Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-06
Our National Indebteduess

No one need be surprised II hereafter the
monthly statement of the public debt should
occasionally show a balance on the wrong side
During the last fiscal year there were many extra
ordinary expenses, such for instance as 500 900
for soldiers bountIcs, 600 600 Tor the improve
ment OF rivers and harbOrs and the building of
Notifications, large sums for costly public build
ings in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
elsewhere, Sc. These expenditures of course
affect the public deot since the latter is paid by
the surplus of revenues Of all kinds. The reduc-
ton of taxation to the extent Of So 600 900 in one
year diminshes the revenue very materially.
and ii il i considered desirable to continue to
pay OF the public debt at the rate of 100 100000
annually, as has been done during the pres
ent administration, it is absolutely necessary
that Congress should exercise the greatest econ
omy in the matter of public expenditures
1t ID charged by some that the Indian service
and tie War and Navy departments absorb
more than their share of the public funds, and
that ii the two departments named were con-
Quoted a. economically a. the civil departments
OF the government, there would be no difficulty,
Is steadily and materially reducing the national
debt 1t is hardly fair to expect this, however.
The expenditures of the War department last
year were about s36, 900 ,OOo 1t is true that the
sums before mentioned as paid for soldiers
bounties, and for the Improvements of rivers,
&C., though charged to the War department ara
not in reality legitimately chargeable 10 that
establishment, but deducting the aggregate of
these sums and We have about s24, 900, 900 for
which that department is properly accountable.
As there were about "A 900 men in the army
during the year, this would make the average
cost OF their maintenance ~, 900 each, which
shows that military establishment is more
expensive, in proportion to its magnitude, than
any other in the world. The army of Prussia
costs at the rate of about 800 per man annual
ly, and that of Russia about $40. But the
armies of Europe, it must be remembered, are
organized and supported on a starvation basis
The rate of pay Is much lower and subsistence
much cheaper than here, where our soldiers re-
ceiye more pay and better clothing and ratiOns
than those OF any army in the world. Besides
the expenses OF our war establishment are con-
siderably increased by the transportation not
only of men but Of supplies thousands of miles
across the continent, by campaigns against hos
tile Indians, SC.
10 Is of course an open question whether it is
the Part OF wisdom to continue to tax the people
10 pay of the national debt or whether Congress
should ''giye Us a rest" and throw our pecu-
gary responsibilities upon future generations
Il must be confessed that the majority OF the
I,Ople seem to hold that they have done their
si.are towards reducing the debt, and that, as
u war through which il was incurred was
V,ged in the interest not only of the present but
e. iature generations the latter should be re-
red 10 assume a fair share Of the uufulflled
7 : of our obligations.