Fergus County argus., 1900-12-12
REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR
President McKinIey's Annual Message to Congress
Deals Largely With the Chinese Complica-
ton, the Philippines and With
Immediate Necessities.

exact exemplary and deterrent pun
ishment Of the responsible authors
and abettors Of the criminal acts
whereby we and other nations have
suffered grievous injury" Reference
is then made to the presidents mes
sage to the Chinese emperor under
date OF October Is, The president
says that he regards as one of the es-
sentlal factors of durable adjust
ment the securement Of adequate
guarantees for liberty and faith, since
in security of those natives who may
embrace alien creeds Is n scarcely less
ASSAULT upon the rights OF foreign
worship and teaching than would be
the direct invasion thereof. The mat
ter OF indemnity for our wronged cit
izens il next touched upon, which,
the president says, Is of grave con-
cern. Measured in money alone, he
continues, a sufficient reparation may
prove beyond the ability of China to
meet. All the powers concurring In
emphatic disclaimers OF any purpose
OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT through the dis
memberment Of the empire, the presi-
dent Is disposed to think that due
compensation may be made in part
by increased guarantees of security
OF foreign right and immunities, and
most important of all, by the open
ing OF China to the equal commerce
of the world. "These views have
been and will he earnestly advocated
! by our representatives" he says.
Next reference Is made to the Russian
proposition OF arbitration in the
event oi protracted divergence OF
views in regard to indcmnities. To
this the president says he is inclined
to give favorable consideration, be.
| lieving that the high court at The
Hague could not fail To reach Il sulu.
tion no less conducive to the stability
and enlarged prosperity of China it.
self than immediate beneficial to the
powers.
The boundary dispute with Canada
is dwclt uponeXtenSiveiy. I he modus
vivendi Is described as a makeshlft
(which should not be suffered to de,
lay the speedy and complete estah
lishmcnt of the frontier we are en-
titled to under the Russo-America1
treaty for the cession of Alaska" In
this relation the president refers to
the need of definitely marking the
Alaskan boundary where it follows
the one-hundredth and forty-first
meridian.
The success Oi the convention fol
the pacific settlement tofinternatiuna
disputes by arbitration is made II
subject In the message. The Nicara
guam canal Is also touched upon and
to the senate Is commended the con
vention with Great Britain to facilatt
the construction of such canal and
to remove any objection which might
arise out of the convention called the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty.
Attention Is called to the surplus
revenue for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1900 and the deficits that
formerly existed. The expenses o
the government were materially re
duced during the past fiscal year. III
will be the duty, as am sure 1t will
be the disposition OF the congress t.
provide whatever further legislation
Is needed to insure the continued par
ity under all conditions between ouI
two forms of metallic money, silver
and goid," Is the recommendation tc
financial legislation. Attention IL