St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-03-16
Our Washington Letter.


Correspondence of the CALIFORNIAN
The Developments Of the opening
week of the second year Of President
McKinley's administration must
have been very gratifying to the
President and his immediate support
ers; certainly they were gratifying
to his friends and members OF his
party generally. That they can but
be gratifying to American citizens IT.
respective of party is equally appar-
emit. The fourth of March was cele-
brated by newspapers in every part
of the country, among them many of
democratic faith, by publication of
editorial utterances reviewing the
first year of President McKinley's
administration and expressing great
satisfaction with his course in all
important matters, and with the de-
velopments ofthe year in carrying out
the pledges of the party. This was
Immediately followed by the remark
able rally to his support in Washing
ton when the announcement was
made that Spain had demanded the
recall of Consul General Lee and that
the President had refused to accede
to that demand. The scenes in Wash.
ington when this announcement was
made must have been gratifying to
every true American, irrespective Of
party relations. Democrats and
populists We'd with each other in
readiness and anxiety to honor the
President and commend his manly
course in this matter, and the very
few men who few weeks ago were
publicly criticising his course in the
Cuban matter were among the first
to support the proposition to vote
men and money for national defense
under his direction.
And there is good reason for the
general satisfaction which is ex-
pressed with the Presidents course
in the various matters which have
been entrusted to him, and with his
firm attitude in the crisis which i'm
mediately followed the opening of his
second year in the White House.
Students of American political his.
tory recall no administration which
has in its first year made such
progress in redeeming party pledges
as has that Of President Mckinley.
There were two great issues in the
campaign; tariff and currency; the
one has been completely fulfilled, the
other is now receiving special atten-
ton.
The pledge of revision of the
tariff has been fully carried out by
calling special session of Congress
Immediately after the inauguration
of the President and a prompt pas
sage of tariff bill, which in spite of
the adverse conditions under which
it went into operation is now sup
plying sufficient revenue to meet the
current expenses, reducing importa-
tions and so encouraging manufac-
turers that the effect is felt in increased
wages, in increased employment and,
consequently, in increased demand
for the products of the farm and fac
tory. With this has come advanced
prices of farm products and reducti ion
in prices in many of the articles which
the masses must buy. Cotton goods,
articles of steel and iron, boots and
shoes and various other articles oil
clothing are quoted at lower prices
than year ago, despite the constant
assurance of the opponents of the
protective system that it's adoption
would result in higher prices to con.
sumers. In only a single article Of
farm produce has been reduction in
price. That article is cotton. In all