The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-03

IN answer TO CRITICISMS upon the size
ana expense of maintaining the army
the President has said that the num-
Der OF soldiers now is no greater per
eaoita than in former times. But
an army then was necessary to pro-
tect settlers from the Indians and to
do other police duty in the unsettled
portion of the country-condition
which do not now exist The army.
however, has greatly increased in cost.
much faster relatively than it has in
numbers.
The expenses were:
Under Buchanan in 1860 ,....s 16, 500 900
Under Hayes in 1880 ... IS, 900 600
Under Roosevelt in 1904 -. 115, 900 900
The Panama Canal.
We all hail as the harbinger of the
new era in the commerce of the world
the inception of the great work of
building the canal that is to Join the
two great oceans; but we deprecate
the action of the present administra-
ton, which inflicted a wound upon
our national honor by its disregard of
the rights of a weaker nation, in order
to gain a doubtful credit for energy
in forwarding that great enterprise.
Territory of a neighboring republic
with which we are at peace. was seized
by band of revolutionists protected
by the guns of the United States navy.
and erected into a state overnight
which the President promptly recog-
nized as an Independent nation. A
gross offense against a friendly re-
public which it was helpless to re-
sent.
The Imperialism Issue.
These and many other unwarranted
things that belong more to an empire
than republic, have occurred under
the present administration, and brought
deep concern and alarm to thought
full and patriotic minds. They must
be regarded as the first fruits of inn-
perialism, and show how fast we are
drifting toward abselutism and cen-
tralized power. The effect of the inn
perialistic tendency of the Republican
party upon our foreign affairs is in
opposition to the teachings of the
founders of the republic, and so i'm
pressed was Washington with the inl-
portance of keeping aloof from the af-
fairs of other nations, that in his
farewell address he warned his coun-
trymen especially against foreign en-
tangling alliances. Imperialism is
hurtful and abhorrent in "a free gov
ernment and subversive of free insti-
tutions. The policy of imperialism-if
IL can be said TO have a policy-is al
ways dangerous to liberty. It's powers
are first exercised in far off territory
ojid OiA NOIiQuGlCu DtODlt, DuI once
adopted for acquired and distant pos
sessions, 1t becomes, sooner or later,
the rule of the home government
Liberty and free government have al
| ways been secured at the cost of great
sacrifices, but history teaches us that
| both can be easily lost without the
knowledge of the people.
The Tarif.
Our federal constitution has appro-
| priated to the exclusive use of the gem
J eral government the power of indirect
taxation, covered BY the popular des-
| ignation Of tariff duties" In excIud-
| ing the states from this domain of
taxation, there is an implied and wise
! partition of the taxing power between
| the states and the federal government
Except in the exigencies of war the
taxing power has been exercised by
Congress largely in the direction of the
| imposition of duties upon imports. No
| one expects to change this arrange
ment which has proven so convenient
! to the general government and so con-
ducive to the interests of the states,
| whose resort to other sources of rev.
enue is left untrammeled. Indirect
l taxation, however convenient needs
by reason of its indirectness, to be
watchfully guarded, lest abuses should
attach themselves unknown by the
| people.
That many of the existing tariff
rates are excessive and enable pow
erful combinations to extort unjust and
| oppressive tribute from the people can
| not be controverted. The tariff is un-
doubtedly too high upon such articles
| as enables the manufacturer to sell his
products abroad cheaper than at
home. Steel rails are a conspicuous
| example in this respect. 1t Is admit
Il fod haf fbax haf11or do a
ton. A few years ago they were freely
sold in this country at SIT ton.
| They are now selling at the mills here
for home consumption at $2S ton, and
| for the foreign market at from $1S to
| $22 a ton. This unjust discrimination
| against our people is made possible
only by a tariff that on this article is
entirely too high.
The average selling price of hun
dred articles, taken principally from
! the iron and steel list, Is found to be
about 20 per cent. higher i'm this
country than abroad. Relief from
these conditions will only come
through the success of the Democratic
party, which stands for wise, conser-
vative and gradual change in the tariff
laws, which will equalize the burdens
of taxation and make honest compe-
ttion possible. But in making such
| changes its purpose win be to
legislate with a due regard
for the labor and capital in
volved in industrial enterprises.
The Trusts.
It is estimated that there are in the
United States between 200 and 300 COM
binations of capital and corporate In
terests, known as trusts, which have
grown up in the last few years un-
| der Republican rule. Some of them are
so conducted as to be pernlcious and
harmful to the general interest. With
the power they are able to exert, they
can lessen competition, control prices
and regulate to their own advantage
the law of supply and demand. Ind-
vidual effort is helpless against such
strong rivals, and the natural right
Of all persons TO barter and trade is
unnaturally restricted. The effort of
these trusts Is to control or nonop-
olize. and these monopoies. when un-
| restrained, seem TO produce conditions
which bring about strikes and disor-
ders, and disturb the business affairs
of the country.
Local self-GOvernment.
Local self-government, that came to
US not as the gift of the national gov
ernment, but as the legitimate out
come Of the reserve powers OF the
state and of the people, Is the very
corner stone OF our political structure.
and the best assurance Of liberty regu-
lated by law. II can only be main
tanned by strict observance of the linn