The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-04

Sold throughout the world POTTER DEuo AND CHEN.
Corr. Props, Boston Howto Cure Iich:ng Hunors hes
so to fgnish the President with brief
recital of the reciprocity treaties negotiat-
ed with France and Great Britain, the lat
ter referring to Jamaica, Bermuda, Bar
BADGES. British Guiana and Trinidad, and
of the reciprocity arrangements with Por-
tugal and Argentina.
OF course the war question an dthe Phil
ippines comprise the subject of supreme
importance in the coming message. This
will be the last subject written of by the
President Already the material is well
outlined, and some of the expression has
taken form, but the topic as a whole will
be the very last one moulded into complete
form. AS to the purely military features,
Secretary Roots report is already before
the President.
In a general way, of course, the Presi-
dents purpose on this topic are already
matured, for his political utterances have
shown that the keynote on the Philippines
will be pacification, and. that accomplish
ed, Congress to determine the ultimate
future of the Philippines and such manner
of orderly administration as may be re-
quired. Bue while the Presidents gen.
eral ideas on this line are well defined,
the actual words in which he lays the mo-
mentous subject before Congress are of
of chief concern now. >,
The future of Cuba and Porto Rico will
also be topics of the highest Importance.
The war issues have for the time being
displaced those former chief topics of
Presidential messag es, finance and tariff,
the adoption of the gold standard give
although the sound money question and
the financial topic peculiar Importance In
the coming message, second only to the
war and the Philippines, and by some con-
sidered paramount to these topics. Mr..
Mckinley is reserving the financial branch
Of the message until the last, along with
the war question.
Secretary Long and the navy, as well as
all the other public bra fhes will nave to
receive their share OF attention. and it
Mr.. Mckinley just now how to deal with
so mani important topics and at the same
time keep the message within reasonable
limits.
This question Of the length OF the mos
sage is becoming a rather serious one, as
the President is being importuned on all
sides, by Letter and in person, to make
reference to various public questions. He
had started out with the hope of keeping
the message we'll within twentw thousand
words, or about ten newspaper columns,
bue the many grave subjects to be treat
ed and the pressure from all quarters to
say a word in behalf Of this, that and the
other project, make it a most difficult
problem to keep the rocument from Ewell-
ing into mammoth proportions.
Many of the questions coming to the
President cannot be ignored. as they come
from men of such position as to be enti-
tied to consideration. The larger projects
have their personal adherants in evidence
about Washington just now, seeking the
ear of the President. Mr.. Mckinley is
also receiving scores of letters from I'M
known but we'll meaning people anxious
to tell him how difficulties should be
avoided.
There is one constant letter writer, liv
ing in Boston, who, although unknown to
the President or any of the members of
his Cabinet, has gained attention and re-
spect from the lucidity and sound COM
mon sense which charactersZes his let
tiers.
1t is rather remarkable in this connect
ion how many persons are anxious TO have
the message deal with the peace topic, by
commencing the Cars peace congress
and by expressing sympathy for the Beers
in their unequal struggle.
The writing of the final drafts of the
message, one for each branch of Congress,
has not yet begun. This is done by Col
onel Pruden and Warren Young, two vet
eran officials. 1t grows out of a curious
tradition, for which former Senator Geo
rye F. Edmunds is quoted as authority.
According to this, the typewriter or print
ing press cannot be used for the copies Of
the message sent to Congress, as it is part
of the orgnic law of the land that the
message must besubmitted in writing. So
that, when Mr.. Mckinley completes his
tting together, trimming down and round
ing out into one symetrical literary whole.
the copyists viii go to work on the final
drafts which are 10 60 to Congress on
December next.