Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-12

1
that the American people, il they show
| their usual practical business sense,
will insist that when these laws are
modified they shall be modified with
| the utmost care and conservatism and
| by the friends and not the enemies of
| the protective system. They cannot af
| ford to trust the modification TO those
| who treat protection and robbery as
| synonymous terms.
In closing what l have TO say about
| the system of promoting American in
| dustry let me add a 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 nation that our great export
and import trade should be we'll nigh
exclusively in the hands of foreigners.
The Army.
| 1t Is difficplt to know If our oppo-
| uentS 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 TO reduce an army of 60.OO0
/
ests of over $4,000, OOOpeople? The army
is now relatively smaller than il was in
the days of Washington, when on the
peace establishment there were 5000
soldiers. while there were n little less
than four millions of population;
smaller than il 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 l per cent We cannot he
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 to
strengthen and develop the national
! guard in the several states, as witness
among many other instances the great
field manCuverS at Manassas, which
have Just closed. If our opponents
should come into power they could not
reduce our army below It's present size
without greatly impairing its efficiency
and abandoning part of the national
dulS III III klllS IL OuA
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 1900-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 to the ma
tiOnal honor i'll the future.
"ExtraVagance of the Government"
Our opponents contend that the gov
eminent is now administered extrava-
gantly and that whereas there was "a
surplus of $SO,0OO,O0O in 1900 there
Is deficit of more than $40,00O,O00"
in the year that has just closed.
This deficit is imaginary and is OBJ
tanned by including in the ordinary cur
rent expenses the sum of $4,000, 900
which was paid for the right of way
of the Panama canal out of the ac-
cumulated surplus in the treasury.
Comparing the current or ordinary eX-
penditures for the two years there was
a surplus of nearly eighty millions for
the year 1900 and of only little more
than eight millions for the year that
has just closed. But this diminution of
the annual surplus was brought about
designedly by tie abolition of the war
! taxes in the interval between the two
dates. Since the close of the war with
Spain there has been no substantial
change in the rate of annual expendi-
lures. AS compared with the fiscal
year ending in June, 1901, for exam
pie, the fiscal year that has just closed
showed n relatively small increase in
expenditure excluding the canal pay
ment already referred to-, while the
year previous showed a relatively
small decrease.
The prime reason why the expenses
! of the government have increased Of
recent years is to be found in the fact
| that the people after mature thought
+ have deemed it wise to have certain
new forms of work for the public un
dertallCn by the public. This neceSsi-
| tatcs such expenditures. for instance.
as those for rural free delivery or for
| the inspection of meats under the de-
| partment of agriculture or for irriga
tion. But these new expenditures are
! necessary. No one would seriously
propose to abandon them. And yet it
| is idle to declaim against the increased
| expense OF the government unless 1t Is
! intended to cut down the very eXpend-
, lures which cause the increase. Do
our opponents Grudge the S50.O0O.O00
| paid for the Panama canal? Do they
| intend 10 cut down on the pensions to
the veterans OF the civil war? Do they
| intend TO put Il stop TO the irrigation
policy or to tie permanent census bu-
reau or 70 Immigration inspection? Do
! they intend to abolish rural free deliv-
| cry? DO they intend TO cut down the
navy or tie Alaskan telegraph system?
! DO they intend to dismantle our coast
| Notifications: If there is 10 be a real
! and substantial cutting down in ma
| tional expenditures it must be I'm such
! matters as these. The department of
! agriculture has done service of meal
! culable value to the farmers OF this
| country in many different lines. Do
] O1Ir wish q emf down fhp