Congress met on Monday, and on Tuesday President Cleveland sent
to it a Message which "amazed and delighted both enemies and friends." In other words, instead of endeavouring to say what would" divide" American citizens "least," be said exactly what he thought, in the boldest and plainest language, on the subject of the tariff, and told the people what it was good for them to hear. We shall look with great curiosity to see whether the American people really like candour and plain-speaking best, or whether they prefer the Presidents who endeavour to hit the exact lino "between wind and water." President Cleveland plunged at once into the financial question, and touched no other. The revenue was a great deal more than the Government needed, and every year the unemployed surplus grew larger. It was not possible to pay off debt with it, because all the debt which could be at present redeemed at par had been so redeemed, and the only available coarse would be to buy American Bonds in the market at a premium, and at a premium which would imme- diately be forced up to an artificial height, if the Treasury were known to be competing for these Bonds. Yet, by June 30th next, and within four years, $140,000,000 (between 27 and 28 millions sterling) would have been accumulated in the Treasury for which the Government had no manner of use, though the people sorely needed that of which they had been thus unneces- sarily deprived. This the President termed "an indefensible extortion, and a culpable betrayal of American fairness and justice."
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