Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-06

4
WILMINGTON, THURSDAY, DEC. o.
The Presidents Message.
Elsewhere in this issue we print the
full text of President McKinley's an-
nual message, which was read in both
houses Immediately after the opening
of the second session of the Fifty sixth
Congress, at Washington, Monday after
noon.
In the main, the message Is review
OF the occurrences of the year--a re-
cital of the facts Of history. The most
important subjects treated are the
troubles in China and the situation in
the Philippines. With regard to the
former, the tone Of the message is COM
mendable. The President does not join
in the bloodthirsty clamor for life and
treasure as reprisas for the damage |
inflicted by the revolution, but suggests |
that "due compensation may be made
in part by increased guarantees of Sc
curity for foreign rights and immuni-
ties" and by the "opening of China
to the equal commerce of all the
world He favorably inclines to Rus
sia's suggestion that the matter OF in
IDENTITIES be RELOCATED to the Court of
Arbitration at The Hague. In this
treatment of the Chinese question, the
President will not please the hot
headed advocates of war and blood
shed, but his views will meet with the
APPROPRIATION of the real, solid senti-
ment of the country.
With respect to the Philippine stu.
alton, the President seems inclined to
throw the burden of the solution upon
Congress, without recommending any
detailed elan of action. He reviews the
events of the past year in the Philip
pines, and Processes to be pleased at the
favorable progress" towards the paci-
fication of the islands. He again calls
the Filipinos the wards OF the
Nation" and says it is our duty to
treat them so that ''our flag may be no
less beloved in the mountains OF Luzon
and the fertile zones of Mindanoa and
Negroes than it is at home; and that
there, as here, it shall be this revered
symbol of liberty, enlightenment, and
ploBiNbF ~ pfoit h'SbaS - NN'StSP
ment.'' What a hollow mockeiy these
words are How can our flag ever he
reyered rs "symbol of liberty" by =
people to whom it is an emblem of out
rage aud oppression, AMI who SET
from under its folds the flashes of thu
gurs that shoot them down because
they dare to stand up and fight for tn
nf lthnrtx nd Golf
ernmeut for themselves that is enjoyed
by the people of the United States
whom that flag is made to so sadl.
misiepresent.
With respect to financial matters, tn
President recommends that Congress
..provide whatever further legislatio
is needed to insure the continue
parity, under all conditions, betwee
our two forms OF metallic money, silve
and golu." Evidently, the old love
still strong, though slumbering, an
Mr.. Mckinley cannot forget his 8,
llcitude for the interests Of the viii
metal. The President recommends
reduction of tho war taxes to tho oxtel
OF $50, 600, 600 per year, in view OF Il
existing treasury surplus.
President Mckinley treats the que
ion of trusts very gingerly, and ADM
heir existence, Notwithstanding tn
Mark Hanna SO positively declared tn
there ia no.such thing as a trust.
He repeats the mild language of
last message, that restraints up
such combinations as are injuriot
Il. 11as1z
diction, should be properly applied
the Congress " How the trust mt
mates will smile at this.
BY reason Of the new possessions,
need of coast defences, and new ar
posts, the President is convinced Il
we will require an army Of at le
10000 men, and he holds that dur,
the present conditions in Cuba aud
Philippines force of 100, GOO n
will be necessary. He also wants 7
mission to raise force of 1000 nat
troops III the philippines. How mi
better it would have been had
President recommended steLs 10 6
the war in the Philippines, and t
remove the last pretext for any incrt
III OUR army
The concluding recommendation
the President TO the effect that
travagance in expenditures and APP
Eriations be avoided, are timely
pertinent. But, in view OF exis
conditions, there is a touch of il
in his final iniunction LET us alv
keep in mind that the foundation
government is liberty; it's sur
tructure peace"
1t would be far better if Presi
Mckinley would make this injunc
effective by the acts Of his admin:
tion.
Oscar l.. Booz, the young cadet "
fatal illness, according to his $
ments, was due 90 the hazing
oeived at West Point, when toll
sauce was poured down his throat
red pepper thrown into his eyes,
in grant ayonv at his horna in Ri