Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-13

| From the New York Tribune Today.
The search at Washington for the respon-
sible cause Of the calamity by which many were
| killed or manned is in one sense entirely I'M
necessary. Holmanism slaughtered the victims.
They were murdered or crippled by that inde-
| cent spirit Of niggardliness which has been so
| long fostered for selfish partisan ends by
| some demagogues Adequate appropriations
| for the public service would have resulted long
ago in safer and better quarters than those
| which have been SO often condemned and which
| the unhappy clerks had come to regard with
constant dread. This is so obvious that it
| seems unnecessary to say it, and vet for the
sake OF the lesson which 1t teaches the nature
and cause Of the disaster should not be lightly
passed. 1t was not an accident 1t was a
slaughter by the demagogues who seek to serve
| themselves and their party by shouting econ
| omy on all unit occasions and shrieking about
| the "Bilion-Dollar Congress"
1t is time that Americans should muster a
little common sense in considering the expend-
| lures OF their government. During the last
thirty-three years the population has more than
doubled and the wealth Of the country has in
creased more than fourfold. The duties Of the
government necessarily depend in large degree
upon the property to be protected as well as
upon the number Of lives to be cared for. In
1860 the expenditures Of the government. ex-
elusive Of interest and pensions and payments
on public debt, were about $4,000. 900. Last
year they we're about S187 000, 900, or three
times as large. Reckoning half the ex-
pense in 1860 against the population
to be governed and half against the
property to be protected, the rate would be less
than 81 for each inhabitant and about 50 for
each 81 900 of property. At the same ratio
now the annual expenditure would be more
than $500 900. 900. Navies and armies the control
Of Indians, the consular service. the mail serv-
ice at home and abroad. the land office. the
Judiciary, the agricultural service, all are more
largely employed in defending property than
in defending lives The inhabitants can fly
from the seashore when invasion comes, as saw
ages did before them, but their cities and the
wealth which makes their comforts and civilian
ton possible require steel cruisers, forts and
guns. In some proportion to the riches of the
prize to be guarded must always be the cost Of
defending it against spoiler.
But if wealth needs defense. wealth can also
pay for defense. Ability to pay is in proper
ton to dollars and not in proportion to lives.
With $4,000. 100000 of wealth in 1860 the
every $1,000 Today, with s65,OOO
0o800O of wealth like expenditure
would be $3.50. 900 900, instead of $751;
100000 now paid. Indeed, the ability of
people to pay has increased in far greater ratio
because the average earnings of the people
have more than doubled besides the increase in
accumulated wealth. IL will be said that in
terest and pensions and payments on public
debt are improperly omitted from the COM
parison. Not so. because these are costs Of a
civil war in which the existence Of the nation
was assailed and VIGOROUSLY maintained The
nation pays and ought to pay willingly for
| that inestimable service, but that payment
| services which government continuously
| renders. nor the need of those services nor the
necessity OF making them adequate to the grow
| ing needs of the nation.