Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-13

by the friends and not the enemies OF
the protective system. They cannot af
ford to trust the modification to those
who treat protection and robbery as
synonymous terms.
The Merchant Marine.
"In closing what | have to say about
the system of promoting American in.
dustry let me add word of cordial
agreement with the policy of in some
way including within it's benefits, by
appropriate legislation. the American
merchant marine. 1t is not creditable
to us as nation that our great eX-
port and import trade should be well
nigh exclusively in the hands of for
eigners.
! at is difficult to know if our oppon-
ents are really sincere in their demand
for the reduction of the army If insin.
cere. there is no need for comment
and if sincere what shall we say in
speaking to rational persons of an ap-
peal to reduce an army of 10000 men
which is taking care of the interests
of over S00000o0 people? The army
is now relatively smaller than it was
in the days of Washington, when on
the peace establishment there were g.
600 soldiers, while there were a little
less than 100000 of population;
smaller than it was in the peaceful
days Of Jefferson, when there were 81
100 soldiers to 100000 population.
| There is now one soldier to every L.
400 people in this country-less than
ITO of ! per cent. We cannot be asked
seriously to argue as to the amount of
possible tyranny contained in these
! figures. The army as it is now is as
small as it can possibly be and serve
its purpose as an effective nucleus for
the organization, equipment and sup
i ply of volunteer army in time of
need. 1t is now used. as never before,
for aiding in the upbuilding of the or
ganized militia of the country. The
war department is engaged in a sys-
tematic effort to strengthen and de-
velop the national guard in the sever
al states: as witness. among many 9TH
er instances. the great field maneuv-
ers at Manassas. which have just clos
ed. If our opponents should come in
| to power they could not reduce our ar
my below it's present size without
greatly impairing its efficiency and
abandoning part of the national duty.
In short,in this matter,if our opponents
should come into power they would
either have to treat this particular
promise of the year 1904 as they now
treat the promises they mare in 1896
and 1900, that is, as possessing no
binding force; or else they would have
to embark ,ons,a. policy which would be
ludicrous at the moment and fraught
with grave danger to the national hon
or in the future.
An Imaginary Deficit.
"Our opponents contend that the
government is now administered eX-
travagantly and that whereas, there
was surplus of SS0,000,000 in 1900
there is a deficit of more than $40,-
100000 in the year that has just clos
ed.
This deficit is imaginary, and is OBJ
tanned by including in the ordinary
current expenses the sum of s5O,O00,-
coo, which was paid for the right of
way of the Panama canal out Of the
accumulated surplus in the treasury.
Comparing the current or ordinary ex-
penditures for the two years, there
was surplus of nearly eight millions
for the year 1900. and of only little
more than eight millions for the year
that has just closed But this diminu-
ton of the annual eurplus was brought
about designedly by the abolition of
the war taxes in the interval between
the two dates. The act of
March 2. 1901 and April IL, 1902,
cut down the internal revenue
taxes to an amount estimated at one
hundred and five million a year. In
other words, the reduction of taxation
his been considerably greater than the
reduction in the annual surplus. Since
the close of the war with Spain there
has been no substantial change in the
rate of annual expenditures. AS COM
pared with the fiscal year ending in
June. 1901, for example, the fiscal
year that has just closed showed a
relatively small increase in expendi-
ture Excluding the canal payment al
ready referred to- while the year pre-
vious showed a relatively small de-
crease.
"The expenditures of the nation have
been managed in spirit of economy
as far removed from waste as from
niggardliness: and in the future every
effort will be continued to secure an
economy as strict as is consistent
with efficiency. Once more our op-
ponents have promised what they can
not or should not perform. The prime
reason why the expenses of the gov
eminent have increased OF recent
years is to be found in the fact that
the people. after mature thought, have
deemed it wise to have certain new
forms of work for the public undertake
en- by the public. This necessitates
such expenditures. for instance. as
those for rural free delivery,o or for the
inspection of meats under the depart
ment of agriculture, or for irrigation.
But these new expenditures are nee
essary; no one would seriously pro-
pose to abandon them; and yet it is
idle to declaim against the increased
expense of the government unless it Is
intended to cut down the very eXpen-
ditures which cause the increase. The
pensions to the veterans of the civil
war are demanded by every sentiment
of regard and gratitude. The rural free