The Aegis & Intelligencer

The President's Message.

President Cleveland's message, which was read at the assembling of Congress on Monday, like everything else from his pen, is clear, emphatic and statesmanlike. Coming as it does, at the rounding up of the one hundredth year of Congress, it contains a retrospective view of our government, and shows wherein a departure has been made from the principles and aims of the founders of the Republic. He reiterates the necessity for a reform of the unjust tariff laws and shows no sign of weakening in the position assumed by him with reference thereto.

President Cleveland may well speak boldly in favor of tariff reform, as his views on the subject were sustained by a majority of the American people, in the recent election.

He denounces the inequality of the present tariff taxation, and says:

Instead of limiting the tribute drawn from our citizens to the necessities of its economical administration, the government persists in exacting from the substance of the people millions which unapplied and useless lie dormant in its treasury. This flagrant injustice and this breach of faith and obligation add to extortion the danger attending the diversion of the currency of the country from the legitimate channels of business.

Under the same laws by which these results are produced, the government permits many millions more to be added to the cost of the living of our people and to be taken from our consumers, which unreasonably swell the profits of a small but powerful minority.

The people must still be taxed for the support of the government under the operation of tariff laws. But to the extent that the mass of our citizens are inordinately burdened beyond any useful public purpose, and for the benefit of a favored few, the government, under the pretext of an exercise of its taxing power, enters gratuitously into partnership with these favorites, to their advantage and to the injury of a vast majority of our people.

HOW FARMERS SUFFER.

Our farmers, says President Cleveland, long suffering and patient, struggling in the race of life with the hardest and most unremitting toil, will not fail to see, in spite of misrepresentations and misleading fallacies, that they are obliged to accept such prices for their products as are fixed in foreign markets where they compete with the farmers of the world; that their lands are declining in value while their debts increase; and that without compensating favor they are forced by the action of the government to pay, for the benefit of others, such enhanced prices for the things they need, that the scanty returns of their labor fail to furnish their support or leave no margin for accumulation.

THE WORKINGMAN'S DEMAND.

Our workingmen, enfranchised from all delusions, and no longer frightened by the cry that their wages are endangered by a just revision of our tariff laws, will reasonably demand through such revision steadier employment, cheaper means of living in their homes, freedom for themselves and their children from the doom of perpetual servitude, and an open door to their advancement beyond the limits of a laboring class. Others of our citizens whose comforts and expenditures are measured by moderate salaries and fixed incomes will insist upon the fairness and justice of cheapening the cost of necessaries for themselves and their families.

He also denounces the communism of capital and monopoly, which oppresses poverty and toil, which mocks the people by proposing that the government shall protect the rich and that they in turn will care for the laboring poor.

He again recommends a just and sensible revision of our tariff laws, for the relief of those of our countrymen who suffer under present conditions. He says the necessity of the reduction of our revenue is so apparent as to be generally conceded, and deprecates extravagant appropriations of public money, with all their demoralizing consequences, either as a means of relieving the treasury of its present surplus or as a pretext for continuing the present tariff.

He points out to Congress a number of things requiring attention, such as changes in our laws respecting public lands, our Indian policy, etc., to all of which the attention of Congress has already been directed.

AT PEACE WITH THE WORLD.

President Cleveland announces with satisfaction that we are at peace with the whole world, all the little matters of difference with foreign powers being in a way to be satisfactorily adjusted.

He invokes the immediate attention of Congress to the Canadian question, and refers to the dismissal of Lord Sackville, the British minister, in fitting terms.

OTHER TOPICS ADVERTED TO.

He recommends a survey of the boundaries between Alaska and Canada, and mentions the Samoan question and also the question of the preservation of our supremacy in the Hawaiian Islands. He notes the disturbances in Hayti, and says steps have been taken for the preservation of American interests in that republic. He advises a treaty of commercial reciprocity with Mexico.

A reorganization of the consular service is recommended, with fewer principal consular offices.

He suggests that Congress should provide for the government's participation in the centennial celebration at New York, on April 30, 1889, of the inauguration of Washington as President.

The revenues of the government for the year 1888 show an increase, and the expenditures show a decrease, notwithstanding an increased payment of over $5,000,000 for pensions. For that year the surplus, including the sinking fund provision of $47,000,000, was $119,612,116; for 1889 the estimated surplus is $104,000,000; for 1890, $101,232,511.

Up to December 1, 1888, the purchases of bonds with surplus funds in the treasury aggregated $94,700,400, including premiums amounting to $17,508,613. The transaction was not a good one, it is urged, for the people, as it means to them a loss—in interest on money uselessly taken out of their business—of $55,760,000.

Within twelve months, the President says, eleven efficient, modern steel men-of-war will be added to our navy. These will be paid for out of the savings of the department under the present administration.

The President notes the large increase in the business of the Postoffice Department, and his recommendation of increased compensation for the 54,874 postmasters of the fourth class will meet with the hearty approval of that number of persons, at least.

The right disposition of our public lands is an important question requiring the attention of Congress. Over 80,000,000 acres have been recovered from illegal usurpation, but new legislation is needed to give the people their own. The enactment of a general pension law is urged. The expenditure last year under this head was $82,088,386, or 31 per cent. of the total expenditure of the year.

The existence of great laxity of ideas on the subject of pensions is called to the attention of Congress and the discontinuance of vicious precedents in granting pensions for partisan and irrelevant considerations is advised. The adjustment of the relations between the government and land-grant railroads is a pressing matter. The subject, it is suggested, should be treated as a business proposition with a view to getting back the people's money.

The message closes with these words:

"As public servants we shall do our duty well if we constantly guard the rectitude of our intentions, maintain unsullied our love of country, and with unselfish purpose strive for the public good."