The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-12

of the farmers to the manufacturers is
equally heavy. and the future OF
American agriculture is bound up in
the future of American manufactures.
The two Industries have become, under
the economic policy of our govern
ment, so closely interviewer, so mu-
tually interdependent, that neither can
hope to maintain itself at the high
water mark of progress without the
other. Whatever makes to the ad-
vantage of one is equally to the ad7
vantage of the other.
Capitalist and Wage Workers
So it is as between the capitalist and
wage worker. Here and there may De
an unequal sharing as between the Two
in the benefits that have come by pro
lection; but benefits have come 10 Dotn'
and a reversal in policy would mean
damage to both; and While the Damage
would be heavy to all, it would be heaV-
iesf and If would fan soonest, upon
those who are paid in the form OF wages
each week or each month Tor that
weeks or that months work.
Conditions change and the laws must
be modified from time to time to MT new
exfgencIes. But the genuine underlying
principle OF protection, as II mas peeh
embodied in all but one of the Amerl-
can tariff laws for the last forty years,
has worked out results so beneficent,
so evenly and widely spread, so advan-
tageOuS alike to farmers and capitalists
and workinemen, to commerce and
trade of every kind, that the American
people. If they show their usual prac-
teal business sense, VIII lnSlSl lhdt
when these laws are modified they snail
be modified with the utmost care ana
conserva tism, and by the friends ana
not the enemies Of the protective sys-
tenn They cannot afford to trust the
modification to those who treat protec-
ton and robbery as synonymous terms |
In closing what 1 have TO say ABOUT
the system of promoting American IN
dustry let me add word OF cordialI
agreement with the policy or IN some
way including within its benefits, by
appropriate legislation, the American
merchant marine. 1t is not credltaple
TO US as a nation that our great export
and import trade should be well nlSn
exclusively in the bands of foreigners |
II is difficult to know if our opponents |
are really sincere in their demand for |
the reduction of the army. II 1nsincere
there is no need for comment, ana II
sincere what shall we say in speaking
TO rational persons of an appeal TO re-
duce an army of sixty thousand men
which is taking care of the interests OF
over eighty million people? The army is
now relatively smaller than 1t was IN /
the days of Washington. when on the
peace establishment there were thir-
ty-six hundred soldiers, while there
were a little less than four millions
of population; smaller than it was III
the peaceful days of Jefferson, when
there were fifty-One hundred soldiers TO
five million three hundrd thousand pop
ulation. Thre is now one soldier TO eN-
cry fourteen hundred people IN TINS
country-less than one-tenth OF one per
cent We cannot be asked seriously TO
argue as to the amount OF possible ~
ranny contained in these figures Inc
army as it is now is as small as II can
possible be and serve Its purpose as an
effective nucleus for the organization
equipment, and supply OF a volunteer
army in time of need 1t is now useo'
as never before. for aiding in the up
building of the organized militia OF the
country. The War Department Is en-
gagged in systematic EFFORT 10 sTehs-
then and develop the National Guard III
the several States; as witness, among
many other instances, the great neld
manOeuvers at Manassas, which nave
lust closed. If our opponents should
come into power they could not reduce
our army below its present size WltnouI
greatly impairing its efficiency ana
abandoning part of the NatlOnaI oulS-
In short in this matter, if our oppo-
nents should come into power they
would either have to treat TINS partlcu-
lar promise of the year as they nov nov
treat the promises they made in 1896
and 1900. that is, as possessing no
binding force; or else they would nave
TO embark on policy which Woulo pc
with grave danger to the National non
or in the future.
Charge of Extravaganza.
Our opponents contend that the gov
eminent is now administered eXtraN-
agantly. and that whereas there was
"a s1rnIus of SSO,OOO,000 in 1900" I
there is "a deficit of more than $4O,-
900. 900" in the year that has just
closed
tanned by including in the ordinary
current expenses the sum or nIty nil
lions, which was paid for the rlgnt OF
way of the Panama canal out OF the
accumulated surplus in the treasury.
Comparing the current or ordinary eX- /
pendit1res for the two years, there was
a surplus of nearly eighty millions Tor
the YEAR 1900 and of only a little
more than eight millions for the year
that has just closed. But this dlmlnu-
ton of the annual surplus was brought
about designedly by the abolition OF I
the two dates The acts of March 2,
1901. and April II, 1902, cut down the
internal revenue taxes to an amount
estimated at one hundred and five mill
lions A year. In other words, the re- r
duction of taxation has been consid- {
erably greater than the reduction in {
the annual surplus Since the close or
the war with Spain there has been no
substantial change in the rate OF an
nual expenditures. AS compared with
the fiscal year ending in June, 1871, I
for example, the fiscal year that has '
just closed showed a relatively small /
canal payment already referred to-, !
while the year previous showed a rel !
atively small decrease. '
The expenditures of the nation have Z
been managed in spirit of economy T
as far removed from waste as from ]
niggardliness: and in the future ev- I
cry effort will be continued to secure
an economy as strict as is consistent I
nents have promised what they cannot c
or should not perform. The prime I
reason why the expenses of the gov
eminent have increased of recent
years is to be found in the fact that '
the people. after mature thought, have G
deemed il wise to have certain new
forms of work for the public under 6
taken by the public. This neceSsi- j
81 toe Instance