The state capital., 1892-06-25

ucl 5y 5Cefn- UOuDreu miag'n1tude.
AT the same time there are fewer letters
finding their way to the dead letter of
flee, and the revenues of the department
have more than kept pace with the in
creased expenditures. In fact the peo-
pie have been given first-class bust
ness administration of the postal de-
partment.
Germany, with a population only two
thirds as great as ours and with vast
ly smaller territory, maintains a
standing army of a million men, and
every other first-class power in Europe
keeps up a similar establishment, while
the United States has only twenty-five
thousand soldiers, most of them being
in the neighborhood of the Indian res
ervations. The people of the United
States may congratulate themselves not
alone upon the saving to Industrial pur-
suits of almost the entire able e-bodied
male population of the country, and
upon the fact that these men are pro-
ducers rather than mere consumers, but
also upon the further fact that millions
of dollars are saved every month from
the expenses of this government that
other countries feel forced to pay.
Not many months ago the democrats
were bowling about the extravaganza
of the 'billion dollar congress- and
wildly shouting for retrenchment and
reform. All appropriation bills must
originate in the house of representa-
tives, which is now largely democratic.
The bills already passed indicate that
the appropriations Of the present con-
press will exceed those of the much
discussed billion dollar congress of two
wears ago. At the same time the demo-
erats are trying to cut off the revenues
by passing bills for free wool, free
binding twine and free cotton ties, even
though to do so might reduce the rev.
enues to an extent that would leave the
treasury empty. But the whole pro-
gramme is one of insincerity, and its
aim is to catch the votes of gullible peo-
pie.
In 1890 almost every merchant and
drummer in the country were unwit-
tingly and unintentionally the agents
and recruiting officers of the democratic
party. In their anxiety to sell goods
they told their customers-what doubt
less many then believed-that all classes
of merchandise were sure to be higher
because of the passage of the Mckinley
bill. There are always more buyers
than sellers, and SO persistently was
this statement adhered to and so often
was it repeated that people believed it
true. In Illinois more than rs, 900 per-
sons who voted In 1888 remained away
from the polls, a large percentage of
them because of the fact that they did
not want to change their politics but
were unwilling to give their endorse
ment tc a measure that they feared
which had been enacted by the repre-
sentatives of the political party with
which they had hitherto been allied.
Others who had voted the republican
ticket in 1888 were captured by the
democratic outcry against the new
tariff law and voted with the oppo-
sition. But the political skies have
cleared since 1890. Goods are no higher,
and, as rule, are lower, than before the
enactment of the new tariff act. The
Scare over the Mckinley bill has
proved to be groundless. The men who
ahsented themselves from the polls in
1890 will all be out to vote in 1892, and,
satisfied with the existing tariff law
and the admirable and business-Hke ad-
ministration' of affairs under the Har-
rison administration, will help to win q
grand republican victory.