Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-08

breaking the people down with exces
sive expenditures.
A cable dispatch which declares that Ger
many and Italy are considering modlhca
tlon Of the Triple Alliance Is not surprising
The italian monarchy Ia staggering under
the burden Of snpportIng an army and nayyy
struggle to keep up appearances as first
class military and naval power has produced
general discomfort, and In some Instances
driven penaantry and populnce 70 insurrec
ton. Italy has before her, therefore, a choice
between bankruptcy and rebellion on the one
hand and a reduction Of her enormous arm
ament on the other, 1.-THE Kaiser and King
Humhert are 10 meet, as reported, to discusl
the Triple Alliance one subject Of their discus
sion viii doubtless be how 70 extend some re.
lief 20 Italy without weakening the strength
Of the compact which binds together the
powers ofcentral Europe.
Now, what do gentlemen propose 10
do inthis billp They propose to 90 on
In this same line OF action, apprOpria-
ting hundreds OF millions Of dollars for
the purpose OF building up a navy, 80 az
TO BIO on an equality with those Europe
an nations; yet II the dispatch which !
have Just read 10 correct one OF those
nations has already shown unmistak-
able signs Of breaking down under such
u policy.
In the light OF past history and OF
recent events, shall O great republic
like this, isolated from foreign nations,
removed from the danger OF foreign
conquest or anything OF that sort, go
on and tax It's citizens by these enor
nous expenditures for building battle
ships which, as | think | have proven,
will be useless In the hour OF needp
That 10 q question for Representatives
here TO consider. AS was about TO cay
when interrupted, our people are MOI
In the best Of circumstances. In every
city there are thousands and thousands
Of idle men. Poverty and starvation
seem to be the yah over the country
The great agricultural interests, on
whose shoulders this enormous tax
must largely fall, are selling their
products below The cost OF produce
tion. Yet a time OF profound peace,
with no probability OF our being in
vaded by any foreign nation, you
In this bill to increase our
for naval expenses by
more than $2S,OOO,OOO.
Mr.. Milliken. Does not the gentle
man think it would be a good thing to
give these idle men OF whom he speaks
something to do In building these new
shipsY
Mr.. Simpson. That is the old, old
process OF taxing the people TO make
them rich. My sympathies 80 out
toward the men who pay taxes, the men
who walk down through the corn rows
ON the hot summers day, the men who
work In the cotton fields, the men who
toll all day long In the factories where
the wheels go round" till the heads
Of the workmen almost turn like the
wheels they watch, the men who work
down In the coal mines, all the laborers
who produce the wealth which at last
must be utilized to pay the taxes OF the
country. Those are the men toward
whom my sympathies go out
Mr.. Chairman, do not know that !
care to say much more on this subject.
There Is one other phase Of this ques-
ton, however, which was brought to
my mind by question asked while
ago what should we do II we should
adopt the system of free trade and
have a commerce, as the gentleman
from California suggestedY Sir, there
was time In the history OF this
country when American ships whitened
every sea- They we're the fastest and
best ships aaoat; they had the best sail
ors that ever manned ship.
During the war period system OF
high protective tariff was adopted; and
this system, acting in conjunction with
the raids OF the Alabama and other
cruisers, drove our mer-
chant marine from the ocean. Since
that time under the system which has
been pursued we have not been able
to recover our lost ground. It is my
opinion that II we should adopt the
policy by means Of which Great Britain
to-day controls the great 0cean-going
trade OF the world, we may, under the
direction Of statemen wise enough to
adopt such q policy In regard to our
foreign trade, regain our lost ground.
II such conditions should arise there
may be some excuse for an increase in
our Navy. But at present we have
ample force to protect our scanty COM
merce In every land and to protect
our citizens wherever they may be.
And, Mr.. Chairman, think al this
time, in view OF the condition Of our
people, In view Of the poverty of the
nation and the condition Of the Treas
ury, remembering the fact that we
are borrowing money at excessive
rates Of interest, that It Is very UNI
wise thing for us to do to pass the bill
now before us, carrying, as 1t does,
this enormous appropriation TO build
three useless battle ships and this
MN, hn.. Of lnnrndn hnnia inunluinn IN