The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-10

head and ears in dcb; but judged by purely polit-
Cal standard what better test or the capacity vi sos
ernlng can be suggestedf All bad governnsS,na, I
Mr.. Carlyle remarks In his diagnosis OF lhe rlen 1
,oeak minister is corruption and corruption means
increased expenditure and increased eApon nss nS
means repeated er as and
extravaganza has the same ut w recb.
as corruption. The madness on % profusion
is another form of the same disease. whenever
way we regard the position OF nIn aiuta,n h,s
nlaced In q minority is resolved 10 maintain HIS
ppnst,or ~ al, hazards we are forced to the conclu
sion that the country must suher io rs ,,,ar "a.
IL ia almost necessary consequence that when we
nnd " the estimates continuously increasing and
surplus converted year after year INTO ueaclency
we should conclude ina. tae asno 10 c9resss nr
EVERYTHING except maintaining hss supremacy as
| minister. 1T, =. ,.or IN ax.r,,rat,or that thu
liberal administration bequeathed to their success
sors an expenditure In process OF reduction and that
NJ r cdnSer Yearly decrease into yearly addition
10 the national charge In 1852 our expenditure for
everything except public debt was little more than
f43 600 coo. This Is fact which should be kept in
mind. II is not by any means the minimum attained
by the late government but 1t Is useful standard OF
comparison for subsequent years. Consider what fol-
lowed. The next year saw q reduction, and the
next year and the next They were the years during
which Mr.. Gladstone was at the financial helm, and
the facts cannot be disputed. A gross optional
expenditure OF 900 in 1852 fell to f4O 600
In 1858 was brought down to 600 In 1894 and
"
more than three millions-of aS, 800, OO0-in three
years. This does not exhibit the full extent Of our
national progress As each year brought forth q
surplus there was each year reduction In the form
Of an abolition OF taxation, and in the process Of
reduction account was taken OF possible increase
in tho several branches OF income and remission
effected accordingly Thus 1t happens that the taxes
RENTED exceeded the apparent amount OF the reduc-
ton OF expenditure The SURPRISES secured were
applied towards the reduction OF the national debt;
the prospective and greater SURPRISES were applied in
the remission oftaxaon. In 1904 the balance OF tax
AL I'M i.i5 ha1
$685. 0OO In 1866 it was s5 $4,000 In 1861
it was 100000 In the1our years we have total or
Ella COO leu But in 1ssS7 the scale was turned
The conservative Ministry came into power and the
balance was at once thrown the other way we are
now only stating facts; we VIII consider presently
the apology presented for them but what are the
facts2 In three years the optional expenditure has
grown, says Mr.. Childers, from $50, 900 to
f43 1850 900. The elasticity Of the revenue has gone
ana the expenditure has Increased. Eoe'y item or
charge has been s,noen we hare had 10 pSy more q,
nary. We have had in stu greater proportion
to pay more FOR the ctotl services The uey CHARGES
expenditure falling below the yearly estimates we
have had to reconcile ourselves to the unpleasant
fact Of yearly % Fop r
duction OF taxation we have to submit to an in
crease. Instead OF a redundant exchequer we are
forced to contemplate impoverished balances.
We have no wish to exaggerate single charge
against the present administration. II is unfortunate
for Mr. Disraeli that he has no sctO can sag
sensible acord in his behalf His apologists are
jealous enough but they appear to be deficient in the
habits OF exactness. They are forced to resort to
fargone years. They unable to detect the grossest
OF the accusers Of the Minstry-pay not even
the misprints OF their charges We are disposed to
be the more Jealous IN stating all that is to be SAID
on behalf OF the administration. They came into
Office ut critical time. The summer OF 1858 was not
only slgnazed by change of government but by the
occurrence OF financial crisis graver in It's consequent
ces than any which had happened for forty years.
So much for domestic policy. But the event OF Sa-
dOwa was also imperative In directing our attention
to the armament OF troops. In this way 1t beell
that conservative administration succeeded TO Office
when the commerce Of the country had received q
most severe blow, and when i was proved to be
I'm maintaining our preparations for defence.
The Abyssnian expedition came on the back OF this,
but this additional circumstance Is SO much thing
apart that have neglected to include 1t in any OF
our comparisons. IL Is plain that Mr.. Dsraeli might
make a show OF defence when arraigned on charge
OF "bloated expenditures 1t would be O mere
show. The gravamen of'the accusation Ia, not that
the conservative government has converted the
small OF the army into breech-leaderS or that
they have-as they have not--reinforced our shores
with stock OF turret ships. These things they might
have done but the truth Ii they have left all other
things undone. The repressive hand has been felt
nowhere. Instead OF dragon OF economy with
lidless eyes guarding the eXchequey there has been
watchdog snoring hard BY command. Ertrauagance
House OF Commons all the arts OF manage
ment have been spent in concatng one after
department of the administration been charged
to be indulgent to the demands OF irresponsible
advisers. And what Is the answer TO oil thisy II Is
SO ludicrous that II may be left In all Its simplicity to
amuse the world. The conservative government, 1t
Is confessed, have not proved themselves e1cient
1Ss sy are nUM on thew se had
reputation to gain In view OF the coming elections
they were lavish. Let them be supported by ma
trnly economical. This promise needs no comment.
When November comes we shall see whether the
cynical estimate Of national sagacy involved In it's
justified by the results.