Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-08

of the amount their government costs
if they are sure that they get what
they need and desire for the outlay,
that the money is being spent for
objects of which they approve, and
that il is being applied with good
business sense and management.
Governments grow, piecemeal, both
in their tasks and in the means by
which those tasks are to be per
formed and very few governments
are organized, venture to say, SIS
wise and experienced business men
would organize them If they had a
clean sheet Of paper to write upon.
Certainly the government of the
United States is not. | think that 1t
is generally agreed that there should
be a systematic reorganization and
reassembling of its parts so as to Sc
cure greater efficiency and effect
considerable savings in expense. But
the amount of money saved in that
way would, believe, though no
doubt considerable in itself, running,
it may be, into the millions, be rela-
lively small-smau, / mean, in pro-
portion to the total necessary OUTLAWS
of the government. 1t would be thor
oughly worth effecting, as every saw
ing would, great or small Our duty
is not altered by the scale OF saving,
But my point is that the people of the
United States do not wish to curtall
the activities of this government;
they wish. rather. to enlarge them;
and with every enlargement, with the
mere growth, indeed, of the country
itself, there must come, OF course,
the inevitable increase OF expense.
The sort of economy we ought to
practice may be effected and ought
to be effected, by a careful study and
assessment of the tasks TO be per-
formed: and the money spent ought
to be made 10 Weld the best possible
returns in efficiency and achievement.
And. like good stewards. We should so
account for every dollar of our ap-
propriations as to make it perfectly
evident what it was spent for and IN
what way it was spent.
Must Fear Extravaganza.
1t Is not expenditure but extrava-
-ance that we should fear being
criticized for; not paying for the
legitimate enterprises and undertake
ings of . great government whose
ueopIe command what it should do,
but adding what will benefit only
few or pouring money out Tor What
need not have been undertaken AT
ali or might have been postponed OF
better and more economically con-
cefved and carried out. The nation
is not niggardly: it is very generous
IL will chide US only if We forget Tor
whom we pay money out and whose
money il is we pay. These are large
and general standards, but they are
not very difficult of application TO
particular cases.
The other topic / shall take leave
to mention goes deeper into the prln-
ciples of our national life and policy.
II is the subject OF national de-
Tense.
II cannot be discussed without
FIRST answering some very searching
questions. II is said in some quar-
ters that We arc not prepared Tor
war. What is IN cant by being pre-
nared? Is it meant that we are not
ready upon brief notice to put a ma
ton in the field, a nation of men
trained to arms? or course we are
not ready to do that; and we snail
never be In time of peace so long
as we retain our present political
principles and institutions. And what
is II that it is suggested we should
be prepared 10 do? To defend our
selves against attack? We have al
wavs found means to do that, and
shall find them whenever it is neces-
sarv without calling our people away
from their necessary tasks TO render
com pulsory military service in times
OF peace.
Allow me to speak with great
pIainness and directness upon this
1rcat matter and to syow my con-
victions with deep esrnestness. /
have tried 10 know what America is,