The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-01
From the Philadelphia lnauirer.l
Tho Cost Of government.


The impression that cost OF monarcnicai
governments are very much greater tnan tuat
of republican governments IS one tnat Tue
facts disprove. For instance, not Only are
the people of the United Stntes more neaIly
taxed than those OF Great Brtain, "nlcn nus
probably the most costly OF an laouai.n 81,
cal governments, but the actual cost VI so,
ernment here is thirty-seSen per cen'. Siea i,
er than there. This statement may We"
be thought astounding when IL Son
sidered how much money Inc mere LuA-
ury of royalty absorbs in Ensiano, ~"
much is paid to the sovereign, DO" Luz ~
all the soyereign's children, thelr nusoa LIZ
uaerelv wait on ROYALTY. We read OF the
enormous sums voted by Parlismen. 70 tne
Prince of Wales, and, as we do so, ieei pro
fonndIv grateful that we are not, as the bfl.
tish are. saddled with the expenditures OF
one who expends neither wisely nor wen,
md who gives nothing in return Tor so mucn
treasure. We must consider, too, that "niie
our Government costs thirty-seVen per cent.
mora than that of Great Britain, that the lat-
ter,s navy Is the largest and most powerful
or any nation In the world, and that OUTS
il among the smallest and least powerful !;
we must remember, too, that she MAINTAINS
vast army, upon whose flag she boasts inc
sun never sets, and that her cities anu towns
are protected by the best police system 10
existence. We have no army TO speak OF,
neither have we police system throughout
the country which will compare 10 enectiVe-
ness with that of Great Britain. In TACT,
whatever she has in the way oil civil or MILL
tary government is as near perfection as nu'
man ingenuity and wisdom can make 1t, ana,
in its practical workings, whatever we nave
is crude and unfinished, allowing large IL
cense for both extravaganza and corruption.
The cost of the Government Of Great Brl.
tain, estimating the pound sterling nc nVe
dollars currency, is 1892 500. 900, and that OF
the United States Is $674,500,0OO.
We are not considering at all which OF the
| two Governments is the better, but when IS
the cheaper. A Government founded upon
principles so simple as that of the United
States. which has not the cost OF royalty 10
pay, and which docs not pretend to maln'
tain vast army and navy, ought to be much
more cheaply administered than one when
has the luxury of royalty to provide for aud,
in addition, vast standing army anu the
foremost navy Of the world.
That ours costs so much more than that
of Great Britain is due chiefly to the better
system which prevails there for preventing
illegal outlay. Public officials are better paid
there than here, but they must give an &C
count to the last penny Of their expendi'
lures; they can neither waste nor steal the
peopIe's substance. Nor are there in Great
Britain 1.-THE of the supernumerary ofhclals
that the Uni!ed States maintain. 1t is our
plan to reward useful partisans by giving
them office, and if there does not happen 10
be an office vacant for an applicant one Is
created TO suit his taste and demands.
Another reason for the eXtraordl nary cost
of our Government is the general low stand
ard of our civil service. which Is Demon
strated in the customs department by the
fact that goods to the value of S2,O00,00o
have been Struggled from Canada into the
country in single day, and by the concur
rent evidences Of smuggling frauds perpe-
trated at the port of New York with the
connivance of the excise officials.
We need in the United States more strn-
gent laws governing both the appointment OF
civic servants and their conduct and eX'
pendtures. When we have made that be-
ginning we shall have stopped great leak,
and can then take time to look out for other
leaks. After awhile it will then be found
possible to run this Government as cheaply
as that Of Great Britain.