Evening star., 1898-12-05
Work Of the Post Office and In
terror Departments Briefly Al
luded To---The National
Capital Centennial
Indorsed.

The President today sent the following
message to Congress.
T. The Seudt. AID House IF Representa-
NOW th~iauG5ue the added burdens rem
d,rtd necessary 10y the war our ptonIe re
5oiCc in a very satisfactory and steadily
increasing degree of pros psrity evidenced
hy The largest volume of business ever re
corded. Manufacture has been productive,
agricultural pursuits have yielded abun-
danJ returns. labor III al fields of indus
try is better rewarded. revenue legislation
passed ty the present Congress has in
creased the treasuTy's receipts 10 The
amount estimated by its authors: the
finances of the government have been SUI
c,ssfuHy administered and its credit ad-
vanced 70 the first rank. while its cur
rsucy has been maintained at the word s
highest standard. Military service under
common flag and for a righteous cause has
strengthened the national spirit and served
to cement more closely than ever the fra
Jernal bonds between every section of the
country.
y review Of the relation Of the United
States TO other powers. aIwayS appropriate.
Is this year Of primary Importance in view
Of the momeutogs issues which have
arisen demanding i'm one instance the ultl-
mate 5tjermir nation by arms and involving
fer-rsa,hlug consequences which viii re-
g.Ire the earnest attention OF the Consr-ss.
THE CUBAN E>TIoN.
L. my las annual message very fun con-
.deratauu was given to tn, question of the
duty Of the government Of JEe United
states toward Spain ard Jhe Cuban ,usur-
problem with which We we're then called
upon to deal. The considerations then ad-
vanced. and the exposition OF tne views
therein expressed, disclosed 10y sense of
the extreme gravity OF the situation. Sc
Ting aside. as logically uufoundeI or prac-
t;caIy inadmissible. the recognition of the
Cuban insurgents as belligerouts. the recoS-
milton of The independence of Cuba. neutral
sutervt ntiou 10 end the war by imposing
rational compromise between the contest
ants intervention in favor Of one or the
other party. and forcible annexation 0f the
iSIand / concluded It was honestly due to
oIr friendly relations with Spain that she
should be given a r-asoEable chance to
r.aj!z- her expectations Of reform to yghich
she had become irrevocably committed.
Within a few weeks previously she had an
confidently asserted would b. fiji .aciCus TO
remedy the evils 50 deeply affecting our
own country. 50 iniUrioUs TO the true in
terssts Of the mother country as well as 10
those Of Cuba and g, rcpugnant to the
universal sentiment of humanity.
The ensuing month brought little sign "
real progress toward the pacification Of Gu
la Thr autonomous administra tions set
us fr the capital and some Of the principal
cirrs appeared not to gain the favor of the
Inhabitants nor 10 be able 20 extend Their
Influence to the large extent Of territory
hei. 1y the Insurgents. while the military
arm obviously unable TO cope with The stin
active rebellion. continued many of the
TEu~f Objectionable and offensive policies cf
IN. government that had preceded it. No
tang BILE relief was afforded the vast num-
bers Of unhappy reconcentrados despite the
reiterated professions made in that regard
and The amount appropriated 10y Spain %
that end. The profrered expe,iient Of zones
oF cultivation proved iiIusory. indeed no
les practical nor more delusive promises #
ruScpr could we'll have been rendered 10 the
exhausted I'D destitute people. stripped of
all that made life and home dear and
rerted iu "a strange region among unsym-
pathetic strangers hardly less necessitous
than themselves.
BY tho end Of December the mortality
nmoug them had frightfuHy increased.
Conservative estimates from Spanish
s""raes placed the deaths among these dis
iressed people al over forty per cent from
II time General Weyler's decree of recon-
centsation Was enforced. With the acqui-
cscence "f The Spanish authorities a scheme
was adopted for relief by charitable contr.-
buttons raised In this country and Iistrib-
uted. under the direction of the consul-gen-
srsl ard the several consuls. by noble and
earnest individual effort through the or
sgiIized agencies Of the American Red