Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1897 — PRESIDENT KEEPS MESSAGE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRESIDENT KEEPS MESSAGE.

President McKinley's first annual message was read before both houses of Congress at noon Monday. He congratulated Congress upon assembling under felicitous conditions. Peace and good will with all the nations of the earth continue unbroken, he says, and we should feel genuine satisfaction at the growing spirit of fraternal regard and unification in all sections of our country and the lifting of great public questions above party prejudice. Beginning with the subject of the finances the President says that while the full effect of the legislation of the extra session has not yet been realized what it has already accomplished assures us of its timeliness and wisdom. To test its permanent value further time will be required and the people, satisfied with its operation and results thus far, are in no mind to withhold from it a fair trial. The next question pressing for consideration is that of the currency. With the great resources of the Government and with the honorable example of the past before us, we ought not to hesitate to enter upon a currency revision which will make out demand obligation less onerous to the Government and relieve our financial laws from ambiguity and doubt. The evil of the present system is found in the great cost to the Government of maintaining at a parity with gold our different forms of money and the experience of the past four years has demonstrated that this is not only an expensive charge upon the Government, but a dangerous menace to the national credit. It is manifest that we must devise some plan to protect the Government against bond issues for repeated redemptions. We have nine hundred millions of currency which the Government, by solemn enactment, has undertaken to keep at par, nnd nobody is obliged to redeem in gold but the Government, which must borrow the gold. Redemption of Treasury Notes. The law which requires payment out of the treasury of unredeemed United States notes demands a constant replenishment of the gold reserve, especially in times of panic and insufficient revenue and during the preceeding administration $202,315,400 4 x /2 per cent, bonds were issued and sold to sustain the gold reserve and pay the expenses of the Government in excess of revenue. While it is true that a greater part of this is used to supply deficient revenues, a considerable portion was required to maintain the gold reserve. If no further legislation is to be liad to correct this aud the policy of selling bonds is to be continued, then Congress should give the Secretary of the Treasury authority to sell bonds at long or short periods, bearing a less rate of Interest than is now authorized by law. The President says: “I earnestly recommend as soon as the receipts of the Government are quite sufficient to pay all the expenses of the Government that when any United States uetes are presented for redemption in gold and are redeemable in gold, such notes shall be kept and set apart nnd only paid out in exchange for gold. This is an obvious duty; if the holder of the United States note prefers the gold nnd gets it from the Government he should not receive from the Government a United States note without paying gold in exchange for it.” 'Bhat amounts, to the President’s mind, to giving an in-terest-bearing debt, a Government bond, for a non-interest-bearing debt, a United States note. The Government should be relieved from the burden of providing all the gold required for exchange, and exports. This ought to be stopped. With an era of prosperity and sufficient receipts we may feel no immediate embarrassment, but the danger will be ever present. The President invites careful consideration for the detail plan of the Secretary of the Treasury to protect the gold reserve. He concurs with him in the recommendation that national banks be allowed to issue notes to the face value of their bonds deposited; that the circulating tax be reduced to one-half of 1 per cent., and that national banks may be established with a capital of $25,000. He also recommends that the issue of national bank notes be restricted to the denomination of $lO and upwards, and that they be required to redeem their notes in goid. The Cuban Question. Turning to foreign affairs the President devotes much space in his message to a consideration of the Cuban question, which he says is the most important problem with which our Government is now called upon to deal in its foreign relations. Summarizing the history of the former outbreaks, the President comes down to the present insurrection. Speaking of its remarkable increase, its tenacious existence against enormous forces massed by Spain, the widespread destruction of property and the disregard of the civilized code of war on both sides, he says these conditions give rise to gravest apprehensions. There is no desire on our part to profit by Spain’s misfortunes, and we have only the desire to see the Cubans enjoying that measure of selfcontrol which is the inalienable right of man. Of the concentration policy of Weyler he says: “It has utterly failed as a war measure. It is not civilized warfare—it is extermination.” Against this abuse of the rights of war the President says he lias felt constrained on repeated occasions to enter the firm and honest protest of this Government. He outlines his instructions to Minister Woodford, which were in substance to impress upon the Spanish Government the sincere wish of the United States to lend its aid toward the ending of the war by reaching a peaceful and lasting result, just and honorable to Spain and to the Quban people. It was also asked whether Spain of her own volition should not. make proposals for settlement, 1 and it was said that he could not contemplate an indefinite period for the accomplishment of this result. The Spanish reply to Mr. Woodford was. in the President’s opinion, in the direction of a better understanding. It admitted our friendly purposes and deep interest, and declared that the new government was bound to a change of policy that should satisfy the United States and.pacify Cuba within a reasonable time. To this end political reforms will be put into effect and military operations conducted oh humane lint's. It was suggested that Spain be left free to conduct military operations and grant political reforms, while the United States, for its part, enforce utsutrai obli-

