The President's Message

The Register printed the message in full last week, but lack of space preTented comment on the subject. Although disguised, the message is praetically a free trade document. The logical conclusión of all the president's rpasoningisthatin his opinión absolute free trade is the best thing for this country. He concedes, for the evident purpose of uniting his party, that in reducing the tariff we 6hould have the protection of our industries in view. It was a political necessity of couree, although a logical inconsistency. Will it succeed in accomplishing the president' purpose, which evidently is to rally his party about an idea? Assured of a renomination as he seems to be, he probably thiuks that it is possible to assume a strong rein over the factions of his party and drive the unmatched and balky steeds. It must be conceded by all that continued piling up of a large amount of inoney by the government is not defensible. The president is right there. But is it necessary, as he claims, to reduce the revenue in order to avoid the danger of a vast surplus? We think that a wiser statesmanship would declare that there is no surplus of revenue, in its true senee, so long as the government is in debt. It is not true that the Tevenue is too large if all that is raised is needed to pay the public debt. If the TTnited States bonds were now npidly falling due, there would be no bottom to President Cleveland's message; there would be no excuse whatever for a reduction of tbe revenue. As has been pointed out in The Registek, there is danger in reducing the revenue while the debt remains. The Republicana, therefore, can consistently oppose the democratie party should it be united on President Cleveland's idea. It is said that Senator Allison, of Iowa, has a plan of using the 8O-called treasury surplus towards the economical payment of the public debt, although the bonds cannot be paid for some time without tha consent of their holders. Prof. Adams of the University has extended that idea in his article in the Forum for December. It is impos3ible to believe that the legislative ingenuity of congress is not capable of finding a way of applying the annual surplus revenue towards the payment of the public debt in a way advantageous to the government. Should the president succeed in uniting his party on the cry of revenue reduction, he and his advisers would certainly have to be accorded considerable credit in the way of political leadership, though not statesmanship. It would be a surprise if he has effected any arrangement with Mr. Randall to quiet that staunch protectionist. It is a desperate attempt of the democratie leaders to give the old party a great idea to flght for, which it hasn't had in a long time ; and if it fail, the democratie party will be on its last lega for a national "issue." But they can raise a million and a half to bring out a big vote in New York city, which may decide the presidential election, and they will do it if the Republican legislature of New York does not provide a new election law adapted to the condition of affairs in that state.