The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-06
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The presidents message is a disap-
pointment. Not because of any unex-
pected policy outlined therein, for it
contains a little of almost everything
else. But because of its remarkable
silence on the question of foreign policy
at a time when suggestions are in order
and recommendations are needed.
The message, IL a chronological reca-
pitulation of the events of year, added
to a composite report of department
secretaries may be called a message,
contains nothing that has not appeared
already in the daily press.
For six months the newsboys Of
America have been crying the accounts
upon which the president dwells at
great length, and the newspapers have
told and retold, as news and miscel-
lany, time and again, the stories that
constitute the bulk of this anxiously
expected document.
There isn't a section of anything
new, or original, or instructive. 1t
would be an interesting narrative had
it not been so recently and so frequent
ly told. AS it reads, it is chiefly val
liable for showing what portion of the
war dispatches the commander-in-chief
of the army and navy chose to believe.
1t is more OF a review than mes
sage. 1t might have been compiled
from the files of any leading daily
newspaper. They nearly all printed bet
ter and more complete accounts OF the
war, more extensive reports from the
various departments, more suggestions,
even in their news columns than the
president has permitted to creep into
his own.
He "calls the attention of congress
to number of matters, but there he
leaves congress with its attention fixed,
He ratifies the suggestions of cabinet
officials in regard to the next census,
the increase of the army and navy, the
present monetary system. He leaves
congress to guess his wishes concerning
Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
The recent labor riots are discussed in
a perfunctory way. Considerable at
tention is paid to a quarrel between Ar
gentine and Chill, to something done by
Peru, to the Brussels exposition. to
Central American revolutions and the
failure of the states to secure a fedora
ton. to Samoa, Siam, Hawaii and ia
pan.
He follows the British lion into the
China seas, dwells for a time at Wei
Hai-Wei, Ia Lien Wan and Tien Tsin,
and then he makes a long explanation
of the "Cerruti arbitration" whatever
that may be, drifts into the forest re-
servaticn, views the fires with regret,
talks about sugar, celebrations and
sundries until it gets too late to say
anything about the war investigation.
the health of the army, the need of a
tariff that win furnish revenues, the
best way to govern the Philippines, the
policy TO be pursued with reference to
Cuba or any Of the things that con-
gress required to hear about and that
the people very properly expected to
hear about.
On al the other subjects, however, he
gives the people their fill.
Not until he reaches the last para
graph, where he finds that his recon-
mendations have been mislaid, does
President Mckinley play ball. He rec
oElmends to congress a reading of the
reports Of the different departments,
which, he says, discuss many ques-
tons upon which the congress may be
called to act
As rehash of current events it is
fair; as a message it is one of the most
uncertain, vacillating and unsatisfac
tory that ever emanated from the pen
Of candidate for reelection.