The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-18

for extravaganza but on the
- other hand therd is no JUS
tihcation for misrepresenta-
tion. The fact that the expenditures
of the present congress have been the
largest in the history of the govern
ment does not necessarily imply that
they have been wasteful and improyi-
dent. Wasteful and improvident items
may have crept in and where located
should be lanced. But no conceivable
benefit can come from purely general
lied and exaggerated denunciation,
such as many opposition newspapers
and politicians arc now indulging in
for party effect
For example, the Atlanta Constltu-
t!on speaks of the billion-dolla ses-
sion of congress-" remarking that It
will have credit for the largest mill.
tary appropriation ever made, when
the United states is called upon 20
ray peace footing charge of S393, =
li2,l03, to which are to be added
charges yet to be scheduled OF this,
SIi,OO0,000 goes to the army, SIS, ,696 913
To the navy, and the Colossal sum"
Of Sli5,2ij,230 for pensions. The Con-
stitution adds:
The war budget OF England is $3.50 i61, $40, ouly
-, o',s0 OF which goes TO pensions. France
pays 500. OF which $50, 100 I02 Is for
pensions. Germany's war bill is S2l0, ,303, ,3jO out
Cf which Sl6,32S,O 900 is for pensions. Russia
monster military establishment is run OF S2OO7l7,.
uGo, with no pensions Austria pays a charge OF
SS9,G2G,O0o with no pension roll Verify we
| are building UP a military system on high pres
| sure, in which every man wants big pay in ser.
vice and high pensions aiterward. In return ior
these joint figures the United States carries q
| joint military and naval force OF 10000 men;
England, 36i,Gi0 men; France, 622, l2i men;
| Germany, 50j,ss0 men; Russia, 0,3lO men, and
| Austria, 27s,543 men. We have, therefore, the
I most costly military iorcc on earth, vcritably a
| soldier every mans back.
| Similar in purport is a line of state
ment laid down recently i'm the house
by Representative Mcclellan, DEM,
of New York, as thus reported
Mr., Mcclellan, Of New York. made an interest
! ing statement as to the total cost OF our mill
| tary establishment, which, he said, was Sl2s
| I09, go To this must be added, he said, Sl5I
0j2,0oi for the cost OF past wars pensions, etc
bringing the total up TO $3.50, ,s5i. The COS
| Of each soldier, not counting pensions, etc,
would therefore be sl,2Ss including pensions
| S2,s2S, lie contldsted these figures with the oos
OF military establishments in European armies
| The cost OF the German soldier, including pen
sions and expenses OF past wars, was but s921
and OF the French soldiers, also including pen
sions and the expense OF the Franco Prussiai
| war, was S232. Before the end OF the year, h
said our military establishment would cost owe
$SOo,OOO,0O0. This grand total did net nclud
any OF the expense of maintaining the navy.
Now these facts are interesting anC
entirely proper for public instruction
but the trouble is that they do no
tell all the story. With regard to th,
immediate cost OF our regular army
which is the target of the greatest at
tack, Mr.. Mcclellan and the Atlanta
Constitution, If wishing to be fair
should also have said: First, that /
was the Depocratic minority I'm tn
last congress that rushed the presi
dent against his protest, into the wa
with Spain, which has brought on al
the necessities now calling for enlarge,
army and naval appropriations. IIa,
the Democratic fire-eaters in congress
and in the yellow press kept still. tn
president would have controlled tn
more war-like elements in his owl
party and achieved by diplomacy wha