The President's Message Has Been

submitted to congress and has been pretty thoroughly discussed throughout the length and breath of the land. We believe that a fair study of the document must commend it to the people. President Cleveland has avoided the two extremes of the needless assertion of our national dignity on one side, or a criminal lack of honor on the other. In other words, he has been neither a jingo nor mugwump. The two most interesting topics of the message are the Cufoan and the Yenezuelan questions. ün the Cuban question, President Cleveland takes the ground that the United States must have the best of reasons before interfering with the. internal affairs of a friendly nation. The necessary grounds he does not beIfeve cxist in Cuba. The Cuban insurgents have effected no government which assumes jurisdiction over tefritory nor enforces its own laws. Ile holds, however, that Spain must not go to the length of destroying the island, and that even without the grounds above stated, the United States might interfere for the preservation of the land. On the Venezuelan question, he announces a settlement that is in every way a credit to the nation. The il onroe Doctrine and the rihts of the United States govermnent under it, have, in effect, been recognizedby Great Britain, and the question at issue in this particular case submitted to arbitration. On the questions of flnance and the tariff, President Cleveland simply reiterates his well known views, and they will be approved or disapproved according to the ideas of the reader. The message, as a whole, is certainly an able and dignified state paper. A gentleman of our acquaintance while in the city recently, remarked that when he carne here to school some eight or ten years ago, the streets of this city were excellent, and as soon as dry af ter a rain, became hard and smooth- a delight to those driving or wheeling. Today, a slight rain makes them a sea of mud, and when dry they are a cloud of dust before every wind. Certain it is that our streets are not in near so good shape as they were flve years ago, and it is time that a halt was called, and the hundreds of dollars that are being spent on them each year, not thrown away. Tuk Demoorat has flimly resolved that it wil! not be a continual faitlt finder, but it certainly cannot refrain from expressing the hope that we niay have a change in the manner of building our streets, and that in the not far distant future. AVe doubt if there is another city of its size in Michigan that has so poora main street as Ann A'rbor and the other streets are little behind it. It is a wonder that the business men on Main street have not risen in their wrath long ago, for Main street certainly Bhould be paved from one end to the other of the business portion. Fimday last ïiie Democeat suggested the propriety of looking out for conveutions, in order to induce them to convene in Ann Arbor. Saturday the Detroit Journal stated that the estimated attendance on conventions in Detroit next year would be 100,000 and the ainount of money spent by them not less then $1,000,000. The Detroit convention league secured 1" meeting during the past year, and hac been instrumental in securing 52 for next year, live for 18SI8, and one for 1899. The lengue has been in existence about eight months. Proportionally great results ought certainly to be secure 1 for Ann Arbor. The expense of the work is smal!. Detroit's league having expended only 500 in eight months. They propose to publish a book called "The Convention City." It is to be hoped that some of the leaders in business circles will take an interest in this matter and urge some coneertecl aetion tor the city's benefit. i The statement with reference to withdrawal of tickets for the May Festival f rom sale in this city, and sending some of the seats out to other Michigan points, which is contained in another column, suggests to us the propriety of doing this anyhow. Strictly Bpeaking this is not an Ann Arbor aftair. Xot alone for the benefit it would be in bringing others here, but also because a great inany members of the chorus f rom territory where their friends would like to come and hear them sing, and be ;iuse tliis is a state institution around which the musical society centers, we would advise the consideraron of outsiders in the arrangement for tickets. Many of them would be glad to pay even higher prices than are charged to be assured the privilege of hearing these concerts, and it would be no more than fair to reserve a reasonable proportion of the seats for outside Sale' BBOTHBR Liesemer, of the Times, for a man who rides a wheel himself, certainly has grasped as little of the intentions of the bicyclers with reference to wheeling paths and roads, as could well be done. If he would join the Bicycle Club recently formed and attend one or two of the meetings, he would realize that the wheelmen, instead of asking the tax-payers and farmers to go down into their pockets to furnish accommodations for them, are proposing to go down into their own pockets and do that whrch will be a decided benefit to the farmers. His question as to who will bear the expense, need give him no fears, as that expense certainly will not be shouldered by the wheelmen upon anyone receiving no benefit from it.