
have related to the national finances and
to measures needed to put the treasury
on war footing. Although an appro-
priation bill in the regular order would
| go to the committee on appropriations,
| there is reason for the belief that war
revenue measure has been under consid-
Grafton and it is not altogether improb-
able that q bill of this character may be
| introduced if it is not indeed made a
part of tho expected resolution authorlz-
| ing the President to intervene forcibly TO
| put stop to the hostilities in Cuba No
| plan to raise a war revenue from inter
| nal revenue source has yet been formu-
lated but an additional tax on beer is
almost certain, in the event of hostilitles.
to be recommended to Congress. Whiskey,
| it is said, also would come in for share
of the increase, but for the fact that even
the present rate of 81. 10 per gallon in the
opinion of experienced revenue officials
| is really above the maximum revenue
producing point. There is no reasonable
doubt that quite list of articles, such
as admitted luxuries, Will be considered
| by the ways and means committee as
proper subject of revenue taxation, in
case any large amount of fund is needed
| to carry on the war which to nearly all
visitors at the White House seems now in
evitable. Treasury experts have estimated
that the increase of the tax on beer from
ST to 81 per barrel would result in a gain
of approximately $40, 0O0 900 year to the
revenues but whether so heavy an in
crease as that contemplated is not known:
The question of laying small internal
revenue tax on tea and coffee is also I'M
| der consideration. 1t is thought that a
tax of something less than 10 cents a
pound on tea and about three cents
pound OH coffee would bring in large
revenue, possibly S85. 000, 900 TO $40, O0O,
900 a year. This tax, it is Thought,
| would not result in materially increasing
the price to the consumer of either tea or
coffee except possibly on the beginning.
| The combined revenues from beer, tea