The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-24
EXTRAVAGANZA. IMPERIAL
ISM. MILITARISM.

| rial -Four or five
| years ago the existence of billion dol
| lar Congress SO aroused the people
| against extravaganza and jobs that the
| first Reed Congress was repudiated by
! n majority so large as to make the re-
| huke historic. The Democrats came in
| to power in 1890 largely as the result
| of Republican reckless expenditure and
| extravaganza. They started out well
| and made such reductions in their first
| appropriations bills that it promised Il
return to old time economy. The peo-
| pie were so Disguised with billion dol
lar Congress that in 1892 Cleveland
/ swept the country. The success was
| so great that it turned the heads Of
many who said: 'Thc Republican party
| is dead. The Democrats will have
| twenty years of power" And it did
| look that way But Cleveland, elected on
| the tariff issue. ut the bidding of the
money lords, called IN extra session of
| Congress to repeal law that had not
been discussed in the campaign. That
was the first blunder, the overwhelming
majority of the Democrats in Congress
We're committed to replace the Sherman
law with free coinage. He got through
Il law repeating the Sherman law and
putting nothing in its place. Then he
| denounced the tariff law that was pass ii
| at the regular session as party perfidy
and dishonor." Congress did make some
reductions in the appropriations made
by 1.-The billion dollar Congress" but
in comparison with the pledges made the
people, the reductions We're cheese
parings." Att the very next election,
the Democrats were struck hip and
thigh, defeated overwhelmingly in al
parts of the country-in Maryland Ken
lucky and North Carolina, thus break
ing the solid South Cor the first time i'll
twenty years.
This Congress sneers at talk Of econ
omy. 1t regards any man who talks
about a frugal government Is back
number. One plunge into Imperialism
has destroyed all ideas oe American
simplicity" and millions are voted away
with less discussion than attended the
appropriation Of thousands thirty years
ago. Money is lavishly spent, not only
for pensions, war claims, big army
and big navy, but for anything and
everything that comes along. Only yes
terday bill passed appropria ting $780,
y
Industry, or something of that sort in
Philadelphia. Every district that has
an active Republican Congressman gets
Il postoffice building, and everybody
else that has pull can get his arm
elbow deep into the public treasury. 1t
is a grab game. and before March, UNI
less all signs fail, the appropriations
will far exceed anything before known
4 r. Al.
One of the leading members of the
House said to me yesterday: Il have
never seen anything like it here. Money
grows on trees, if you judge from the
way it is spent. Two years ago il was
like drawing eve teeth TO sc' money To
erect q needed public building. Now
anything passes. We ar, not Only GO
ing to spend millions ON the Philippines,
but lavish expenditures ut home are
being entered upon so as to keep taxa
| ton high"
Senator Hoar estimates hat it will
cost two hundred million dollars IL Year
to keep up the army and navy and meet
! the other expenses incident to our new
policy of imperialism. 1t costs $1,000
per year for an enlisted soldier in the
army, counting everything. If the
| Presidents recommendation of an army
| Of 100000 men is adopted that will
| mean one hundred million dollars year
] for the army alone. There viii be
| plenty of other demands for money,
| such, for example, as cleaning out Ha-
yana, making good roads in Cuba, the
| payment of big bounties, and con-
stantly increasing pension burden grow
| ing out of deaths in the unhealthy is
lands of the Pacific.
| Imperialism means that we shall eX-
| change Democratic simplicity perma-
nently for monarchical splendor. The
latter comes high. If we go in for inn
perialsm, we must pay for the glory
of governing by glory and by force. For
/ a while many people may be carried off
their heels by all this tommy rot about
manifest destiny" but when the bills
come in thoughtful people will stop and
| think. 1t is all very nice and glorious
| on the day before Christmas for one to
/ go out and buy all the fine things he
/ sees for Christmas. He does not realize
| what an idiot he was until the bills
| come to him OH the first of January
| Uncle Sam is now feeling good with
his stocking full of naked savages,. while
he is deafened with the meaningless
| cry of manifest destiny He viii
swear off when he pays the bills, and
looked fondly back to the simple days
when the Monroe doctrine and Wash
ingtons Farewell Address were the
pillar of fire by night and the pillar OF
cloud by day to the Republic. When he
undertakes to repudiate the Jeffersoniai
maxim, which has been the motto OF
Americans an hundred years, govern
ments derive their just powers from thu
consent of the governed" and substi
tute government of colonies after the
European rule-then Uncle Sam vii
realize that he has embarked upon {
career that is as dangerous to true Re
publican institutions as it is costly ant
demoralizing.
The plunge into Imperialism is no
only costly in dollars, it has n tendenc,
to make people forget fundamental prin
ciples. For example, the other da!
when Mr.. Bailey asked that the ques
ton be settled whether General Wheele
could retain his seat in Congress an'
also hold commission in the army, h
, was called n Small American and made