The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-11-24
SENSATIONS
ELIMINATED.
Presidents Message Will Likely
BE Very Tame.
WILL DODGE MooTEDoUEsTlONs
And Leave the Affairs "ro the Wisdom OF
Congress- Congress Likely to Go
Slow on the Question of
Imperialism.
Especial correspondence.l

Washington, d. c., NOV. N.-Ihe
Fifty-sixth congress which is about to
be ushered in bids fair to figure as
prominently in history as its imme-
diate predecessor-the Spanish war
congress- In the judgment of many
close observers the future destiny of the
country will be to, very considerable
extent, determined by the incoming
congress.
The expansionists and anti-expan-
sionists have been fighting their battles
for the past few months in the news
papers. After December 4the the con-
test will be transferred to the big white
building up on Capital hill. 1t is there
that the matter must be finally decided
The congress is the jury selected by
the American people to try the cause,
and until the verdict is rendered no
one can safely predict just what is to
be our policy towards Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines. The expan-
sionists claim that we are already ex-
banded and that we cannot, If we would,
undo the work of the past twelve
months. Whether this be true or not
remains to be seen. ~,
There is wide divergence Of opinion
upon this subject among the statesmen
who are arriving in Washington to
participate in the deliberations Of the
national legislature. The concensus Of
opinion seems to be that nothing will
be done hastily.
Congress will go slow deciding the
important and weighty matters that
will come before 1t this winter" said
a veteran senator to your correspond
ent today. 1--WE are on the threshold
of new national existence, in sense,
and it behooves us to move deliberately
and conservatively.
"The Fifty-sixth congress cannot
settle all of the pending problems Of
state-craft, as matter Of course. There
are enough on hand to occupy the time
of future congresses for the next de-
cade or more However, this congress
ought to, and no doubt will, outline
what is to be our general policy re-
specting the Philippines and other mat
ters of immediate moment. Mistakes
are bound to be made Of course. Con-
pressmen are not infallible and no one
congress ca combine all the wisdom OF
the country, but shall not lose faith
in the American people and the future
of our country no matter what may be
the outcome of our labors up under the
Dome this winter. We have not yet,
in my Judgment, fulfilled our destiny
as a nation"
President Mckinley has been busily
engaged upon the drafting Of his an
nual message to the congress ever since
he returned from his tour through the
west He has practically given every
spare moment of his time. not taken
up with pressing official business, to
this work. He devotes several hours
each day, excepting Sunday, to this
90
transacts any official business on Sun
day During the late war this rule was
in a measure abrogated for obvious
reasons, but since the termination of
the war it has been re-adopted.
That Mr. McKinley's forthcoming
message to congress will be lengthy
document goes without saying. The
annual message of the president to
congress has, by time honored usage
and custom, become merely review of
the work of the various departments
and summary of the general state of the
country. No one can review, even
briefly, the voluminous reports that
are annually turned out by the different
department chiefs and their suordinates
in anything less than thirty thousand
words, although 1t would be no
difficult task to boil down the real
meat in the average presidents annual
message into one or two columns of
a daily newspaper.
Mr.. Cleveland departed from the time
honored custom of writing volumn-
Gus message in 1887 His message to
congress that year contained less than
$500 words and was devoted to one
topic-that of the tariff. Subsequently,
however, he sent in the full regulation
report and did not again depart from
the established rule in his later an
nual messages.
People who ere looking for anything
startling of particularly striking from
the pen of Mr.. Mckinley In his annual
message to the congress this year
will probably be doomed to dissapoint-
rnent. President Mckinley is not q
sensational writer.
President Mckinley, 1t Is learned on
the highest authority, however, is be-
ing urged by many of his close friends
to come out in his message to congress
next month and take a positive stand
and make specific and definite recon-
mendations concerning our future
policy, both foreign and domestic. They
believe that the time is ripe for such
a move on the part OF the administra-
ton and that 1t would materially
strengthen the hands of the president q
supporters at the Capitol end OF
Pennsylvania avenue. 1t is thought
however. that Mr.. Mckinley will ignore
this advice and he will not depart from
the general style Of his previous mes
sages in which he has been pleased to
content himself With an impartial cita-
ton of the fact and then leave the
entire matter to the wisdom Of the
congress-" for solution.
1t Is more than likely, close friends OF
President Mckinley say, that his
forthcoming message will be practically
colorous upon the more absorbing
topics of the day.
Col. Henderson, practically speaker
elect of the Fifty-sixth congress, is in
Washington, and during the coming
days will likely hear some very earnest
appeals regarding committee places. II
is reported that Mr.. Sherman, who was