New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-28
SPECIFICATIONS WANTED.

In his letter of acceptance Judge Parker
echoes the demand of the Democratic national
platform for economy in federal expend-
lures. With the authors of that platform he
declares that large reductions can easily be
made in the annual expenditures of the gov
'ernment without impairing the efficiency of
"any branch Of the public service" The St
Louis convention had a fit of hesitation after
committing itself to such a positive statement
IT Immediately hedged by announcing that any
economy and frugality" aimed at must be
compatible with efficient civil, military and
naval Administrations" Now, under pressure
from radical and at times hysterical critics of
"profigacy" like "The rew-York World" the
Democratic Presidential candidate becomes
shade or two more specific He actually brings
himself to say, without qualifying provisos or
exceptions: Reform in expenditures must be
had in the civil, military and naval establish
"mentg"
Yet this latest economy pledge still lacks
little in defniteness. AS we pointed out when
Democratic statesmen began to be seized a
month or two ago with a consuming anxiety
TO return TO "Jefrersonian frugality," a wide
and easy choice in lines Of retrenchment is Of
fered them. II they really desire economy" at
any and ali hazards, they have only to look
about them TO frame a tempting ''anti-prohi-
gacy" programme. There are half a dozen
by repeating existing laws or refusing to make
appropriations under them. The Democratic
party could formally promise 10 abandon the
Panama Canal and get back, If possible the
S50000000 purchase money already invested in
the canal project 1t could stop naval cOnstruc-
ton reduce the army to half its present size.
quit building coast defences, suspend apprOpria-
tons for river and harbor Improvements. re-
duce pension payments or cut off rural free
delivery in the postal service. On any one OF
these lines many millions of dollars might be
saved annually by an administration which
thought It sound public policy TO sacrifice all
other considerations 10 a passion for cheese
pairing.
But has the Democratic party or the Demo-
cratic Presidential candidate any specific and
genuine measures of economy in mind? The
st. Louis convention pledged the party to con-
struct the Panama Canal 1t also favored lib
eral pensions and liberal appropriations for
rivers and harbors. 1t approved the Newlands
desert irrigation act and tried to claim the
credit of suggesting and enactlng that impor-
tant piece of legislation 1t raised not 4 Wits
per Of protest against rural free delivery, or
against our present policy Of naval expansion.
1t singled out the army alone for an experiment
in economy" and demonstrated its fervor for
"frugality" in this dubious and faint-h arted
resolution:
We favor the reduction Of the army and OF
army expenditure TO the point historically de-
monstrated 10 be safe and sufficient
But has Judge Parker really done any better
than the straddlers and paradox makers who
wrote the st. Louis platform? He thundeTs in
the index that reform must be had IN the civil
military and naval establishments" But when,
how and where? Should the army be cut down
to the $4,000 limit maintained before the Span
ish war? Have all the painful struggles of the
last six years TO put our military establishment
on a rational and effective footing been a waste
and folly2 Is the growth of the navy TO be
checked? Is its personnel to be reduced? And
in the civil administration what specific reforms
are to be undertaken? The one specific pledge
Of Judge Parker's letter looks to an enlarge
ment rather than to a retrenchment in the pen
sion list and to an increase, not a reduction, in
pension expenditures In what other and diff
ferent direction is economy" to be enforced?
Or are Judge Parker's ideas Of retrenchment as
vague, elusive and as purely rhetorical as
the ideas Of the buncOmbe reformers who wrote
the general economy passages of the ST Louis
platform?