Evening journal., 1904-09-12

by the friends ana not the enemies of
the protective system. They cannot af-
ford to trust the modification to those
who tyaat protection ana 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 we'll nigh
exclusively in the hands of foreigners.
The Army.
1t is difficult to know if our oppo-
nents are really sincere in their de-
mand for the reduction of the army.
If insincere there is no need for COM
ment, and If sincere, what shall we
say in speaking to rational persons of
an appeal 10 reduce an army Of G0OOO
men which is taking care of the inter
ests Of over 10000 OO0Opeople? The army
is now relatively smaller than 1t was in
the days of Washington, when on the
peace establishment there were 5000
soldiers. while there were little less
than four millions of populations
smaller than it was in the peaceful
days OF jefferson when there were
800 soldiers to 100000 population
There is now one soldier to every 400
people in this country, less than one
tenth of ! 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
upbulding of the organized militia OF
the country. The war department is
| engaged in a systematic effort {
strengthen ana develop the nationa
guard I'M the several states, as witness
among many other instances the great
field maneuvers at 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 oul
opponents should come into power they
would either have to treat this particu-
lar promise of the year 1904 as they
now treat the promises they made in
1896 and 19OO-that is, as possessing
no binding force-or else they would
have to embark ON a policy which
would be ludicrous at the moment and
fraught with grave danger 10 the na
tional honor in the future.
"Extravagance Of the Governments"
Our opponents contend that the gov
ernment is now administered extraya
eantly and that whereas there was "a
surplus of SSOOOOOOO in 1900" there
is a deficit of more than S4O.OO0,OO0'
in the year that has just closed.
This deficit is imaginary and is oh
tained by including in the ordinary cur
rent expenses the sum of SJ0,OOO,OOC
which was paid for the right of way
of the Panama canal out of the ac
curhulated surplus in the treasury
Comparing the current or ordinary ex
penditures for the two years there wal
surplus of nearly eighty millions 70
the year 1000 and OF only a little NOR,
than eight millions for the year tha
| has just closed. But this diminutlon o
the annual surplus was brought abou
designedly by the abolition of the wa
taxes in the interval between the tw,
dates. Since the close of the war witt
/ Spain there has been no substantial
change in the rate Of annual expendi
lures. AS compared with the fisca
year ending in June, 1901, for exam
pie, the fiscal year that has just close,
showed a relatively small increase il
expenditure Excluding the canal pay
ment already referred to), while til
year previous showed a relativel
small decrease.
The prime reason why the expense
of the government have increased o
recent years is TO be found in the fac
that the people after mature though
have deemed it wise TO have certai
new forms of work for the public III
dertaken by the public. This necess
tates such expenditures, for instanc,
as those for rural free delivery or 10
/ the inspection Of meats under the d,
| partment of agriculture or for irrigi
tion. But these new expenditures ar
necessary. No one would seriOusl
propose TO abandon them. And yet
is idle TO declaim against the increase
expense of the government unless it
intended TO cut down the very expenC
itures which cause the increase. ID
our opponents grudge the $5O,OOO,OO
paid for the Panama canal? Do the
intend 10 cut down on the pensions [
the veterans Of the civil war? DO the
intend to put stop TO the irrigatio
policy or TO the permanent census bl
reau or TO immigration inspection? d
they intend TO abolish rural free dell'
cry? Do they intend 10 cut down III
navy or the Alaskan telegraph system
DO they intend TO dism0ntle our Goa.
fortifications? II there is TO be a re.
and substantial cutting down in II;
tional expenditures IL must be I'm sue
matters as these. The department {
agriculture has done service Of inca
culable value to the farmers OF tn
country in many different lines. II
| our OpDOneuts wish 10 cut down III