The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-13

.cxigencies. But the genuine underlying
principle Of protection, as It mas bstt. Gov
bodied in all bit one of the American
tariff laws for the last forty Yeas, has
worked out results so beneiicsnt SO evenly
and wider spread SO advantageous alike
to farmes and capitalists and working
men, to commerce and trade5o of every
kind, that the American people, II they
slloWatherG usual practical business SENSE.
will insist that when these laws arc
modified they shall be modified with the
utmost care and tism. and BY
the friends and not the enemies of the.
protective system. They cannot afford to
trust the modification to those who treat
protection and robbery as synonymous
terms.
I'm closing what ] have to say about
the system of promoting American in
sdustry let me add n word Of cordial
agreement with the policy Of In some way
Including within its benefits. by appro-
pirate legislation. the American merchant
marine. j t 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.
Reduction Of the Army.
III is dmcult to know II. our opponents
are really sincere in their demand for the
there is, no need for comment and Il sim
cere, what shall we say In speaking to
rational persons Of an. appeal to reduce ed
eighty million people? The army is now
relatively, Her than i was in the.
esta Adjustment there were thlrty-six hun
bred soldiers. while there We're n little
less than four millions Of population:
of jefferson, when there were ilfty.onc
hundred soldiers to tiNyee million. ! three
hundred thousand population; There Is nov 10Y
3peOplo in this cOllntry-lcSS than one
Tenth Of + one sa.G per cent. We cannot be
asked seriously to argue as to the amount
figures. The army as it is now is as
small as it can possibly be and serve
Its purpose as an effective nucleus for the
Volunteer army in time Of need. ] / IS
now used, as never before, for aiding
~ he upbuding, Of the organized e. !, milil q
engaged in a systema tic effort to strength
en- aid develop the National Guard in the
several States, as witness, among many
YES at Manassas, which have just closed.
II our opponents should come into power
they could not reduce our army below ;,!, ,S
lis effssnt yz Ind TaHt ssay a pahs
national duty. In short, In this matter,
az our opponents should come into power
h eXa wo pra eno Of fha he yeaT @
1896 and, l9oo-that, Is. as possessing no
DllluIIl6 slOTCe--OT else lucy Wouiu !uNc "
embark on Il policy which would be ludi-
crous at the moment and fraught WIN
grave danger to the national honor IN the
future,
Economical Management,
momr opponents contend that that the goy-
gantly, ana that Wkere as there was q
deficit OF more than $4O,OO0,000 I'm the
EE ear that has Just closed, 1, =.
tanned by including In the ordinary cur-
rent expenses the sum OF fifty millions,
which was paid for the right Of way OF the
Panama Canal out of the accomplished
surplus In the treasury. Comparing the
current or ordinary expenditures for the
Two years, there was q surplus OF nearly
eighty millions for the year 1900, and OF
only little more than eight millions tor
the year that has just closed, But TINS
diminutOn of tho annual surplus was
brought about deslgnedly by he abolition
Of the war TAXES n the interval I, between ,aei
and April !. 1907 cut down the he'll, ,antt e
one hundred and five millions q year. III
other words, Tie reduction Of taxation
has been considerably greater than the
reduction in the annual surplus, Since
the close of the war with Spain here has
been no substantial change. IN the rate
OF annual expenditures. AS com Ii!Ien
with the fiscal year ending An June, 1901,
for example, the fiscal year that has Just
closed showed "A relatively small increase
in expenditure excluding the, canal pay,
Ment already referred to-, Wnue tne year