The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-23


Than 1t Was Thirty Years Acquitted
States Army and Navy Equipment.
Referring TO the financial resources
of the government available for war
uses and the probable methods the gov
eminent would employ TO raise money
in the event of war, Representative
Dockery of Missouri said
1.-The government had few evenings
ago an available cash balance In the
treasury of 1925, OH, 032. 10. This treas
ury balance, exclusive of the 500, 000,-
600 gold reserve. is available TO meet all
treasury liabilities. In the event the
gold reserve should be trenched upon
the resumption act of Jan. Ia, 1875,
authorizes the secretary of the treasury
to issue coin bonds TO maintain re-
sumption. This is the only law now
authorizing the issue of bonds, and the
president might invoke its aid TO main
tain the gold reserve, and by the exist
ing treasury construction the money
thus procured from the sale of bonds
could be used TO meet current expenses
after having once performed redemp.
tion functions. Should war be declared,
however, the president would not be re-
quired to thus secure money. Congress
would at once provide the treasu with
an ample income, as it did from 1861 TO
1865, by taxing If necessary manufac-
lures, express companies, insurance
companies, banks and other owners of
wealth, and by granting authority To
the secretary of the treasury TO issue
bonds, and thus supplement any de-
ficiency in revenues not met by these
extraordinary methods of taxation. The
only income the national treasury en-
joyed during the war period which
could not now be availed of would be
the revenue derived from the tax upon
incomes. The recent decision of the su-
preme court having declared such taxa
tion to be unconstitutional, the people
would be compelled to maintain the
army and navy without any aid from
tax upon incomes.
"If war should come, the resources
of the republic will be ample TO meet
its liabilities without the hardships Of
taxation entailed -ty the civil war.
Then our people were estranged and di-
vided; now they are united and ready
to contribute whatever may be essential
to uphold the dignity and honor of the
nation either upon land or sea. Since
the civil strife our population has more
than doubled, the mileage of railroads
more than trebled, all our industries
have multiplied greatly, and the national
wealth now reaches the mighty total of
more than 100000, 900, 900. Our finan-
cial resources, therefore, are fully ade-
quate to meet all the possible require
ments which war might entail upon the
treasury. Our army, it is true, is but
skeleton army, consisting of but %, 600
men, but that army would swell TO mil
lions upon the call of congress and the
president Our new navy, while not so
powerful as the navies of England, Ger
many and other great European powers,
is yet formidable and if the occasion
arises will prove worthy successor of
the old time navy. The superb conduct
of Captain Sigsbee amid the awful nor
rors incident to the destruction of the
battleship Maine shows that the valor
of our seamen is not decadent.
'Since 1888 congress has authorized
the construction Of ~ war vessels at a
cost of $l34, 439, 707. 10. Sixteen of the
vessels have not yet been completed.
The vessels authorized since 1883 are as
follows:
Battleships, first class ......................
Battleships second class .....,...............
L u
OuhDoats 10
Harbor defense ram ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. /
hOhltoTs. %
dynamite cruiser. ...... .....................,
Torpedo .......................... n
Submarine torpedo boat. ...................
Training ships for cadets .................... 2
Dlspatch boat .''''.'.....'..'.....-.'.'..
'Of the 10 ships of war now under
construction the secretary of the navy
estimates that all will be completed
during the present year except the five
battleships, which will probably not be
ready for service until the latter part of
the coming year. 1t is therefore obvious
that the United States is not so power
less upon the seas as some would have
it understood. The present navy, how
ever, should be rapidly REINFORCED by
that the country may be able to vindi-
cate the rights and interests of Ameri-
can citizens wherever menaced or i'm
periled.
II may also add that during the past
ten years there have been expended on
seacoast fortifcations and their arma-
ment, for submarine mines and torpe-
does, nearly $40. 600, 900, and our prin-
cipal seaport towns have thus been put
in a condition so that, with the aid of
the navy, the country could easily resist
the attack of any one of the great naval
powers Of the world "-Washington
Post.
Adventure with n DcviIash.
r. N. III. Static and Abbie Perez had
q thrilling adventure recently with q
monster devilfish while salmon fishing
in the bay of Lighthouse point near