Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-12
The stanaIne ArmT d Rurspe.


rsau Of the French Ministry Of Agricul-
ture, Commsros, and Public Works, re-
p1rts that in 1852, Europe being wholly
at peace, and with ne bloOdshed threaten
ing, Austria Jet kept up an army Of 4e7,-
600 men; France had small peace estsb-
lishnent of $4,000 mem Prussia msin-
tanned an army Of 214,o0O stropg; Eng
lsud had 0OOO men under arms, besides
half a million Of volunteers; and RuEsis
had ], ,OOO, 900 soldiers. Italy keeps mp
soroe Of sl4, 900 men; Turkey has 424 600;
Denmark, 10000, and Sweden $1,000. Of
the numerous smaller states each has .
considerable standing army, down to the
smallest Of all, which has q g field force"
Of sdrummer, q ffer sad three priyates.
Mr. Legoyt estimates the effective strength
Of the European armies-in time Of pro-
found peace, when Earl Russell declares
that there is nothing 70 do but to Rest
and be Thankful"-at the enormous mum
Der Of {, ,s75, ,s47 men-nesrly equal to the
whole population of the State Of New
York-nainisined, in absolute idleness, at
an annual cost to the people Of over seven
hundred millions Of dollars.
Mr.. Lsgcyt, in commenting upon these
facts, indulgss in little reflection which
is refreshing.
q NJ Iat ,,a zo-, q r,ov,ayF or,oDosa that
/ BY an understanding between the great
/ Powers, q dissrming in the proportion Of
ane.haf was effected. Immediately 1907 :
924 men, Of from twenty to thirty-hve
years Of sge, constituting the flower OF the
population Of that age, are restored to Ia
boTs Of peace, and at once q saving Of $32,
100000 is effected on the totality Of Euro
pean budgets With thst sum Europe might
add annually to the railways st present
existing G, ,250 miles, at the rate Of 10000
the kilometre; she could in single year
complete her entire network; she might
establish in every commune, and even in
each section Of the communes primary
school.
'sThese great improvements once reali.
sed, she might, IL she decided on maintain
ing the same sum in her budget, apply II
to the progressive reduction Of her public
debt. The annual interest Of the different
States being about S466, SOC, 900, and that
interest, capitalized at the average rate Of
four per cent, representing 8 espital Of
S11 800, ,00O,0 ,0O0 It might be paid of mot
calculating the compound INTEREST," in
about thirty-six years.
"If, on the contrary, the countries in
terssted preferred applying the 1920, co.,
900 thus economised 10 the reduction OF
suppression Of tho taxes which weigh
most heavily on the production or CON
sumption Of articles of necessity, what %
allevisuon to the people it would be, and
whst a stimulus would it give to business
We have said shat 1,907, 924 men in the
prime of life would be restored to the arts
Of peace. There would be also, in thai
happy event. an eflcaoious prosperity fol
Europe. In faot, calculsiiug the average
daily wages of these 100000 working
mza a tfoTlyeeats eseh, and suPpcsing that
these WAGES represent 6fth O. The vslue
profuoed, this army Of peace, henoefsrth
enrolled under the banner Of labor, would
create daily valve Of "a 900. 000, and an
annual enc Of 81 800. 900 goo
i'Tbis is notal considerable amount
Of capital, now employed in the fsbTioa-
tiaa of tie objects necessary for Tie equip
ment snd srning Of those TWO million men
would bscoms disposable, and might be ap.
9iied TO other branches, iDeonpsrsbly
more useful, Of the national industry
Lastly, the keeping at homeof two million
young men would have the certain effect
of bringing about, at least temporarily 0
notable reduction in the rates Of labor
and Of giving an impetus to production in
all its forms. Setting economical consid-
eTssIoaH aside for moment, va will sig
Haiise the adyantsge to the country Of
maintaining the taste aud habit Of lsboT
In & considerable number Of adults who
arS now condemned by garrison life tC
idlenese sRd its istsi consequences. Wa
msy also mention the interest FOR order
and public morality OF preserving tht
family bonds which are more or less brok-
en- by the sbsenes, for six or seven yesrs
oc those 2, 900, 900 so1s who are annuslly
isken from their homes by the recruit
meat"
It is to prevent just such condition al
this that the Americsn people have bser
plunged into this bloody war. Tie south
ern slsve-lords would like to imitste th'
bakers dozen plan by which Europe if
governed. This vast system BY which
men are dragoOned into Submission, viii
receive It's death blow In the triumph o
our aims.