THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. President Arthur's message is an able document, written in good style and will prove interesting to all who may peruse it. Owing to its length the RECORD gives brief abstracts of the manner in which minor questions are treated but on the leading sub-jects of the day we print his recommenda-tions in full. With respect to the excise taxes he favors the abolition of all save those on distilled spirits and says a portion at least of our surplus revenues might be ap-plied to rehabilitating our navy and coast defences. On the question of the National Currency the President endorses one of two courses, suggested for averting a threatened contraction of the currency. He favors the enactment of a law repealing the tax on circulation and per-mitting banks to issue notes for an amount equal to 90 per cent. of the market value in-stead of as now the face value of their de-posited bonds. The trade dollar should not be longer permitted to embarrass our cur-rency, and the President recommends that the Treasury should receive them as bullion at a small percentage above the current market price of silver. Attention is again called to the weakness of our coast defenses and the belief is expressed that encourage-ment of State militia organizations by the National Government would be followed by very gratifying results.
In reviewing the Postmaster General's report the President says he is confident that a reduction to one cent on local letters might safely be made. In regard to postal tele-graphy the President's views have not changed since he dissented last year from the recommendation of the Postmaster Gen-eral that the government assume the same control over the telegraph that it has over the mail. After reviewing the various schemes that have been proposed, however, he avows his belief that the government should be authorized by law to exercise some sort of supervision over inter-state telegraphic communication, and hopes that Congress may devise some measure to attain that end.
In referring to the Mormons he says that recent efforts for the suppression of polyga-my in Utah have been practically useless, and is convinced that polygamy has become so strongly entrenched there that it is profit-less to attack it with any but the stoutest constitutional measures. The President therefore favors the repeal of the act upon which the existing government depends, the assumption by Congress of the entire politi-cal control of the territory and the establish-ment of a commission with such powers duties as shall be delegated to it by law. The establishment of a civil government for Alaska is recommended. The message dis-cusses the complaints against carrying com-panies, states that people must be protected in their interstate traffic and says the question of how far National government can go in controlling such traffic is worthy of consider-ation. The President renews his recom-mendation that the Executive be empowered o veto objectionable portions of laws passed. He concludes his message by referring to the recent Supreme Court decision on the Civil Rights bill, and by saying that any law to supplement the guarantees afforded colored people in the Fourteenth Amendment will receive his unhesitating approval.
The message, as a whole, will be consider-ed a good strong State paper and will further tend to strengthen the belief that President Arthur is a very capable Ex-ecutive, and that the affairs of the nation, so far as they are entrusted to the care of a President, are quite safe in his hands. He is not a brilliant officer given to dramatic climaxes and sensational acts, but on the contrary is cool headed, deliberate and fully alive to the best interests of the people. His second message manifests the wis-dom derived from a second years experience in the White House. With all the machinery of the government at his command and being constantly sur-rounded with associations which of necessity must be invaluable, he is able to speak of public measures intelligently. His reference to the telegraph, civil service reform, the timber lands and the necessity for additional power to veto appropriations unjust to the people, all show how well he has improved his time and with what rare judgment he is endowed. We repeat that the people will read his letter with both pleasure and profit, and we opine they will ever cherish for him sentiments of the highest regard, no matter in what position, public or private, he may occupy for the rest of his natural life.
