The Washington herald., 1907-02-26
A Two.billion.dollar Country?

is this d twO-billiOn-dollar country?
That seems TO be the question of greatest
interest in the sudden discovery that in
less than ten years the cost of our gov
eminent has more than doubled. It has
EoJ been many years since the Repub-
licaus We're driven out Of power by the
cry of extravaganza. The total appro-
priations for the biennial period did not
then equal the appropriations provided
for by this session of the present Con-
gress. At that period the voters were
convinced that theirs was not a billion
dollar country
tn the past two decades we nave made
the most marvellous strides in material
development i'm ali the history Of the
world. The story Of our business and
commercial progress has not yet been
told Even the statistics have not been
camectedly c0lated. Thousands of men
WHO were mere wage earners twenty
years ago are now rich. Other thousands
who were fairly well off are now million
aires Hundreds whose fortunes then
were rated by the million have added vast
boards to their Accommodations, until they
are accounted among the richest men the
world has ever known. Business combina-
tions greater in capitalization and pro-
ducuveness than mankind has ever sus-
tanned have been formed in the last ten
years in this country Production is
more nearly controlled in order that capt.
tai may defy the elemental law OF our
competitive industrial system than ever
before The cost OF living is higher than
at any time IN our national existence.
Trades unionism is stronger to-day than Il
ever was. The wage scale is higher. but
the earnings of labor have not as great
purchasing power as formerly.
Whether the increased cost of govern
ment has the remotest relation to this
purely material trend and condition of the
country is a question that the politicians
after a while viii probably exploit If
there is no relationship. the situation
presents a singularly illogical aspect.
Certain Il is that the Federal government
is doing more work for tie people to-day
than was contemplated by the fathers.
JAS governmental functions are multiplied,
the cost Of government must increase or
ineffiCienCy will result Inefficient gov
eminent the people win not endure. They
demand what they pay for. From this
viewpoint, then the question OF efficiency,
and not OF cost, will be the one of greatest
concern TO the people. If they are sat
ished with their government even though
It is the costliest in the world to-day. they
viii foot the bills without a murmur and
return to power the party responsible.
AS yet the new form Of government
centralized powers in its experimental
stage. The new responsibilities imposed
by the victory in the war with Spain have
played an important part alike in multi
plying the functions of the Federal gov
eminent and increasing its cost. The
country does not yet know whether ex-
pansion was a good thing or bad thing.
Il is bearing the cost uncomplainingly.
though inquiringly. If in the course of
time the people decide to withdraw from
their adventure in colonialism because #
is not suited TO their scheme Of govern
ment, that withdrawal Will not only de
crease the cost Of government. but it viii
put a check upon Capitalization. As it is
TOO early yet to pass final judgment upon
orr experiment in colonialism, il is Ike
wise too early to make political capital
out Of the interesting question whether