The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-01
TROUBLE AHEAD TOR REPUBLI-
 CANS.

an unmitigated misfortuhe ioF e"o Democracy, after all. There Is more than a probability that there will be something doing" within and during the ensuing four years that will make the positiod of the Republican Party not at all an enviable or pleasant one. and one of the troubles likely to con- front them will be an insuficient and diminishing revenue. e.
 It Is we'll known that during the recent campaign there were frequent references to that nightmare of any administration. a dehcit. and it is equally we'll known that Republican, politicians either denied that there was anything of the kind or else explained it away, claiming that there was noth- ing serious about 1t and that at the worst 1t would be only temporary. That was the position taken by best inform ed Republican statesmen, because they we'll knew that if 1t were known for a that serious dencit threaten ed 1t would assuredly have . bad effect on the party's chances. For that reason all talk about financial difiicul- ties in the near future was sneered at or declared to be Democratic campaign lies.
 Now that the campaign is over and nothing is to be gained by suppressins the facts the truth Is coming out. There Is not only a present deAcit, but a larger one in prospect. and 1t can no longer be denied. explained away or charged to Democratic misrepresenta- tion. We notice in The New York Commercial the statement that Zee retary Shaw, in his forthcoming annual report, will warn Congress of the urgent necessity of going slow in the matter of appropriations for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1 next. if the present growing treasury deficit Is not soon to reach dangerous pro- portions"
 The Commercial says the deficit for the present fiscal year is about $26.- ooo.ooo largely due to the excess of ex. penditures over government receipts since July i. Then it argues in this way:
 It is highly doubtful, however, if Congress can be persuaded to adopt policy of economy sufficiently sharp to the then approaching Presidential cleo ton, Congress at it's last session made no river and-harbor appropriations. but all indications so to show that this Is Snsy S be These The a ae tions are almost invariably Of huge proportions; and, should Congress pass bill of this character during the coming winter. the most sweeping other appropriations-ane event that is not at all probabie--in order to bring the governments expenditures down to the level of its income. Even then toms receipts win not continue to fall off. just as they have been doing for some time past.
 And 1t is foolish to overlook the, fact that the needs of the government in the way of revenue are constantly inereas- ing. even though Congress were always to practise the severest economy. and that the day is not far of when this ad- ditional revenue must be supplied. This revenue must be derived mainly from tariff duties-which means that such duties must be brought more nearly to & strictly revenue basis than they now are. Why should not Congress begin to prepare for the inevitable by taking steps at once in this direction? It Is seemingly the one assured way of meet ing the situation that now confronts the treasury.
 If Judge Parker had been elected the Democrats would have gone into oficc on the 4th day of next March facing an embarrassing deficit, depleted treasu- ry and an insufficient and diminishing revenue. If we judge the future by the past the Republicans. in such an event. would have made liberal. if not reckless. appropriations at the coming session so as to still further embarrass the incoming administration. As Cleveland had to take over the em- barrassing conditions brought to the government by the Harrison admins tration. so Judge Parker would have inherited the empty treasury. the over due claims and the failing revenues caused by Republican extravaganza and mismanagement.
 The Commercial sees the danger and suggests the remedy. or remedies. for more than one must be applied. It may be that the Republicans. knowing that they must bear all the blame and reap the consequences, will endeavor to call halt on the march of reckless extravagance that Is characteristic of their party, and in that case the ap- propriations for rivers and harbors. which are among the u.oat rnaritortoua expenses incurred by the government. will be cut down. and some other ex- penses reduced. but we hardly expect to see any reduction in appropriations intended to display the Republican ideas of grandeur and strength. That must go on though the heavens fall.
 It may be, too, as The Commercial suggests that the administration and the Congress may make a determined and earnest effort to adjust the tarift to a revenue basis, however much they may object to adopting good Demo- cratic policies, but that will mean a tariff to produce revenue instead of one to enrich few favored ones, and that is hardly to be expected from Re- publicans. But whatever course they take there is promise of trouble ahead for them, and Democrats may yet have cause for congratulation that they are relieved of all responsibility.
 
 NOT MUCH CONSOLATION.
 The Kansas City JournaI is not as