The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-03

word IN the Message is contained in the
section devoted to ne subsidy job On this
subject there IS M doubt about what the
President wants He says: In again
urging immediate action by the Congress
on measures TO promote American shipping
and foreign trade. I direct attention to the
recommendations on the subject in previous
messages" These do not disclose the in
wRrdness Of the Hanna scheme, the mo-
nopolistic. and IGoting tendencies Of which
are too well known to reed discussion here
The Message has a few words on the trusts
which might as well have been left out as
without practical value or meaning. uni
formity Of legislation among the States on
the subject OF trusts is Mr. MeKinley's
specific for he disease. to which Congress
might add little cold cream, if it win be
careful to keep safely within its constitu-
tional rights and authority.
\ generous portion of the Messa &c
is given up TO a history in detail of the
Philippine War, y the Taft Executive
Commission now governing the ArchipeI-
ago, or as much of it as is occupied by
our forces. and the various movements on
the part OF the Administration to settle
property troubles in Luzon, to induce the
natives TO accept American sovereignty
through negotiations, an amnesty procla
ma ton, and so Oh. Porto Rico is dismiss
ed with a few words, and without mention
being made of The serious institutional
changes in that and other islands which
hang upon the decision of the Supreme
Court soon TO be made But just a year
ago, Mr.. Mckinley dealt with Porto Rico
fully in his plain Duty" Message of De-
cember. 1899, so his silence this time is
not surpris ing 1t would have been of in
terest, however, if he had given US a few
additional facts on the economic desola-
ton of Porto Rico under the crude and
unconstitutional imposition of a foreign
tariff on domestic trade. Some new light
on the exploitation and loot Of the island
in Inc form of VARIABLE concessions grant
ed by the caTpetbag council would have
been welcome.
The only other matter in the Message
which need engage our attention this even
ing is the section in which the President
discusses Army reorganization. He en-
dorses and adopts the views Of Secretary
Root in this connection. On the staff
question he says Il favor the recommen-
dation of the Secretary of War for the DE-
tail Of officers from the Army when va
caneies occur in the Adjutant Generals,
Inspector Generals, QUartermaster's Sub
sistcnce. Pay, and Ordnance departments,
and the Signal Corps. As our readers
are already familiar with the details Of
the Root bill, recommended by the Fresi-
dent, we need not pursue The subject
Like all of Mr. McKinley-s state papers.
his Message this year loses in value and
effect by its diTusiveness, and the eIab-
Grafton of negligible at the expense OF
things intrinsicaIIy of major Importance.
He is a Chief Magistrate whose Messages
are seldom read b. the public. because Of
their length If he would condense the
really important paragraphs-the argu-
ments and recommendations-an use his
secondary matter as an appendix, the re-
suit would be much better. We must add
that the document under consideration
bears many polished evidences Of the
great care that has been bestowed upon it
to render its periods smooth and unexcit-
ing 10 the nerves.