Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-10

and charted. The work is incomplete
/ at almost every point. Ships anc
lives have been lost in threading what
were supposed to be well-known main
channels. We have not provided ade
quate vessels or adequate machinery
for the survey and charting. We have
used old vessels that were not bic
enough or strong enough and which
were SO nearly unseaworthy that our
inspectors would not have allowed pri
vate owners to send them to sea
This is a matter which, as Ihave said
seems small, but is in reality very
great It's Importance has only to be
looked into to be appreciated
Before I close may I say few
| words upon two topics, much discuss.
ed out of doors. upon which it is high
| ly important that our judgments
should be clear, definite and stead
fast?
! One of these is economy in govern.
| ment expenditures. The duty OF
economy is not debatable. 1t is mani
fest and Imperative. In the appro-
! priationS we pass we are spending
the money of the great people whose
| servants we are-not our own. we
are trustees and responsible stewards
in the spending. The only thing de.
batable and upon which we should be
careful to make our thought and pur-
pose clear is the kind of economy de.
manded of us. assert with the great
est confidence that the people of the
United States are not jealous 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 it is be,
| ing 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 performed
and very few governments are organ
lied, venture to say, as wise and ex-
perienced business men would organ
ize them if they had clean sheet OF
paper to write upon. Certainly the
government of the United States is
not. think that it is generally agreed
that there should be a systematic re-
organization and reassembling Of its
parts so as to secure greater efficiency
pense But the amount of money
saved in that way would, believe,
though no doubt consi derable in itself,
running. it may be, into the millions,
be relatively small-small, | mean, in
proportion to the total necessary out
lays Of the government 1t would be
thoroughly worth effecting, as every
saving would, great or small. Our
duty is not altered by the scale of the
saving But my point is that the peo-
pie of the United States do not wish
to curtail the activities of this gov
eminent: they wish, rather, to en-
large them; and with every enlarge
ment, with the mere growth, indeed,
of the country itself, there must come,
of course, the inevitable increase of
expense. Tho sort of economy we
ought to ice 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 to yield the best possible
returns in ficiency and achievement.
And, like good stewards, we should
account for every dollar of our appro-
priations as to make it perfectly evil
dent what it was spent for and in
what way it was spent.
It Is not expenditure but extrava-
gance that we should fear being criti-
cied for; not paying for the legitimate
enterprises and undertakings of a
great government whose people COM
mand what it should do, but adding
what will benefit only few or pour
ing money out for what need not have
been undertaken at all OR might have
been postponed or better and more
economically conceived and carried
out. The nation is not niggardly; it is
very generous. It will chide us only
if we forget for whom we pay money
out and whose money it is we pay.
These are large and general stand
ards. but they are not very difficult of
application to particular cases.
The other topic shall take leave to
mention goes deeper into. the princi-
pies of our national life and policy.
1t is the subject of national defense.
1t can not be discussed without first
answering some very searching Ques-
tons. It is said in some quarters that
we are not prepared for war. What Is
meant by being prepared? Is it meant
that we are not ready upon brief no.
tice to put nation in the field, ma
ton of men trained to arms? Of course
We are not ready to do that; and we
shall never be in time of peace so long
as we retain our present political prin-
ciples and institutions. And what is it
that it is suggested we should be pre-
pared to do? To defend ourselves
against attack? We have always
found means to do that, and shall find
them whenever it is necessary with
out calling our people away from their
necessary tasks to render compulsory
military service in times of peace.
Allow me to speak with great plain
ness and directness upon this great
matter and to avow my convictions
with deep earnestness. I have tried
| to know what America is, what her
people think, what they are, what they
most cherish and hold dear. hope
| that some of their finer passions are
| in my own heart-some of the great
conceptions and desires which gave
birth to this government and which
have made the voice of this people a
voice of peace and hope and liberty
| ~ he nd