The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1899-07-12
JULY IL 1899.
balancing tho Books.

States ended June 30, and new
years accounting commenced, 1t
will be some days before the de-
tailed and corrected figures of last
years operations are available, but
general estimates are at hand that
are substantially correct, leaving
off the odd dollars and cents,
The receipts of the Government
during the year ending June 30
were $685. 100000, and the expend-
itures over S6O5, 100000, leaving
deficiency of about $9O,OOO,OOO,
the largest since the days of the
civil war, over 30 years ago.
But for the war taxes the def
ciency would have been larger by
about hundred millions. Even
with the increased taxation and the
bond issues the Government has
piled up deficiency in the last
two years, covering the first two
years of the Mckinley administra-
ton, of $128,OOO,OOO. Except in
the throes of the civil war, with
over million armed men in the
field, there has been nothing like
it.
Including $2O,OOO,OOO paid to
Spain for the privilege of conquer
ing the Filipinos, which Spain con-
sidered bad job for over 200 years,
our military and naval operations
since July l, 1998-the war with
Spain closing a few weeks later
have cost us about S23O,OOO,OOO, or
nearly $75O,OOO for each day of the
year, including Sundays. This is
fair statistical picture of what our
expansion policy is costing us. 1t
is safe to estimate that if the war
in Luzon should end Immediately
the expense to this government be-
fore the Filipinos in other island
are completely pacified will aggre-
gate $3OO,OOO,OOO. But there is no
prospect of the war ending immed-
lately. Reliable correspondents at
the Philippines, as we'll MS returned
generals, declare that we are in for
another year of war, do our best, be-
fore the islands are subjugated to
docility on the Mckinley principle.
The cant that we are engaged in
this war for humanity and oiviliZa-.
ton has been abandoned, and the
plea now is that it is for trade and
commerce. Stone and Powderly,
accredited imperialists, in their
recent speeches in Pittsburg talked
to labor of thousand millions of
trade being opened to us by our
policy in Asiatic seas. These wild
figures had their origin in speech
of Hon. John Barrett, late minister
to Siam, who declared with flour
ish that "the total trade of the far
East to-day, counting 5OO,OOO,OOO
people, approximates the magnifi-
cent total of 81 ,OOO,OOOOOO in gold"
and policy of conquest, he in
Inmates, is needed to secure
our share of this trade.
The figures are magnificent,
dryly remarksMr. Edward Akin
son, and the trade amounts to 81
per capita; but in 1898 we exported
to six European nations, with n
population of less than 15O,OOO,OOO,
over 81, OOO,OOO,OOO worth of prod
ucts, or 81 per capita, and we did
not have to send an army and navy
there to compel this purchase or to
make an armed demonstration to
secure such share in their market.
Great Britain buys of American
products at the rate of $13 n head of
her population, and Canada at the
rate of SIG. The best that Mr..
Barrett can cipher out for the
trade of the whole world with the
east is 50 n head. The selfish
argument of trade and commerce
is as puerile as the cant of war
for humanity and civilization
Pittsburg Post.
TNlo ,,,o,,It, ee H. NJ, Vo-l.