Graham guardian., 1902-07-04
COST OF IMPERIALISM,
War Department Now Costs as Much as
tho Entire Civil Government Of the
Country

Country
According to Washington ad-
vices imperialism is costing the |
people Of the United States an
enormous sum annually. The War
Department is spending sum
equal to the entire cost Of the civil
and miscellaneous expenses of
the government,
Despite the claims ofthe admins
tration that the war is over in the
Philippines and that thore had |
been . general reduction Of eX.
penses, the War Department shows
that before the expiration Of the
fiscal year ending June 30, the War
Department will have expended |
.Sll7.G00,000. The entire civil cx-
penses Of the government, includ.
ing the pay Of the President, Sona-
tors and Representatives, courts,
clerks in the various departments
and all other expenses, will be IN
excess Of this amount only Il few
hundred thousand dollars,
Since 1887, the year before the
outbreak Of hosDiIitios with Spain
tha war expenses of the War De
purjment have grown to sum
which was never dreamed Of at
that time. The following compar-
iSon shows this rapid increase:
IH"i ...'..........5 IH,"2O,zo!
1898 ....,....,.... 9L9g2,0J0 /
1899 .............. 229,S4l, ,254
1900 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. i8bliAIbI !
1901 ............... li4,515,66I |
1902 .........,..,.. llI000.005 /
Daring Che same period the cost
Of tho navy has grown from S3+,
0ep000 annually 80 s70,o0g,On0-
more thau double ia cost.
The combined cost Of The army |!
and navy Of the United States is |
equal to a per capita tax Of $ZI5I
on every man, woman and child in
United States. These sums do notI
include. the enormous amounts ex-
pended on the army and navy by |
officers in the Philippines audI
Cuba, which were paid out Of the
insu!ar treasures.
20 the present time neither the
Philippines, Porto Gico. Guam or
Cuba has ne.tcd anything to the |
government. The colony posses /
sioDs have been ~ constant drain |
upon She national treasury, and
through il upon the taxpayers oil
the country
-Four years after the close Of the
civil Har-tbc most disasirous thei
world has ever Euowu-the war
expenses Of the government
amounted to but $78,090,000, and
that Of the navy &2O,O00,000 q
total Of $96,0O0,00V, rs aguinslI
5lS7,O0O,0GO four years after The
close Of the war with Spain.
Secretary Root, in report to
the Senate, places the cost Of the
war in the Philippines alone OF
a170, ,326,566, which does not in
cludo the $40, 100000 paid Spain as
an indemnity. The Secretary M
gues that much Of the expense in
the Philippines, was not properly
chargeable to military operations,
at the pay and maintenance Of the
army would have gone ON whether
in the United States or elsewhere.
He makes no reference TO the fact
that it is because Of the cXigcncies
in these islands that the army was
increased to 100000.
The total cost Of the war in tho
Philippines, including navy and
other expenses, will be in neigh
borhood of 5O,000,000, without
the chance for the return Of sin
gle dollar. In addition to this
the pension rolls will be largely
by reasons Of soldiers
incurring disabilities in the tropi-
cal service and through death and
Thousands Of soldiers
have been killed in battle or by
disease.
The army alone requires about
one half of the total receipts from
customs for its support The Gus
tom receipts average about $780,
600 day. The internal revenue
receipts average about 81,000,000
Il day.
Despite these enormous expcndi-
lures for the army and navy, the
treasury today has an available
cash balance ofS2O2, 1875, l4G. which
is the largest in years. The sur
plus, as shown by the statement Of
The treasurer, is $80,2lO,728, but
here is outstanding against this
sufficient to bring the
sum down to zero.
Instructive Tables.