The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-09-13

| the American tariff laws for the las
forty years has worked out results 3,
beneficent, Sc evenly and widel,
spread. 81 advantageous alike to farm
ers and capitalists and workingmen, t,
commerce and trade OF every kinc
that the American people, il they show
their usual practical business sense
will insist that when these laws are
| modified they shall be modified with
the utmost care and conservatism and
| by the friends and not the enemies Of
the protective system. They cannot at.
ford to trust the modification to those
who treat protection and robbery az
i Synonymous terms.
| In closing what have to say about
| the system Of promoting American Id.
| dustry let me add word of cordial
agreement with the policy Of In some
| way including within its benefits by
appropriate legislation the American
merchant marine. 1t is not credstable
to us ais q nation that our great export
and import trade should be well nigh
exclusively in the hands Of foreigners.
The Army.
1t Is difl1cult to know If our oppo-
nents are really sincere in their de
mand for the reduction OF the army.
If insincere there Is no need for com
ment, and If sincere, what shall we
say in speaking to rational persons OF
an appeal to reduce an army Of 10000
| men which IL taking care Of the inter
ests Of over 80 O00. 000people? The army
is now relatively smaller than it was In
the days Of Washington, when on the
! peace establishment there were 1890
soldiers, while there were little less
than four millions of population;
| smaller than it was In the peaceful
| days Of Jefferson, when there were
800 soldiers to 100000 population.
| There is now one soldier to every 1,400
| people In this country. less than one
| tenth of per cent. We cannot be
| asked seriously to argue as to the
amount OF possible tyranny contained
in these figures. The army is now
used as never before for aiding In the
| upbuilding OF the organized militia of
| the country The war department is
| engaged Id 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 its 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 particu-
lar promise Of the year 1904 as they
now treat the promises they made in
1896 and 1900 that is, as possessing
no binding force or else they Would
have to embark on policy which
would be ludicrous at the moment and
fraught with grave danger to the ma
tional honor in the future.
"Extravaaanoe Of the Government
Our opponents contend that the gov
eminent is now administered extrava-
| gantly ana that whereas there was "a
surplus OF $80,000000 in 1900 there
is deficit Of more than $40, 900 900"
in the year that has just closed
! This deficit is imaginary and is OBJ
tanned by including In the ordinary cur
| rent expenses the sum OF $4,000, 900
which was paid for the right Of way
| of the Panama canal out Of the ac-
cumulHted surplus in the treasury.
| Comparing the current or ordinary ex-
| penditures for the two years there was
surplus Of nearly eighty millions for
the year 1900 and of only little more
| than eight millions for the year that
has just closed But this diminution Of
the annual surplus was brought about
designedly by the abolition of the war
taxes In the interval between the two
dates. Since the close of the war with
Spain there has been no substantial
change in the rate of annual expendi-
| lures. AS compared with the fiscal
year ending in June, 1901. for exam
pie, the fiscal year that has just closed
showed relatively small increase in
expenditure Excluding the canal pay
ment already referred to-, while the
year previous showed relatively
small decrease.
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 it wise to have certain
new forms Of work for the public un-
dertaken by the public. This necessi-
tates such expenditures for instance.
as those for rural free delivery or for
the inspection Of meats under the de-
partment Of agriculture or for irriga-
ton. But these new expenditures are
necessary. No one would seriously
propose to abandon them. And yet 1t
is Idle to declaim against the increased
expense of the government unless it In
intended to cut down the very expend-
lures which cause the increase, Do
our opponents grudge the S50,000,00
paid for the Panama canal? Do they
intend to cut down on the pensions to
the veterans of the civil war; DO they
intend to put a stop to the irrigation
policy or to the permanent census bu-
reau or to immigration Inspections Do
they intend to abolish rural free deliv-
cry? Do they intend to cut down the
navy or the Alaskan telegraph system?
DO they intend to dismantle our coast
fortifications? If there is to be real
and substantial cutting down in ma
tional expenditures 1t must be in such
matters as these. The department Of