Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-28


"The great question OF the day as TO
wealth is lbs distribution While few
could say that the whole community
should be taxed for the purpose Of dis
trlbution OF the proceeds OF taxation,
yet II Is some comfort to know Of tax
which when II is laid on the community,
returns again into II. II Que hundred
million dollars shall be appropriated
for the navy by the present Congress, Il
small part VIII go for the purchase Of
raw material and something for sal
aries, but the great bulk OF It for labor
IN every part OF the union.
Some how II just now seems that
with larger revenues than we have had
before In time Of peace. aud therefore
with more direct and indirect taxation,
there ls more prosperity and more mon
ey In the pocket of the citizen than ever
before. Students may speculate over
the economic causes, but this IL the
'demnlton total
Undoubtedly Uncle Sam ought TO re
duce taxation wherever he can. on the
other hand, II Is shrewd and wise In
him TO run things so as TO keep bus
mess good, and If as result his ia
come Is large he cOnfers much more
benefit by spending II than he would
by hiding II, Whenever the interests
of the country require he should re-
duce his receipts but as they are now
excessive the great question seems TO
be how he shall get the proceeds back
among the people. Another year he
may not have so much money 20 spend.
But If this year, having a surplus he
spends 500, 900 600 for the navy. let us
remember that while II Is spent under
that name II is really spent, as | said
before, in the employment Of the peO-
pies labor and In the purchase Of the
material they have TO sell ana the
people get rather more out of It thpn
the navy does, for they get It all back
again
Nor is It true as suggested IN the
circular that great navy necessarily
influences the lighting spirit and leads
TO war II my recollection serves me
right while Great Britain has had
troubles In Egypt and Africa and else
where she has had no conflict on sea
for many years, and yet her navy has
been twice as large as that Of any 9th
er power The recent Increase In our
navy did not induce the war with Spain
which seems 20 have been inevitable.
on the other hand It is more than ike
ly that If in the beginning of 1898 we
had even as large navy aa we have
now certainly as large one as now
proposed there would have beol no
war with Spain and that country would
have came TO terms, as she was very
near coming, without battle,
at that time. however, II was the
general impression Of foreign powers
and probably In Spain that her navy
would blow us out Of the water.
"All the foregoing deals with ques-
lions Of eXpedlency which are the only
questions raised In the circular But
this Is question Of principle and that
question strangely the circular does
not touch. The singers, It seems to me,
instead of raising the question OF how
big the navy should be, should have
raised the question Of whether there
shall be any navy at all, This | do not
propose to argue, as until the world
moves much farther toward the mIllen-
mum, It Is hardly worth while to argue
It,
In determining the question what
shall be the size Of our navy there are
a great many things to be considered.
some Of which / have referred to,
For Instance. our world relations
have expanded vastly IN the last three
years In territorial extent and vastly
more In international extent, II has been
an extension not only upon the oonti-
nent, but upon the ocean itself and the
islands Of the sea In both henispheres.
Our commerce has greatly increased In
volume and area and our American
marine Is likely 10 follow suit As ON
land, so on ocean, as you extend your
commerce so you must expand your pc-
lice force. II there Is 10 be a navy at
all II should be commensurate with all
these extended relations and demands.
We are the richest nation of the world,
with larger income than any other.
II, then, the size of our navy should
correspond TO our national and Inter
national size and we have the cash on
hand, II would seem the simplest good
business sense, the simplest good busl-
ness care Of our own interests to in
crease the navy, and whether this
shall cost S20,0O0OOO or S75,OO0O 900 or
800 600 900 II Is not an extravaganza TO
cut out our garment according to our
cloth. especially as last year there was
no appropriation for such an increase,
II Is like the rich man grading his ex-
penditures TO his income. and thus
making It serve the general welfare az
well as his own. II is like having po-
llcemen enough instead Of having
number so limited that the roughs are
tempted TO riot There certainly is a
heap OF comfort in feeling that II ml-
lions are now spent for the navy the
money is I'm the I'LL to spend II Is a
case where the people can have their
cake and eat It. too; they can have
their ships and they can have in their
pockets the money paid for building
them.
81 will not pursue the topic further,
but a United States naval vessel cal
rying our flag into the ports and har-
bors of the world Is something more
than fighting machine II means re-
ations with those ports; It means an
awakening and lively respect there foe
our country; 1t means recognition Of
the outreach OF our civilization, COM
merce and influence; II means lust what
would be meant II a fine representative
Of New York or Boston carrying her
prestige exploiting her interests were
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