The Montana post., 1869-01-01
WHAT Is EcoNoMY.

ure. a tendency to rigid economy and a
determination to- retrench al unneces-
sary expenditures-those wherein the
general welfare would not be- prejudiced
by the action. But this economy
which it is proposed to adopt as a watch
word. is liable to abuse. and a system
adopted whereby in certain instances
result. There is an economy. so called,
penny wise and pound foolish" and the
4 golden mean lies ever between the two
extremes. This economy and retrench-
is glorious legend, but it should not
DO misinterpreted into short-sighted
parsimony and topping off of members
useful and necessary TO the body. 1t is
true our finances are deranged some-
what and ;he public Indebtedness is
heavy. but we are neither impoverished
or bankrupt. The~iebt. per capita, all
I told, is less than $50, only one-eighth
of the assets of the country. England's
deb. is $135 per head; Hollands 500
per head Neither of these countries
are deemed financially swamped, and
vet neither have a tithe of the resOur-
ces and undeveloped wealth of the Uni.
/ ted States. Our population is increas-
ing thirty-three per cent every ten
years In 1890 we will have double the
population we had when the war began,
and in ten years thereafter. nearly three
times as many. BY consolidating and
funding the debt in 30 year bonds at
about one halt the present rate of interS
est, which can readily be done. we will
have a largely reduced taxation and at
their maturity. the debt instead of $50
each will be less than $50 each. In
consideration Of this, and the evident
determination of Congress to adopt the
plan, ar the present session, there is no
financial crisis or impovershment immi-
nent to the country, and the economy
that should govern legislation and adj
ministration should be broad, compre-
hensive policy. stopping all unnecessa-
~ drainage for present local or individu-
al ACKNOWLEDGMENT, but fostering all
great energies and means tributary TO
the Government against the maturity
of the debt, that in their concentration
il may be extinguished.
The suggestion is now lop off appro-
priations for Pacific railroads. 1t is es-
timated the Northern road will cost the
government s.. 600. 600 for ten success
i've years. And what is the compensa>
tiou2 A military road along the entire
British American line, of continuous
utility in the transportation of troops
and supplies for frontier service, and in
case OF hostilities with Great Britain,
making the United States master of the
situation with facilities for rapid and
successful concentration at any point tor
offensive or defensive movements. Re~
nIeinberiug that when the rebellion was
costing us S3,O0OOOO per day for years,
the east and west railroad lines il they
had beea solely controlled by either ar
my would have decided the contest IN
their favor. this fact alone should deter
mine legislation in favor of the construc-
Iion of the Northern road Again we
are looking to the acquisition of terri>
tory Is il not well to develop that we
have2 The gold fields of this country,
where twenty years ago never a dollar
had been produced, now yield 500 0O00,-
600 per annum, enough to pay.t ma
tional debt in twenty-five years2 And
yet the population is wholly inadequate
TO it's development. Montana has 49,
776 square miles of territory Estimating
the population at 5000 we have four
square miles of land to every man, wo-
man and child IN il. New Hampshire
has thirty-ive people to every square
mile Montana with One-fifth that num-
ber would have .006. .432 people, and we
believe il greatly superior in climate and
fertility of soil, while in minerals il sur
passes il immeasurably. There are in
Washington, which the Northern Pa
cific railroad would develop and people
over 650,000 square miles OF territory,
as large as the entire eleven Southern
States, and fully as valuable. We are
in debt twenty-five hundred millions of
dollars TO suppress rebellion in these
States Let the government build this
NorIhern road Tor thirty millions and
fund its debt tor thirty wears, and the
Northwest States at the end OF that time
will have population Of ten millions,
and will have Increased the assets OF the
government more than it's total indebt-
edn~ss. Now we are isolated access
more difficult and more expensive than
To AustraiiA Then We would be within
easy reach of east and west. on a main