Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-04-15
Notable Senate Utterances.
Boston Transcript !

Mr.. Hale of Maine, the chairman of
the Senate committee on naval
affairs, made some observations i'll
the debate in the Senate recently, as
shown by the Congressional Record
of such weight and wisdom that they
cannot be too much emphasized.
Now, somebody may say that am too Sc
we're upon these authorities of the army; but
have lived long enough TO try to see more
than one side of question, and the ofieess
of the army and navy have nothing IN their
ninds-and that is paturat-ou. the two
establishments. The army sees nothing but
the army; and the army's idea of an immense
revenue pouring in for the uses of the govern
ment is that it makes a great reservoir for
army appropriations. With some exceptions,
the naval officers have the same idea. Any
body who has listened to the debate for the
Last day or two in the other branch of Con-
gress will see how this exploiting of enor-
NOUS appropriations for the navy is brought
out. We must have a navy, and we have got
to-day, practically, in actual force and
strength and usefulness. the second navy in
the world; and yet naval officers and naval
boards tell us that we need to double it,
MIR. Hale was followed oy Senator
Aldrich, who brought out the further
point that the majority must assume
Responsibility for expenditures, show
ing how the minority senators habitu-
ally seek 10 increase public outlay
and then, when the campaign comes
around, criticises tine carty i'll power
for the resulting total Mr.. A!drich
said:
1 hope that the timely utterances of the
senator from Maine will have the serious at
tention especially Of senators sitting upon
this side of the Chamber, who are RESPONSE BILE
for legislation. We have had in the presen
fiscal year an excess of expenditures above
receipts of s3s, 900 900. In the corresponding
period of last year we had au excess of re-
ceipts above expenditures of s52,0oo,0oo. max
ing difference of s900a0,o 900, as compared
with this year. We are certain to have a
large deficiency in revenue this year
But what especially desire to call to the
attention of the Senate is the fact that there
are now pending before the Senate four or five
bills that involve unusual and extraordinary
expenditures of more than hundred million
dollars; and l am sorry TO say that one of
those items of expenditure is a proposition
offered by the senator from Georgia MI
Bacon, who is constantly an economist IN
observation, involving at least s1oo0o.ooo.
hope the Senate will seriously consider these
questions of abstracting money from the
treasury of the United States by these enor-
nous expenditures. which are sure to be
ing political campaign we shah see the SEN
ator from Georgia Mr.. Bacon). the senator
from Texas (Mr. Culberson), upon the stump
enormous expenditures-madea at their sug-
Gestion and with their cooperation.
It will be sad day for this country
when conservative men of the type OF
Hale and Aldrich, now veterans in
the service of the Senate, give place
70 youthful enthusiasts who, as was
once waggishly suggested, ''are
against every tax and for every APP
propriation." Our legislative bodies
suffer from lack OF men of a sense of
business responsibility, men who see
both sides of the ledger, and realize
what the burden of taxation entails.
One Of the great, inevitable issues of
the future, all along the line of city,
State and nation, is sure to be the
costof our being governed. It is al
readymounting up furiously, as these
veterans of the Senate show Massa-
chusetts continues to be represented
in the Senate by men who weigh this
consideration carefully.