gations and cut off the assistance which the insurgents, it was asserted, received from this country. Early and complete pacification is hope! for. Spain's Charge Is Baseless, • iF j? President declares that the Spanish disposition to charge u« with failure to meet international duties is baseless, and points to the efforts this government nave made at the cost of millions, and iiy the employment of the administrative machinery of the nation to perform its He also says that the fact no military expedition or armed vessel has left our shores has been diplomatically represented to Spain. Premising that throughout all the horror and danger to our own peace, the United States has never abrogated its right to determine its policy as to Cuba, the President points out that of untried measures there remains only: Recognition of the insurgents as belligerents, recognition of the independence of Cuba, neutral intervention to end the war by imposing a rational compromise between the contestants, an intervention hi favor of one or the other party. He says: “I speak not of forcible annexation, for that cannot lie thought of. That, by our code of morality, would be criminal aggression.” taking up the question of belligerency, the 1 resident quotes at length from President Grant’s message of December 7, wherein he declared that the conditions in Cuba warranted neither the recognition of independence nor the recognition of belligerency. He adds that moreover a recognition of belligerency would confer upon neither party to the conflict a status not theretofore actually possessed, while it would weigh heavily in Spain’s tiehalf. giving her the right of search on the high seas and extending her maritime rights to the margin of our territorial waters. T eeognition Unwise. For these reasons the President regards recognition of the belligerency of the Cuban insurgents as now unwise and therefore inadmissible. Should that step hereafter he deemed wise, as a matter of right and duty, the executive will take it.” He points to the hopeful change in the Spanish policy to the pledge of reform nnd to the abatement of the horrors of war as reasons against intervention on humanitarian grounds. The first arts of the new government lie in the honorable paths it has outlined; the policy of rapine aud extermination has been reversed; broad clemencies proffered; measure have been taken to relieve the horrors-of starvation. The power of the Spanish armies, it is asserted, is to be used not to spread ruin and desolation, but to protect the resumption of agricultural industries. The President sketches the autonomy scheme of the Spanish government and says that it is honestly due to Spain fhnt she should be given a reasonable chance to realize her expectations nnd to prove the asserted efficacy of the new order of things to which she stands irrevocably committed. He points to the many concessions already made, to the modification of the horrible order of concentration, to the release of the Competitor prisoners, nnd the fact that not a single American citizen is now under arrest in Cuba. He says the near future will demonstrate whether a rigli-* toons peace is likely to be attained; if not. the exigency of further a.nd other action by the United States will remain to lie taken. Sure of the right, the government will continue its watchful cares over every American citizen, and its efforts to bring about honorable peace, and, says the President, “If it shall hereafter appear to he a duty imposed by our obligations to ourselves, to civilization and to humanity to intervene with force, it shall he without fault on our part and only because the necessity fotr such action will be so clear as to command the support and approval of the civilized world.” Hawaiian Annexation Favored. The President next takes up the subject of the annexation of Hawaii, which, he says, should be accomplished. Rapidly reviewing his former arguments in favor of annexation, he says that legislation is required in the event of the ratification of the treaty and, while abrupt assimilations of immature elements of population should ha avoided, just provision should lie made for self-rule in local matters with the largest political liberty to the Hawaiia.ns. He says that the dispute between Japan nnd Hawaii over the immigration question is now in a satisfactory stage of settlement by negotiation; that our government has not intervened, and that it is learned that Japan is now confident in the intention of this government to deal with all possible ulterior questions affecting her interests in the broadest spirit of friendliness. Central American Matters. Reference is made to the failure of Mr. Merry to be received as minister to Nicaragua on account of the obligations of that country to the Diet of the Greater Republic of Central America. As there is no legal authority at present to accredit him to the Diet, Mr. Baker, the present minister at Managua, has been directed to present his letters of recall. Mr. W. Godfrey Hunter is said to be likewise accredited to Honduras, a member of the Greater Republic, and his case is awaiting action. The Nicaragua Canal is spoken of as of large Importance to our country and the promise is made of further reference to the subject which in the report of the commission now at work is sent to Congress. The President says of the international monetary commission that, notwithstanding diligent effort tie envoys have failed so far to secure an agreement. Gratification is expressed at the action of France in this matter in joining in our efforts and It is said that the negotiations are Still pending. Meanwhile the envoys have not made their final report, believing that the doubts raised In certain quarters respecting the feasibility of maintaining parity between gold and silver may yet be solved. The President earnestly hopes that their labors may bring about an