The sun., 1898-02-17
Inadequate Revenue and Inadequate
Defence.

DeIcHCe.
Perhaps it Is well to state plainly some
facts which concern the people of the United
States as nearly as any other question now
before them, and in which the honor and
reputation of the Republican party are di-
rectly involved.
We are getting incidentally now and
then an illustration of what the sudden
outbreak Of war might mean to the great
cities of our coasts in the present condition
of harbor defences. These illustrations
are not the less instructive because
they are potential rather than actual.
Heaven grant that they may continue to be
potential; but any day in the present year
of the world may make the potential condi.
tion a real condition, and sharply and per-
haps unexpectedly will the transition come!
Theorizing as to the immediate results Of
invasion by hostile armed vessels, the dam.
age foreign ships could inflict. the value of
such defensive armament as already exists,
and the extent of the unpublished resources
available to the Government in an emer-
gency, is generally a matter of tempcra-
ment rather than of special prophetic abil-
ity. Perhaps we should get out of the scrape
we should astonish our assailant and all the
onlookers in case New York. Boston or
San Francisco were attacked by foreign
fleet. Predictions as to what might happen
to us or to our enemy are worth just as little
as the imaginative magazine articles which
narrate the fictitious events of supposi-
titious war. The fact remains that both the
authoritative opinion of expert military
knowledge and the ordinary common sense
OF the country agree as to the imperative
need of completing the American system of
coast defence for the reasons pointed out by
Mr.. TILDEN in his memorable letter of
warning in 1855, and on the lines then
indicated by him. The fact remains that
II war came tomorrow, and 1t were possi-
BILE for Congress, by appropriating one hun
dred million dollars for coast defences, to
atone for the delays and hesitations and
hagglings of the past twelve years and to
perfect in twenty four hours the whole sys-
TEN of fortification, the money would be
voted outright without single nay.
But one hundred millions would not do
1t. Ten times that sum would not do 1t
under those circumstances. Money cannot
buy back the weeks and months and years
that have been lost.
The eFortifcations bill of the present year,
as passed by the House, carries only $4, IA.
9l2. The Senate Committee has reported a
bill which more than doubles the House
appropriation. What the size of the bill
will be after it has been debated In the Sen.
| ate and has passed through the inevitable
| conference with the House, remains to be
seen. That its appropriation will be grossly.
shamefully, perilously inadequate is as
certain as anything can be. And the reason
| is plain.
On March of last year President Mo-
KINLEY notified the Fifty.fifth Congress
that its most imperative duty was to pro.
| vide a revenue adequate to the needs of the
Government. To use his own words, "be-
| tween more loans and more revenue there
| ought to be but one opinion. We should
have more revenue, and that without delay,
hindrance, or postponement."
A revenue bill was framed by the Com.
mittee on Ways and Means In accordance
with the Presidents recommendation
The new scheme of revenue was devised
with the most patriotic intentions and
| the most conscientious care as to details.
The best intelligence was applied to the
task, but the best human intelligence is
| defective. The bill went into effect last
July, and as revenue producer it has failed
to Justify the predictions of It's authors
and the expectations of the country. In
stead Of producing surplus 1t has piled up
deficit. This deficit is partly concealed
by the method of bookkeeping adopted
in the Treasury statements, but 1t exists
all the same The eIpedients OF the able
maker of balance sheets can produce
figures, but they cannot provide income.
total OF receipts from customs had been
only, $s4.3sS, AS, pH 70 Tuesday Of the