Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-09

clear, definite, and steadfast7
One of these is economy in govern
ment expenditures. The duty of econ
! omy is not debatab1e. 1t is manifest
and imperative. In the appropriations
| 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 spend
ing. The only thing debatable and upon
| which we should be careful to make
| our thought and purpose clear is the
| kind of economy demanded of us. 1
! assert with the greatest confidence that
the people of the United States are not
jealous of the amount their Govern
| ment costs IL they are sure that they
1 get what they need and desire for the
| outlay, that the money is being spent
for objects of which they approve, and
that 1t is being applied with good bust
ness 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, I venture to say, as wise and ex-
| perfenced business men would organize
them If they had clean sheet of paper
| to write upon. Certainly the Govern
ment 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
secure greater efficiency and effect con-
siderable savings in expense. But the
| amount of money saved in that way
would. I believe, though no doubt con-
siderable in itself, running, 1t may be.
into the millions, be relatively SMALL
small I mean, in proportion to the total
necessary OUTLAWS of the Government
1t would be thoroughly worth efrecting,
as every saving would, great or small
Our duty is not altered by the scale of
the saving. But my point is that the
people of the United States do not wish
to curtail the activities of this Govern
ment; 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 ex-
pense. The sort of economy we ought
to practice may be effected. and ought
to be effected. by careful study and
assessment of the tasks to be per-
formed; and the money spent ought to
be made to yield the best possible re-
turns in efficiency and achievement
And. like good stewards, we should SO
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.
1t is not expenditure but extrava-
gance that we should fear being criti-
cized for; not paying for the legitimate
Government whose people command
what it should do. but adding what
will benefit only few or pouring
money out for what need not. have been
undertaken at all or might have been
postponed or better and more economi-
cally conceived and carried out The
Nation is not niggardly; it is very gen.
erous. 1t will chfde US only If we for
get for 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 I shall take leave to
mention goes deeper into the principles
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-
tions. 1t 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 notice
to put nation in the field. nation 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 principles
and institutions. And what is it that
it is suggested we should be prepared
to do? To defend ourselves against at
tack? We have always found means to
do that, and shall find them whenever
it is necessary without calling our peo-
pie 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 peo-
pie think, what they are, what they
most cherish and hold dear. I hope
that some Of their finer passions are in
my own heart,-some of the great con-
captions and desires which gave birth
to this Government and which have
made the voice of this people voice
Of peace and hope and liberty among
the peoples of the world, and that,
speaking my own thoughts shall, at
least In part, speak theirs also. how
ever family and inadequately, upon this
vital matter.
We are at peace with all the world.
No one who speaks counsel based on
fact or drawn from just and candid
Interpretation of realities can say that
there is reason to fear that from any
quarter our independence or the integ-
rity Of our territory is threatened.
Dread Of the power Of any other nation
we are incapable Of. We are not jeal-
GUS Of rivalry in the fields Of commerce
or Of any other peaceful achievement.
We mean to live our own lives as we
will; but we mean also to let live. We
are, indeed. a true friend to all the ma
lions of the world, because we threaten
none, covet the possessions of none. de-
sire the overthrow of none. Our friend