international agreement. Mr. Kasson, of lowa, is said to be now conducting negotiations with several governments for reciprocity arrangements under the tariff act, and it is believed that by a careful exercise of the powers conferred by the net, some grievances of our own and other countries in our mutual trade relations may be removed or alleviated and the volume of our commercial exchanges enlarged. The President earnestly urges the improvement of our merchant marine, the Inferiority of which, he says, is humiliating to the national pride. The Sealing Conferences. Reference is made to the recent conferences at Wishington on the subject of the protection of seal life, the result of which places beyond controversy, it is said, the duty of the government's concern to adopt measures without delay for the preservation of the herds. Negotiations to this end arenow in progress. International arbitration is declared by the President to represent the best sentiment of the civilized world nnd treaties embodying these humane principles on broad lines, without In any way imperiling our interests or honor, will have its constant encouragement. A liberal appropriation is bespoken in order that tlie United States may make a creditable exhibit at the approaching Paris exposition, in which the people have shown an unprecedented interest. Under the head of the navy, the President points to the necessity for speedy legislation -to procure armor for the three battleships now building, which would be otherwise useless. He speaks in terms of praise of the quality of our ships and thinks that the time lias now arrived when the increase to which the country is committed should for a time take the form of Increased facilities commensurate with the increase of our naval vessels. He refers to the lack of docks nnd urges that three or four of the largest docks be provided on the Atlantic, at least one on the Pacific coast and a floating dock in the Gulf. There should also be ample provision for munitions of war and an increase of officers and enlisted men. Additions are also necessary to navy yards and, as there are now on the Htocks five large battleships, it is recommended that an appropriation be made but for one more battleship on the Pacific const. Several torpedo boats are also necessary. Legislation for Alaska. Attention is called to the need for prompt legislation ns to Alaska aud the extension of civil authority within the territory. There is need for surveys nnd for the establishment c f another land oifice at some point In' the Yukon vaUej, tor wUkk m appropriation U

asked. Military force 1* also necessary and the establishment of some flexible government. If the startling reports as to the probable shortage of food for the miners be folly verified, every effort should be made at any cost to carry them relief. The message deals at some length with the unsatisfactory condition of affairs in the Indian Territory. The large white element la said to be without protection and without schools or other rights of citizens; leading Indians have absorbed great tracts of lands and created an aristocracy, and the friends of the Indians believe that the best interests of the five civilized tribes would be found In American citizenship. Reference is made to the fallnre so far of the Dawes commission to secure the consent of the tribes to an extinguishment of the tribal titles and a division of the lands. It Is said that should the tribes still fail to ratify the agreement then some legislation should be had by Congress. The President approves the recommendation of the Secretary of the Treasury for an extension of the quarantine laws and also suggests the appointment of a special commission to ascertain the cause of yellow fever. Speaking of the pending sale of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. It is said that if no better bid is received than the upset pries fixed by the court, the government would receive only $2,500,000 on its claim of nearly $13,000,000. He believes that the government has the authority to bid on the road and has directed the Secretary of the Treasury to make the deposit of $900,000 required to qualify as a bidder and to bid at the sale a sum at least equal to the principal of the debt to the government. He suggests, however, that in a matter so important as the government becoming a possible owner of the railroad, Congress should enact some legislation to define iti views. It is clear to him, however, that the government should not permit the property to be sold at a price less than one-half the principal of its debt} and less than one-fifth of its entire debt, principal and interest. Improvement of the Civil Service. The President devotes the last chapter of his message to the civil service, the prac-1 tical Improvement of which, he says, has long been a subject of earnest discussion, and which has of late years received increased legislative and executive approval. During the past few months the service has been placed upon a still firmer basis of business methods nnd personal merit. While the right of deserving veteran soldiers to reinstatement has been asserted, dismissals for merely political reasons have been carefully guarded against; the examinations improved and made practical and a distinct advance has been made by giving a hearing before dismissal upon all eases where Incompetency is charged or demand made for the removal of officials. This last has been done without Impairing the power of removal, one of the vital safeguards of the system. Much rema'ns to be done before the system can be perfected, and the President says that he shall not hesitate to exempt oases which he thinks have been improperly included in the clasifled service or include those which In big judgment will best promote the public sendee. The system has the approval of the people and it will be his endeavor to uphold and extend it. In conclusion, the President admonishes Congress not to encourage the Increase of the estimates for the maintenance of the government. They would admit of decrease in many branches and It is a commanding duty to keep the appropriations within the receipts of the government and thus avoid a deficit.