Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-05-11

noiS by happy feat of memory enter.
tanned the house and very much EN-
barrassed Bourke Cochran. Mr.. Cock
| ran had spoken with characteristic ve-
hemence for the four battlcships pro-
| posed and announced as unpatriotic
and perilous the suggestion that the
number should be reduced Mr.. Raney
| however. was able to read from the
! Congressional Record of only two years
ago an equally vehement and eloquent
speech by the gentleman from New
| York In which he bitterly opposed the
| building of even one battcship and de-
clared that the country did not need to
join in the international mania for ma
val extension. John Sharp Williams
closed the debate with the explanation.
II am tired of this eternal nonsense Of
seeking peace by preparing for war"
1t is we'll to continually reiterate the
fact proved by government statistics
and already officially inserted in the
Congressional Record that 20 per cent
Of the expenditures Of the national
government, money taken from the
pockets Of our citizens, is used either
in paying the expenses Of past wars or
in preparing for future and improbable
wars.
The Election and the Senate.
There is no likelihood that even with
| Democratic landslide in the nation
next November the overwhelming ma
jority of the Republicans in the senate
can be overturned. But some great
changes can be made in that body.
Thirty-one United States senators will
go out of office unless reelected. The
legislatures which will either re-elect
or set them aside will be chosen during
the coming presidential campaign. In
these states there is Il chance for Dem
ocratic legislatures and therefore for
Democratic senator's:
North Dakota, Idaho. Illinois, South
Dakota. Ohio. Connecticut, Washing
ton. Iowa. Kansas, California, New
York and Utah.
There are differing degrees of prob
ability as to success in these states,
but there is a good fighting chance in
every one. That the senile and useless
Platt should be retired in New York
would seem to be an end that would
lead the voters of that state to forget
| partisan or fractional differences and
elect Legislature which should accom-
plish it. The fight in Ohio may lead
to the retirement Of Foraker, whose
ability no one doubts, but whose bitter
partisanship would make Democrats
rejoice at his removal. Both Of the
Dakotas would profit greatly by new
representation in the national upper
house.
The Inevitable Deficit.
A good many years ago, when some
politicians and economists were point
ing out the dangers to the country of
a great surplus in the treasury as an
incentive to public extravaganza, Gen
eral Frederick Grant, then colonel. re-
marked that it was easier to handle
a surplus than deficit. Everybody
laughed Mt him at the time, but the
party in which he was then politically
active is going to give the country Il
chance to test the virtue of his theory.
The experts estimate the end of this
show treasury deficit of about $780,
100000. If one-half Of the appropria.
tons which President Roosevelt has
urged upon congress had been made.
the deficit would be much nearer $780,
100000.
This Is the elimination of twelve
years of absolutely unhampered Re-
| in "a Of hn mi oil
States government. 1t comes after sew
en- years of Rooseveltism, during the
greater part of which he has had con-
gress absolutely under his command.
During the entire twelve years there
has been no reduction in the burden of
taxation save in taking off the extraor-
binary war taxes levied during the
progress of the Spanish war The tar
iff has not been touched since the days
Of Dingley, and we are told that it will
not be touched during the present con-
gress. The public expenditures have
grown to such an extent as to make
that famous "billion dollar congress"
over which Thomas B. Reed presided
admirable for its moderation. If the
Sixtieth congress is not two billion
dollar congress, the pace so far set will
have to be greatly lessened.
And more. In the face of these in
creasing burdens of taxation, in the
| presence of this treasury deficit, the
country encounters Roosevelt panic
and Republican hard times that make
the dark days Of 1893 look bright and
cheerful. From every city in the Unit
ed States the reports come daily Of in
creasing scarcity of employment and
extending restitution. Chicago alone
reports more than 100000 people out of
employment. When a condition such
as this existed twelve years ago it was
charged up to the Democratic party,
though that party had been in power
only two or three years, and even then
it's power was not complete Now aft
er twelve years Of Republicanism we
encounter like condition and are told
glibly that it is due to natural causes.
The bankers and the leading finan-
ciers in the United States have been
preaching that the situation in the fall
would be worse than it is today unless
the Aldrich currency bill We're passed
l n. 4. \ L.,