The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-05
No Rcnson for ReioicIng.

w htANOh
The fact that there was a surplus of 81
973.1OS of Federal revenue for February is
not a cause for rejoicing. But it seems
that Mr.. Dingley, the author of the tariff
which bears his name, and the particular
friends Of that tariff, are pointing TO the
February surplus with expressions of sat
isfaction. But why should they rejoice?
Do they wish it to be understood that. in
their opinion, the governments income
will fully equal its expenditures in future?
Admitting that il is true that last Feb
ruary was the first February since 1898 in
which there was a surplus of revenue, and
that the revenue for that month was larg-
er than for any previous February since
the panic year. il doesn't follow that there
viii be no further deficit in the treasury
even if there should be no extraordinary
expenses.
One reason why there was a surplus last
February is that there was a reduction
in expenses for that month of S2,20OO00-
that is, the expenditures We're that mucn
less than they were for February, 1897 If
the expenditures had been as great as
they were for the previous February, there
would have been deficit instead Of a
surplus.
The Dingley tariff will have been in OPP
GRAFTON pretty nearly a year by the end
of the present fiscal year, and a conserva-
tive estimate is that the deficit for the f;s-
cal year viii be between $4O,0O0,OOO and $780,
100000. That does not look as if the Ding
ley tariff were such a great success.
The Republican leaders are cutting down
expenses wherever they can without injury
to their party, with the hope of prevent
ing such a deficit as would offer their po-
lidcal opponents an opportunity for max
ing political capital out of the Republican
tariff. They are adhering to their policy
of economy so closely that they are sub
jecting their party to the charge of caring
more for making a favorable showing for
the Dingley tariff than they are for the
honor of the country.
For instance, the big four of Maine
namely, Senator Hale, chairman of the
Senate committee on naval affairs; Repre-
sentative Boutelle, chairman of the House
committee on naval affairs; Representative
Dingley, chairman of the ways and means
committee, and Speaker Reed, are all rep
resented as being opposed to spending upon
the navy an amount of money that would
make it as efficient as it should be in the
event of war with Spain. While 1t is true
that there is no good reason for thinking
that there will be war with Spain, still
would not show ordinary prudence if it
did not make the necessary preparations
for it. Our relations with Spain although
friendly, are strained, and a state of af-
fairs that would precipitate war might
arise at any time. If war should come
it would come so quickly that there would
be no time to prepare for it, Besides,
Spain would be much less likely to seek
a war with us If we were thoroughly pre-
pared for it. It is better, therefore, from
every point of view, to spend few mill
strong that Spain would not attack us than
it Is to risk having a war that might cost
several hundred millions of dollars.
1t may be of great Importance to the Re
publican party that the Dingley tariff shall
appear to yield revenue sufficient for the
governments expenditures, but 1t is of the
highest Importance to the whole coun-
try that we shall be prepared for war.