The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-05
MIR. GORMAN'S PROTEST AGAINST
MILITARISM.

q
on the last day of the present Con-
gress. Mr.. German made brief state
ment in the Senate in which, after ar
raigning the Republican majority for
extravaganza he criticized the effort
OF the present administration to copy
Germany's militarism where every
man "as he goes to work must carry
soldier on his shoulders" Mr.. Cor
man always speaks with moderation
and weighs his words. In all his pub
lie career, he has never SO wisely
pointed out the right path of legisla-
ton as during the past session of Con-
gress. from his opposition to endors-
ing executive usurpation in the Pana-
ma canal scandal to his arraignment
of extravaganza and militarism in the
closing hours of Congress. Already
extracts from that clear-cut and wise
speech have appeared in the Associated
Press dispatches, but there is so much
wisdom and food for thought in his
indictment of the Republican majority
that we print the full text below as
follows:
"a few years ago a billion of dollars
for a Congress SO startled the country
that the political power was changed.
and now in a time of profound peace
the appropriations for this session
amount to over 100000.
1.-The rapidity with which we have
increased the appropriations is amaz-
ing. amounting now to $S00,00O,000,
while the estimated revenues of the
Government, according to the Secreta-
ry of the Treasury, for the fiscal year
beginning July next are only $704,-
472.072. Mr.. President, this means
increased taxation unless expenditures
are reduced.
''Why is it that the Administration
of President Roosevelt-of course in
Guiding that portion of President Nc
Kinley's Administration before his un-
fortunate taking off-has made it ne
cessary for Congress to appropriate in
four year $2,500,000,000 War has
not threatened us and there has been
nothing extraordinary in the conduct
of the affairs of the Government, ex-
cept the costly policy inaugurated to
make this country so-called world
power
Think of it. sir. Within four years
a billion of dollars more than was ex-
years of 1870, 1871, 1872, and 1873.
During that period the total expendi-
lures were $1.169,693,957. This Adj
ministration, in a time of peace. re-
quires in four years appropriations
amounting to $2,511, 34S, 370.70, an in
crease in four years, as compared with
President Grants Administration, of
$1.341, 654,413.70.
"Mr. President from what does it
81 hut q inJ1 hi
Government has entered upon of ac-
During colonies and the subsection
and control of people with whom we
ought to have no relations except COM
mercial? IT is because the President
of the United States. supported by
his party. has determined that we
shall become a great world power.
and, as an evidence of it, we must
have a navy second only to that of
Great Britain at a cost of 1886, 172,-
9S4 in four years of the present Adj
ministration. and. in addition, there
has been appropriated for the Army
$360.442.S96. making for war purposes
n total of $685., 615,S $50.
THE Senator from Iowa says we
have passed the appropriation bills
without special criticism and without
a division in this Chamber; that the
poSt-office appropriation bill and the
sundry civil appropriation bill and all
the balance of the great appropriation
bills have been passed without the
yeas and nays being called, and there
fore he assumes that both sides of
the Chamber believe that the appro-
priations are fair and right. Mr..
President. that is not just statement
TO this side of the Chamber. We have
insisted from the beginning of this
session that there were extravaganza
and corruption i'm the Departments
and that inquiry should be instituted
and facts ascertained.
'tMr. President, as I stated a mo-
ment ago, we have endeavored to get
the facts from the Departments in
order to ascertain how and in what
way we might make proper reduction
of expenditures. That inquiry we
have been denied. We have obtaine ed
no information whatever for the con-
sideration of these matters. except
that which the Departments have
seen proper to give us. / say to the
Senator from Iowa that, while / am
n member of the Committee on Post
Office and Post-Roads, in the consid-
Grafton of that particular appropria-
ton bill the committee were governed
by the rule which the majority party
have established, and pressed the con-
sideration of the bill without that
careful scrutiny without that infor-
nation to which I think we were en-
titled. I have no doubt that while in
some respects the provisions of the
present law are better than those of a
year ago, still they are far from per-
feet I think if there was q
proper, a thorough, and complete