The times., 1899-12-06
The Message.

As We took pleasure in remaTking In
our evening edition Of yesterday, the mes
sage OF President Mckinley to the Fifty
sixth Congress, on the occasion Of It's first
meeting. is a great state paper. But thou
sands. II not millions CT Americans, will
fail 10 realize this personally, although
they may take the word Of their favorite
journals for the fact. because the message
is altogether too voluminous TO be gener-
ally read.
There were three subjects as to which
ii was desirable and perhaps necessary that
Mr. Mckinley should make his views.
policy. and intentions officially known 20
Congress and the nation. These were. the
matter of our position and the Admins
Iratioa programme in the Philippines;
that OF the government of our island pos
sessions. and that Of the gold standard de-
signs OF the party in power represented
by the Executive. All these topics the mes
sage presents in complete and excellent
form leaving nothing to be desired in re-
spect Of scope and clearness Of treatment
But these vital things IN the message
unfortunately are drowned in a vast mass
OF matter pertaining to subjects OF intrin-
sic interest enough 10 the people charged
with their consideration. but which il
S. quite unnecessary that the President
should review at length, assuming that
he has departmental Secretaries enjoying
his confidence, whose reports could as we'll
OF better be submitted in lieu Of all the
painful historiographical labor to which
Presidents so often and uselessly subject
themselves.
In other words. we must positively de-
plore the prospect that the present mes
sage. the Philippine. Cuban. and other
colonial sections Of which should be read
and studied by all Americans, VIII be
largely lost to the masses because they
are lost in slough Of minor diplomatic
history official details, and desiccated ac-
couats-current through which the ordI-
nary citizen viii not wade and dredgc for
the pearls OF such a magnum opus We
are confident that the trainers OF the
Constitution never intended that the Pres
ident Of The United States should annually
transform himself into an Encyclopedia
Americana, and submit the whole contents
of his mind as well as repetition OF
ali things known OF imagined by his Cabi-
net and bureau officers. in one fell essay
on the history. philosophy and statistics
OF our times analytical descriptive com
parative-sud complete in one volume The
Queen of England and Empress o. India
ruler over four hundred million geoBle
and az Empire on whose territory the
sun never sets, can say all she needs To
her Parliament in third OF newspaper
column What would make column and
q half OF The Times should amply c0vel
everything necessary TO include in a Presi-
dental message.
Referring DO the vital portions Of rhi.
message. It would bs difficult 10 say too
much in praise of the stand taken by the
President IN regard TO Cuba. He ac-
knowledge, as all true and honest Ameri-
cans do. that we are under solemn and
binding obligations TO the people Of Cu0a
10 give them the blessings Of a stabI,
government and. after the safe establish
ment OF the same. 10 allow them the full
exercise of internal independence. But
the message does not hold out any ides
that this nation VIII ignore its obligation.
70 civilization OF lose sight OF what lt oge.
10 itself by turning loose a half baked
State 10 tall into the anarchy that mark.
countries like Haiti and 10 which stat,
Il certainly would be doomed if now Of