The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1904-09-14


the utmost care and conservatism and
by. the friends and not the enemies of
the protective system. They cannot af
ford to trust the modification to those
who treat protection and robbery as
synonymous terms.
In closing what have TO say about
the system Of promoting American in
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 creditable
to us as a nation that our great export
and import trade should be well nigh
exclusively in the hands of foreigners.
The Army.
1t is difficult to know II our oppo-
nents are really sincere in their de-
mand for the reduction of the army.
If inslncere 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 G0,0O0
men which * taking care of the inter
ests of over $4,000, ,0OOpeople? The army
is now relatively smaller than 1t was III
the days of Washington, when on the
peace establishment there were 5000
soldiers. while there were little less
than four millions of population;
smaller than it was in the peaceful
days of Jefferson. when there We're
800 soldiers to 100000 population.
There is now one soldier to every 1,40O
people in this country, less than one
tenth of l 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
upbuiding of the organized militia Of
the country. The war department is
engaged in systematic effort to
strengthen and develop the national
guard in the several states, as witness
among many other instances the great
field maneuvers Mt 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 us they
now treat the promises they made in
1896 and 1D0O-that is, as possessing
no binding force-or else they would
have to embark on u policy which
would be ludicrous at the moment and
fraught With grave danger to the ma
tional honor in the future.
"Extravagance of the Government
Our opponents contend that the gov
ernment is now administered eXtrava-
gantly and that whereas there was "a
surplus of $SO,OO0,O0O in 1900" there
is a deficit of more than $40,000,000'
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 SjO,0O0,0UO
which was paid for the right of way
of the Panama canal out of the ac-
cumulated 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 diminutlon 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 declam against the increased
expense of the government unless it Is
| intended to cut down the very eXpend-
| lures which cause the increase. Do
our opponents grudge the $50,O0OOOO
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 stop to the irrigation
policy or to the permanent census bu-
reau or TO immigration inspcctiont 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
| fortiiications? If there is 10 be Il real
! and substantial cutting down I'm ma
tlonal expenditures ii must be in such
matters as these. The department Of
agriculture has done service of meal
cuable value to the farmers of this
country in many different lines. DO
our opponents wish 10 cut down the
money for this service? They can do
it only by destroying the usefulness Of
! the service itself.
Tho Philippines.
Our opponents promise independence
TO the Philippine Islands Here again
we are confronted by their irrcconcila-
bic differences of opinion among them.
| selvns thplr nrnNel mnbilitY 10 crpntp