The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-28

here today AZ ii:i2 O'Clock. Fully 1900
people. Il Is estimated. saw the biz war
ship so overheard The launching pass
ed of without mitch and none prettier
or more successful Was ever accomplish
ed here
Miss Marion CSickrclI daughter 81 Sem
a,Or r. A. Cocirell Of Missouri. was
sponsor for the ship. and she performed
the duty assigned her with the tradition
al bottle Of champagne. using bottle OF
Missouri product for the purpose. The
number OF distinguishes guests gathered
around the sponsor on the christening
platform was larger than ever seen here
Among them were secretary OF the
Navy Long Secretary OF the Interior
Hitchcock. Rear Admiral Melville, L. >.
N chief OF bureau' Of steam engineer
ing: Rear Admiral OMEN, l. = n, chlet
of ordnance. Judge Advocate Lenly; -.
:. N, ldeutenant-Go Lee or MIS-
souri acting for Governor pockery; Gov
crnor TYLER of Virginia, Corwin ~. Spen-
Ger OF 81. Louis. representing the lou
isiana purchas,. Fxposition company.
Congressman RiXey, representing the
house committee on naval AFFAIRS SenH,
tor cockrell and number OF army alI
navy officers. Mrs. Roosevelt wire oi
President Roosevelt. came NJ from pld
Point ON the United states dispaich p.at
Dolphin with her guests and viewed the
launching from the steamer deck
Secretary Long was the orator OF the
occasion. lie said.
SECRETARY lONG'S SFEICti
have been interested IN the circular
signed 10y many eminent citizens, my be-
loved friend +. y. Hale at the head. IN
which they regret the estimate OF $780,
000o00 for the increase of tho navy.
The size OF the navy, if there Il 10 be
a navy at all Is question like the
tarin-of adjustment rather than OF prin-
ciplc OF course, IL is rather taking
thing Ia say as matter OF theory. as
their circular says that Sio00lO,00 for the
navy means tax OF Sc ON every family
in the United States. And yet. on the
other hand as "a matter OF practtcal factr
81 that sum Is spent there ~ probably not
a family In the United States whose fu-
ture income would be shown TO be 80 less,
and there are a good many families whose
income would be many times 50 less II
Il were not spent
IL il also rather taking thing 90 say
that 500 O0OOo0 could be better spent for
education OF rhHrttv-- And yet, on the
other hand. $500 o0.o00 spent in the en-
ploymei OF labor Is the very best use
TO which IL can be put
DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.
The great question of the day. as To
wealth. H. It's distribution. While few
would say that the community should be
taxed for the sole purpose OF distributing
the proceeds of taxation. yet 10 Is some
comfort 10 know OF tax which, when II
Is laid on the community, all returns
again 10 H.
IN 500 shall be appropriated for
the navy by the present congress, small
-f4-lreAaSn OF raw ma
terial and something for salaries but
the great bulk Of II for labor in every part
81 the Union.
Somehow II Just now happens that
with larger revenues than we have ever
l,aI a h..f. la NJ and fherF-
fore with more direct and indirect taxa
tion there r. more prosperity and more
money IN the pocket OF the citizen than
ever before. Students may speculate
over the economic causes, but this is the
'demnition total"
I'ndoubtedly Uncle sam ought 20 re.
duce taxation wherever he can. ON the
other hand. n is shrewd and wise In him
10 run things 50 AS 90 keep business
good: and ~ az "A result his income Is
large he confers much more benefit by
spending u than he would by hiding IL.
MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE.
when the interests Of country require
he should reduce HIS receipts. but as they
are now excessive. the great question
seeuis 20 be how he SHAH get the proc
ceeds back among the people. Another
wear he may not have so much money 10
spend. but u this year. having surplus,
he spends Si00. .oAD for the navy, let ms
remember that while Il is spent under
that name. Il Is really spent. as said be-
forcin the employment Of the peoples in-
bor and I'm the purchase OF the material
they have to sell. and the people get rath-
er more out of II than the navy does for
they get II all back again.
Nor Is IL true as suggested I'm the circu-
lar that a great navy neceesarllA ln1lameA
the lighting spirit and lcnds 20 war. "
my recollection serves me right. whils
Great Britain has had troubles In Egypt
and Africa and elsewhere. she has had
no conflict on sea for many years. and
yet her navy has been twice as large ~
that OF any other power.
DID NOT INDUCE WAR
The recent Increase in our navy dld not
induce the war with spain. which as
things were, seems 90 have been ineyita.
bIe. On tho other hand Il is more likely
that n IN the beginning OF 1898 we had
even as large "A navy as we have now
certainly az large one as now proposed
there would have been no war with Spain
and that country would have come to
terms. as she WAS very near coming
without battle. At that time however
II was the general impression among for-
eign powers and probably Spain that
her navy would blow us out OF the water
All the foregoing deals with questions
Of expcdiency. which are the only qucs-
tlons raised in the circular But there
Is question Of principle and that ques-
tion strangely enough the circular does
not touch The slgnrrs. & seems go me.
instead OF raising the question OF how
biz the navy should be-. should have rats
ed the question OF whether there shall
be any navy at AL
This ] do not propose 60 argue, as uu-
tli the world moves much farther to-
wards the millennium II is hardly worth
while 10 argue a.
"a determining the question what shall
be the size OF our navy. there area great
many things 90 be considered some of
which I have referred 90.
VAST EXPANSION.
For Instance opr world relations have
expanded vastly N IN. last three wears in
territorial extent and vsstiy more in I'M
ternational extent. 10 has not been an