The San Francisco call., 1904-09-12
Democracy Arraigned for Its Proved
Inefficiency and the lnsincerity
of Its Leaders.
Chief Executive Says Abandonment
of Protection Would Bring
National Misery

1t is now used, as never before, for aiding IN
The upbuilding Of the organized militia or me
country. The War Department Is ehsdssa, -, ia
a systematic effort to strengthen and deNeloP
the National Guard in the several States as
witness, among many other instances sne IS
great held ma1euvers at Manassas WllSI
have lust closed IL our opponents should
come into power, they could not reduce cur
army below Its. present size withont sreas.yt t
of the national duty. In short. in this mat
ter. if our opponents should come into power
they would either have to treat this partculSr
promise OF the year 1904 as they now treat the
promises they, made in 1896 and lSOO, tnae =.
as possessing no binding iorce' or else tnSy s,y
would have TO embark on a policy Whlcn WouI1
be ludicrOus at the moment. and fraught with
grave Danger 20 the national honor IN tne ~
our opponents contend that the government
is now administered extravagantly, ana S tndS
whereas there was "a surplus OF $50, OOO, ~
in 1900 there Is "a deficit OF more than
$40 OO0 OC0s in the year that has Just closed
This deficit is imaginary. and IS obtained ey
sum OF $4,000 600; which paid for the
right -of-way OF the Panama Canal out or the
accumulate surplus in the treasury. Compar-
ing the current or ordinary eXpendltures -igr @
the two years. there was a surplus or nearly
$50 0O0 600 for the year 1900 and or only
little more than $S,OOO.0OO for the year taat
has Just closed. But this dminution OF the
annual surplus brought about deslgnealy-
by the abolition OF the war taxes IN the IN
terval between the two dates The acts or
March 2, 1901, and April 12 1907, cut doWh
the internal revenue taxes to an amount ss
words. the reduction OF taxation has been con-
siderablyr greater than the reduction IN tno
annual surplus. Since the close OF the war
with Spain there has been no suostaneiaL
change in the rate OF annual expenditures. As
compared with the fiscal year ending N june
1901 for example, the fiscal year that mas Just
closed showed a relatively small increase m
expenditure Excluding the canal payment al
ready referred to- while the year previous
showed a relatively small decrease
The expenditures of the nation have Deeh
managed in a spirit OF economy as far re-
moved from waste as from niggardlinessi ana
in the future every effort will be continued 70
secure an economy as strict as <is consiStenC
with efficiency. Once more our opponents nave
promised what they cannot should not per
form. The prime reason why the expenses
OF the Government have increased OF recenp
years is TO be found in the fact that the peo-
pie after mature thought have deemed it
wise to have certain new forms OF wOrk tor
the public undertaken by the public This
necessitates such expenditures, for instance as
these for rural free delivery, or Tor the m
specton OF meats under the Department OF
agriculture or for irrigation. But these new
expenditures are necessary, no one would Sc
riously propose to abandon them; and vet IL
is idle to deciairn against the increased eN-
pense Of the Government unless IL is intended
TO cut down the very expenditures which cause
the increase.