Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-25
COST oE The ARMY

The democratic campaign book and
the democratic orators are still harp.
ing on ''militarism" and charging that
the American military establishment
costs the people more than does that
of Great Britain the English people. 1t
is transparent 'falsehood, but it
shows the attitude of the democratic
party toward a class of citizens whom
the people of the north have delighted
to honor. The total expenditures of
the war department last wear
amounted to $115.000,00O and $4,000.
600 of that was for the Improvement
of rivers and harbors, soldiers homes,
government telegraphs and other
items in no way part of the expense
of the United States army. but ex.
pended under the administration of
the war department because the gov.
eminent engineers who had charge of
these public works are connected with
the army
To make the cost of the army an.
pear large the democrats add the ex.
pend1ture for pensions as part of the
cost of the military establishment. By
such methods they assert that the cost
OF the army to the American people is
$3.50, 100000 a year, when this cost is
about $75,00O,00O or one-fourth of that
amount. The war budget of Great
Britain last year was $4,000, 900 OF
nearly five times as great as ours.
The Idea of including the appropria
ton for pensions in the war budget
Is new one and it originated with
Senator Culberson Of Texas. 1t is not
surprising that q Texas democrat OF
any other southern democrat should
try to make the cost of pensions an
pear offensive and call it militarism
The southern democrats have ALWAYS
opposed the legislation to pension the
defenders Of the union who prevented
the southern people from destroying
the union. 1t is not difficult to trace
the opposition Of Senator Culberson
and other southern democrats to the
pension appropriation. They object to
taking care of the old soldiers who
prevented the south from setting I'M q
government Of its own.
1t Is however, a curious phase ri
this campaign, that Judge Parker and
the northern democrats who are sun
porting him for president have AZ
cepted the southern opposition to pen
sions as the true democratic doctrine
The people of the north have for forty
years sought to make some slight
compensation to the union veterans
who defended the flag and they have
approved the pension legislation OF
congress. There is not northern
democrat running for congress who
VIII dare assert his intention of voting
10 repeal a single pension law on the
statute books, but with a democratic
congress the southern men would be
IN control because they would be in
the majority and dictate to the caucus
Judge Parker and his southern SUP
porters call the pensions part of the
,mllitarism,' to which they object. AS
the pension bill is much greater than
the cost of the army, it may be as
sumed that the democrats regard pen
slons as more Objectionable and q
greater danger as "militarism" than is
the army. The old soldiers and their
friends should see to it that the demo
cratlc party does not have an oppor
tunity to revoke the pension order OF
President Roosevelt or in any other
way interfere with the present system
OF taking care of the defenders of the
union. The way to insure this is by
leaving Judge Parker and the demo
cratic candidate for congress al
home where they will not be subjected
to the temptation to make good their
pledges to destroy this kind of mill
tarism."