The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-12-08
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

PkNlDENlN MENAGk |
10 the senate and house Of rspressnts-
tives:
Notwithstanding the added burdens rem
dered necessary by the war our people
rejoice in a very satisfactory and steadi-
~ increasing degree OF prosperity evi-
denced by the largest volume Of business
ever recorded.
The president here reviews the causes
that led up to the war with Spain and
the prosecution OF the war by the army
and navy. The message then continues:
do not discuss 1T this time the govern
ment c. the future Of the new possess
sions which will come to us as the result
of the war with Spain. Such discussion
will be appropriate after the treaty OF
peace shall be ratified.
As soon as we are In possession OF Cuba
and have pacifed the island II will be
necessary to give aid and direction to its
people to form a government for them
selves. This should be undertaken ut the
earliest moment consistent with safety
and assured success. II is important that
our relations with this people shall be OF
the most friendly character and our COM
n: ,rcial relations close and reciprocal. II
should be our duty to assist In every
proper way to build UP the waste places
OF the island. encourage the industry Of
the people and assist them to form a gov
ernment which shall be free and equal.
Spanish rule must be replaced by Just,
benevolent and humane government. Gre
ated by the people OF Cuba, capable Of
performing all International obligations
and which shall encourage thrift. indus
try and prosperity and promote peace and
good will among all OF the Inhabitants.
whatever may have been their relations
in the past. Neither revenge nor passion
should have place In the new govern
ment. Until there Is complete tranquili-
ty In the island and a stable government
inaugurated military occupation will be
continued.
The Lattimer Shooting.
On the 10th Of September. 1897. a con-
fiict took place at Lattimer. Pa. between
q body Of striking miners and the sheriff
Of Luzerne county and his deputies. In
which % miners were killed and n wound
ed, OF whom 10 Of the killed and IL of tho
wounded were Austrian and Hungarian
subjects. This &eplorable event natural
ly aroused the solicitude of the Austro-
Hungarian government. which, on the as
involved the unjustihable misuse OF au-
thority. claimed reparation for the suf-
ferers. Apart from the searching inves-
tiKatton and peremptory action OF the
authorities OF Pennsylvania, the federal
executive took appropriate steps to learn
the merits Of the case. In order to be In q
position to meet the urgent complaint of
friendly power. The sheriff and his dep
uties. having been indicted for murder,
were acquitted after protracted proceed
ings and the hearing Of hundreds OF wilt
nesses on the ground that the killing was
In the line OF their official duty to uphold
the law and preserve public order In the
state. representative Of the depart
ment Of justice attended the trial and re-
! ported Its course fully. With all the facts
In it's possession this government expects
to reach harmonious understanding on
the subject with that OF Austro- II ungury
The Nicaragua Canal.
The Nicaragua canal commission has
| nearly completed Its labors. and the re.
| suits OF its exhaustive inquiry into the
proper route. the feasibility. and the cost
| OF construction OF an interoceanlc cana
by u Nicaraguan route will be LAID be.
fore you.
As the scope of the recent inquiry em
braced the whole subject with the ann o
making plRns,a and surveys for .csnal bJ
the most convenient route, II necessaril,
included a review OF the results Of pre-
vious surveys and plans. and in partic
| ular those adopted by the Maritime Cana
company under Its existing concessions
| from Nicaragua and Costa Rica, 90 tina
| to this extent those grants neceSsaril,
| hold as essential "a part In the delibera
| tions and conclusions of the canal com
| mission as they have held and must need
| hold In the discussion of the matter b!
| congress. I have not hesitated to ex
press my conviction that consideration
| of eXpediency and International policy n
between the several governments inter
ested in the construction and control o
an interoceanic canal by this route re
quire the maintenance Of the status Qu'
until the canal commission shall have re
ported.
| Nevertheless. II appears that the gov
ernment OF Nicaragua, as one OF its las
! sovereign acts before merging It's power
in those of the newly formed Unite'
States Of Central America. has grantee
| an optional concession to another asso
citation, to become effective on the e1pira
\ tion OF the present grant II does no
appear what surveys have been made o
! what route is proposed under this con
| tingent grant, so that an examination o
! the feasibility of its plans Is necessaril
| not embraced in the report of the cana
! commission. All these circumstances sug
gest the urgency Of some definite actio
4 by the congress at this session II the Ia
bors Of the past are to be utilized and tn
| linking of the Atlantic and Pacific ocean
by a practical waterway Il to be realized
| That the construction of such IA MARTINI
highway is now more than ever indispen
| sable to that intimate and ready inter
| communication between our eastern ant
western seaboards demanded by the an
nexation OF the Hawaiian Islands and tn
prospective expansion Of our infiuenc
and commerce in the Pacific. and that ou
national policy now more imperativel
| than ever CALLS for its control by thi
| government are propositions which
doubt not the congress will duly appre
| ciate and wisely act upon.
Our interests In China.
The United States has not been an In
different spectator Of the eXtraordinar
events transpiring In the Chinese empire
whereby portions OF its maritime prov
inces are passing under the control OF va
rious European powers. but the prospec
that the vast commerce which the ener
gy OF our citizens and the necessity OF on