The national Republican., 1869-02-24
POLITICIANS AND STATESMEN.

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POLITICIANS AND srArRsMEN.
The energies Of O nation, whatever they
may be, are most certain to bring out the
men Of ability who are competent to grasp
the situation and control the destinies Of o
country. When the late civil war was sud-
denly thrust on the nation the development
Of military talent was slow, or seemed to be
80 under the great crisis in which the coun-
try was involved. The competent generals,
however, came in time, and their deeds arc
recorded In the annals Of q grateful people.
The development Of civil talent will be quite
as certain as has been that Of the military.
The emergencies under which the country
Ia brought financially and industrially will
be sure 10 bring before the public the states
men In contradistinction to mere party poll
ticians. The latter is nearly as useless now
as the incompetent general during the war.
We have men enough in Congress and in
the country TO devise ways aud plans for
taxing the people and collecting the reve-
nue., but We have very few who are compe.
tent to devise measures that could be en-
Client to increase the ability Of the people te
pay taxes. To this class alone belong tn,
statesmen Of the nation.
The expenditures, Union and con federate,
In the civil war, including devastation, wert
not less than eight thousand millions o
dollars. All this, II replaced at all, mus
be done through the producing industries oil
the country.
Our public Indebtedness, including the
liabilities of States and municipalities, cI-
cee1s ts, 500, 200, 900. It stands upon rates
OF interest that would make its burden on
production equivalent to the requirement Of
interest on six thousand five hundred mil
lions of the British public. debt. In addi-
tion to the payment OF interest on the public
Indebtedness comes the payment Of Govern
ment expenses for the thirty-six States and
Territories, and the expenses and appro'
priations Of the national Government. Re.
trenchmeut, however rigid and good, will not
be practicable to accomplish much. The
time has come for the national Government
to adopt a vigorous national policy to aid
production, to facilitate the development oi
our resources to make new creations ol
prosperity; In short, to increase In all prnc
ticable ways the ability of the producing in
dustries to pay taxes. We hear of no dissen
from this proposition in the abstract.
In devising the measures and combining
them to bring about the ability Of the people
to make their living and pay the vasl
amounts required from the products of toi
for Government appropriations and ex
penses, 1t will require all the ability Of the
statesmen and political economists Of tn
nation. The mere politician Is incompeten
to this task. Caucuses and convention
brought together for any purpose other tina
for conferences to deliberate over measure
to invigorate and increase production wi
be worse than useless. What Is now needle
and imperatively demanded by our cond
ton is to bring the Government into clos
affinity, affiliation and sympathy with th
producing classes. This policy and stead
cooperation between the Government an
producing industries will result in success /
the Government, success to the people, an
be attended with peace and political content
II these results can be achieved In any othe
way we call upon those who think so +
point out that way.
The British public debt in 1915, then nearl
Ave thousand millions Of dollars, has bee
reduced only about four hundred million
New wars and consequent appropriations
meet expenditures have kept 1t up, and thI
continued the public burden. Fifty-fol
years have not lessened this burden mat,
rally otherwise than by Increasing the abb
ity OF the British public to meet the Govern
ment exactions. Increase OF population
aiding production and invigorating 1t h
cheapening Its processes, has thus far ca
ried along the financial achievements
Britain. When 1t costs twice as much In go
to produce an article in the United Stat
as 1t does in Great Britain, Belgium al
other European countries, We may well CO
slider the necessity Of removing the clogs
our production, and raising up a nation
system of economies to aid our industrI
pursuits.