Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-28
- stE ar aL9
Bsmdflaiit Nnrihnita
What ItlCosts.
Gen. A. ]. Warner Discusses Govern.
mental Extfavaganee.

cut argument in demand OF q change
OF administration. was delivered by
Gen. A. J. Warner, before the Demo.
cratic County Convention At Marietta:
GEsrLEnRN:- The histDryA 81 gov
ernment in all ages OF the lworfd
sbupdantIy proves that good govern
ment is less costly than bad lRovefh.
ment. .'s a'rss tslFs'ii hof t''rss nsA',sslae
Costliness in the management Of
public affairs, as in privaSe atfairsp is
the first, as it is the surest evidence of
something wrong. ~, ~, ,',..-f' =
Gladstone recently said: 81 do not
hold that good finance is the beginning
and the end of good Government, but
Ihold this s-that it is an essential Of
good Government; it is a condition Of
good Government without it you can
not have good Government, and with
it you always get good. Government"
Revenue raised by Alevying taxes
upon common people should be sdi-
rected solely 10 csr3ipg out the legiti-
mate endseof goxefnment Thus di.
rected government like ours, unburs
dened by armies and nsvies such as
European countries are forced to
maintain. ought forrest Tightly on the
people But costliness in government
may come aud does come in other
ways than through The MAINTENANCE Of
vast armaments. The misappropria,
tion, or unwise application Of the pub
lie revenues may entail burdens ssr
great, and call for taxes as onsfods, as
the armies ard 1ayies, the nohafshles
and esristocracies Of other countries
impose, Moreover. from great ex-
penditures, through inisspplied revec
nues, great corrpptiohs are almost cer-
tain to9oHow. Wasteful expenditures.
corruption then ipisgovernment,J is
the Old, old story from the beginning
of nations sn.,.,.,.. =, .o..t j.,
TroubIous times and bad finances
have, kept company through all histo-
ty. And finances in which the people
Of Egypt had moi part, lie stSthe bot-
toms- Of Egypt's troubles to-day, So
history is still repeating itself. Arm
old says Of the overtaxed and Afnisgov-
erned people of The Roman provinces
that they welcomed the barbarians
rather with hope than with Despair
as an escape from, that terribly effec-
tivemachine Of taxation which in the
end destroyed the empire and strangled
the provinc1als in it's iron grasp, So.
the Egyptian to-day welcomes war
''rather with hope than with despair
as q possible relief from burdens i'm
possible to be borne, imposed through
bad finances. Some day too, unless
the growth of National debts stayed
and the burden Of Government light
ened, other countries. on the other
side OF the Mediterranean from Egypt,
may welcome even revolution rather
"with hope than with despair, as a
relief from burdens intolerable longer
to bear.
And it is true generally, as John
Bright said in his great Birmingham
speech two years ago, these troubles,
these calamities-this wasting Of the
substance of the people--were not
brought upon themselves by their
own fault but that they were imposed
upon them by those put over them.
"Almost all the great crimes in his
tory, he says, shave been committed,
and all the-great calamities in history
have been brought upon mankind
through the Ainstrumentality di-
rect instrumentality of monarchs and
of statesmen
In this country, howeyef, d fnore
direct responsibility IN government,
and in the management 81 public
affairs, rests with the people. Meyer
theless, it is true that .mismanagen1ent
and corruption come almost always
through the unfaithfulness of those
entrusted with, power, The, remedy
against the spread and continuance Of
such evils is yet, let us be, thankful, in
reach ofthe people. And, as between
an honest andseconomical administra-
tion ofgovernnent and gprofigacy and
corruptlonsin the use efthe public rev.
enue, well understand, and you un.
derstand, that there is, no room for
party lines. When we come there
Democrats and Republicans, Green
hackers and Prohibitionlsts, must
come upon common ground. We may
differ on lines Of policy as to the di.
rection and rlghtful extent Of the ex-
ercise of the powers of government,
but all are alike concerned, and all
equally bound by considerations OF
patriotism and the common welfare,
to stand by honest and economical gov
ernment and to put down prohigacy
and corruption on their first discov-
cry. Nor do I assume that there is
less honesty or patriotism, Or a. lower
sense OF moral obligation as citizens
among those Of one party than those
of another. s 50 HTc4T
Not that; but it is true that corrupt
men work their way into Office, and
the longer one party has control OF
government the more likely is cor
ruption to creep in first unawafes, then
fortified behind patronage and spoils,to
become defiant. II is tufe too. that am.
bitious men having power resort TO in
defensible means to carry their ends.
Rnt LII f,a haa mbAfhnr WHAT i ihauo