The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-05

in importance and that it was "the last nlace to economize and the first place tC expend."
 MT. German disclaimed any intention tc follow MT. Lodge in comparing the Cleveland administration with others, for it could not be made fairly. Yet 1t was. he said, fair to say that MT. Cleveland had been compelled to meet condition in the treasury so serious that a Republi- can secretary of the treasury had said that bankruptcy was threatened. Ger taInly the Democratic administration was not responsible for that condition. The financial difficulty had been disposed of by the increase of the production of the precious metals and by the demand for our products from abroad, and not by fhe superior ability of the Republican party.
 Expenditures Too Heavy.
 Commenting on the present condition of the country's finances, MT. German said that it was due to the immense expendi- lures made in preparation for war-$S2,- 900. 900 last year for the navy and $l1S,- OOOo, 900 for the army in a time of pro- found peace. He denied that he had been an enemy of the upbuilding of the navy. On the contrary, he would have a navy ample to guard American interests every where But he had no idea of a navy to compete with that of Great Britain or Germany, because our conditions did not require such navy.
 q want economy in It," he said, and he called attention to the effectual aid given to Venezuela during the Cleveland administration.
 We did that" he said, "at the cost of s16,0O0, 900 a year and now we pay SS2, ,OO0,- OO0 for a navy with which to threaten Colombia" He would reduce the expen- u!tures in the navy and he would scale the army down from 100000 men as now authorized, to 5000. MT. Lodge called at- tention to the fact that the number was now less than 6O.00O and Mir. German rec piled that even if that were true, the laws permitted 10000. and he declared that if there were now only 6O,000 soldiers the cost of maintaining them was exor- bitant.
 Mir German commended the removal of our fleet from the scene of trouble in the Orient by order of the President saying the brave commander of the fleet would like to take part in any trouble. It was rumored, he went on, in high naval cir cles, that the United States was march, ing around the globe with chip on its shoulder with a taunt to Germany to knock it of.
 Navy Big Enough.
 That country, he said, was giving us trouble in competing with us for trade. but we had a sufficient navy to protect our flag and our commerce everywhere, and we did not need more.
 MT. German admitted that a general change of the tariff was not desirable, because of it's effect on the business af- fairs of the country, and he was sure haf n a 0- jority he would not want to go into that question, but he thought some of the schedules could be remodeled to advant- age.
 MT. Foraker announced his support of the exposition amendment and expressed regret that the question should have been given politic hue.
 Turning to the finance situation, Mir Foraker said that during only two years of the Cleveland administration was the export trade in favor of the United States, whereas so soon as 1t was made evident that under Mckinley there was to be a complete resumption of Republican su- premacy. there had been revival and prosperity. which had been greater than ever known before, with an average balance of trade of over $5OO0O0,OO0 in our favor.
 MT. Patterson asked MT. Foraker how he accounted for the cut in the wages of textile and steel workers and the miners of bituminous coal.
 Causes of Wage Reduction.
 MT. Foraker replied that the reduction of the wages of textile workers was due to the advance in the price of cotton. As for the other reductions, 1t was no unusual thing to make changes in wages.
 MT. Bailey declared that MT. Forak- CTS speech proved too much
 As a matter of fact no one party was responsible for all that was good in the times-that was the joint product of God and man.
 It was not true. he said, that the Dem ocratic party was the party of hard times. No more calamity cry from us," he said.
 MT. Bailey said that he was no apolo- gist for MT. Cleveland. but" he added, unpopular as was MT. Cleveland, he was not more so than will be the man whom you elect next year, if you elect any one. In fact, I have never known of a candidate who so many favor and so few want as the present occupant of the White House."
 MT. Bailey then read from statistical reports to show that the balance of trade in favor of the United States was more pronouncedly in favor of the United States under MT. Cleveland's last administration than un- der MT. Harrison's administration. He admitted that when the reduction came. it was due to the prospective reduction of the tariff by the Democratic party.
 He asserted it was an impiety for any party to take to itself the credit for the present prosperous times, contending that they came as the grace of God.
 When MT. Bailey concluded at 5:35 the Senate went into executive session, and at 5:42 D. m., adjourned.