Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-17
That months work.

principle of protection. as il has been en-
bodied in all but one of the American tar
In laws for the last forty years has
worked out results so beneficent. so even
ly and widely spread. advantageous
alike to farmers and capitalists and work
ingmen, to commerce and trade of every
kind, that the American people If they
show their usual practical business sense.
will insist that when these laws are mod
flied they shall be modified with the ut
most care and conservatism and by the
friends and not the enemies of the pro-
tective system They cannot afford to
trust the modification to those who treat
protection and robbery as synonymous
terms.
In closing what 1 have to say about
the system of promoting American indus
try let me add a word of cordial agree
ment with the policy of in some way in
Guiding within its benefits by appropriate
legislation the American merchant ma
rine. 1t is not creditable to as a ma
ton that our great export and import
trade should be well nigh exclusively in
the hands of foreigners.
II Is difhcult to know IL our opponents
are really sincere in their demand for
the reduction of the army If insincere
there is no need for comment and if sim
cere what shall we say in speaking to ra-
tional persons of appeal TO reduce an
army of $4,000 men which is taking care
OF the interests of over so. 600 900 peopleP
The army is now relatively smaller than
1t was in the days of Washington. when
on the peace establishment there were
$500 soldiers, while there were n little
less than 100000 of population; smaller
than II was in the peaceful days of JEFF
ferson. when there were s. 100 soldiers to
100000 population. There is now one SOL
der to every 14o0 people in this country
less than one-tenth of 1 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 supply
OF volunteer army in time of need. 1t
is now used. as never before, for aiding i'm
the upbuiding of the organized militia OF
the country. The war department is en-
gagged in a systematic effort to strengthen
and develop the national guard in the
several states-as witness. among many
other instances the great field maneuvers
at Manassas which have Just closed If
our opponents should come into power
they could not reduce our army below it's
present size without greatly imparing it's
efhciency and abandoning part of the ma
tional duty. In short in this matter if
our opponents should come into power
they would either have to treat this par-
ticulsr promise of the year 1904 as they
now treat the promises they made in 1896
and 19O0-that is. as possessing no binding
torce-or else they would have to embark
on policy which would be ludicrous at
the moment and fraught with grave dam
future.
Our opponents contend that the gov
errment is now administered extrava-
gantly, and that whereas there was "a
surplus of SSO.00o000 i'm 1900" there is "a
deficit of more than $4,000 OOO' in the year
that has just closed.
This deficit is imaginary and is Obtain
ed by including in the ordinary current
expenses the sum of $4,000. coo which was
paid for the right of way of the Panama
canal out of the accumulated surplus in
h.
ordinary expenditures for the two years
there was a surplus of nearly $50. 600 600
Cor the year 1900 and of only a littsS more
than SS,00O.0O0 for the year that has lust
closed. But this dlminution of the annual
surplus was brought about designedly by
the abolition of the war taxes in the in
terval between the two dates. The acts
OF March ?. 1901. and April IL. 1902. cut
down the internal revenue taxes to an
amount estimated at $1O5 600 600 a year In
other words the reduction of taxation has
been considerably greater than the reduc-
tion in the annual surplus. Since the close
OF the war with Spain there has been no
substantial change i'm the rate OF annual
expenditures. As compared with the fis-
cal year ended in June. 1901, for example
the fiscal year that has Just closed show
ed a relatively small increase in expendi-
ture excluding the canal payment al
ready referred to. while the year previous
showed a relatively small decrease
The expenditures of the nation have
been managed in spirit OF economy as
far removed from waste as from mig
gardlincss, and in the future every effort
VIII be continued to secure an economy as
strict as is consistent with efficiency
once more our opponents have promised
what they cannot or should not perform
The prime reason why the expenses of the
government have increased OF recent
years is to be found in the fact that the
people after mature thought have deemed
IL wise to have certain new forms OF
work for the public undertaken by the
public. This necessitates such expendi-
lures, Tor instance, as those for rural free
delivery or for the inspection OF meats
under the department OF agriculture. or
Tor irrigation. But these new cxpendi-
lures are necessary. No one would seri-
ously propose to abandon them. And vet
IL Is idle TO declaim against the increased
expense of the government unless il is in
tended TO cut down the very expenditures
which cause the increase. The pensions
TO the veterans OF the civil war are de-
manded by every sentiment of regard and
gratitude. The rural free delivery is of
the greatest use ana convenience to the
farmers, "a body of men who live under
conditions which make them ordinarily
receive little direct return for what they
pay toward the support of the govern
ment. The irrigation policy in the arid
and semiarid regions OF the west is one
1raught with the most beneficent and far
reaching good to the actual settlers, the
u a
traditional feature in Americas national
policy Do our opponents grudge the $50
100000 paid for the Panama canal? DO
they Intend to cut down on the pensions
TO the veterans OF the civil war? DO they
intend 10 put stop to the irrigation rol-
Icy or TO the permanent census bureau
or TO immigration inspection? Do they
intend to abolish rural free delivery? Do
they intend to cut down the navy or tho
Alaskan telegraph system? Do they IN
tend TO dismantle our coast Notifications?
If there is to be a real and substantial
cutting down in national expenditures il
must be in such matters as these. The
department of agriculture has done sery-
Ice of incalculable value to the farmers of
this country in many different lines. Do
our opponents wish TO cut down the mon
ey for this service? They can do il only
by destroying the usefulness of the serv-
ice itself.
The public work of the United States
mas never been conducted with a higher
degree OF honesty and efficiency than at
the present time, and a special need of
praise belongs TO those officials responsi-