The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-05-05

a utittsE tut people OF tue btatS Ap-
prove my work and am more than |
pleased with the assurances or sup
port and cooperation that are com
Ing In.
Borah's Nomination Possible.
II plan TO attend the national re-
puhllcaffa convention Chicago as a
spectator and especially to be one OF
those who will bring TO the atten-
ton OF ths convention the advisable
lily and fitness OF Senator Borah for
the presidency. No candidate win,
In my opinion. receive more than 100
or 900 votes on the first ballot and
when the break comes and the con-
vention gets right down to elimina-
ton and selection Senator Borah IL
going 10 stand mighty good show
unless the geography OF the case
makes HIS nomination impossible.
Were he from an eastern or middle
western state we could figure quite
confidently on his nomination and II
surely seems that with distance elm
mated as It has been by the teIe-
graph, telephone and railroads. this
element should not control"
On the preparedness question Mr.
French believes this country should
be ready at any time 10 defend and
protect American honor and Amer
lean lives.
Is for Preparedness.
do not believe IN any military
yoke being placed upon our people"
he said. Elm time OF peace Russia
was maintaining standing army
OF 1890. 900, Germany 100000,
France $4,000 and Italy. with
population about one-third OF our
own. standing army almost three
times as large as ours. Such burdens
cannot be defended for the United
States. Whether or not they are
needed for the countries OF Europe
In the time OF peace they must de-
eide. but surely our nation needs no
such burden nor does our nation
eed navy as large as the navies OF
Great Britain and Japan combined as
bling urged by the extremists.
'.But this does not mean that those
are right who would make our nation
the martyr nation. or bring about
It's Chinafication. There are some
things that come higher than an
army and q navy. In tonnage our
navy il probably third but by a
slight increase It would be second.
Great Britain's being first. And
yet when we think OF the scattering
dominions of Great Britain. our
navy could be first In efficiency with.
- L.. -. - "A
have strong coast Qualifications and
substantial fleet 10 protect our
coast. Aud by the way, submarines
are the cheapest means OF coast de-
Tense that can be built and can be OF
more benefit TO the United States
than 10 any other nation In the
world as q defensive weapon.
'As to the army. would have
supported In congress the senate
amendments Who can doubt that had
we had about 100000 men ON the
1900 miles OF Mexican border that
probably villa and his brigands
would have committed their crime
OF murder. rayishing and plumber
ing uRon our people?We have just
seen an object lesson OF something
more expensive than an army OF say
100000 and that Is human life and
the aacredness OF our women and our
children.
Urges budget System
There Is. another thing we need and
that IL budget system for handling
our federal appropriations. When
Governor Hawley scaled down state
appropriations by not only vetOlng
La mn 10 81 Aer
dueinE items he saved Idaho thous-
ands OF dollars. Well. the president
cannot scale down an item, nor even
veto an item In any appropriation
bill without yetoing the whole bill.
In the last congress | introduced an
amendment 10 the constitution 20
give this power to the president and
II received much attention. l be-
iieye lts passage would bring us the
budget system In two years and that
this system would make each admin
istration directly responsible for it's
expenditures and cut out the pork
and fat from army bills, navy bills,
river aud harbor bills, and the mum
erous other bills that annually carry
millions OF the country's money
much OF which is more than wasted
because of It's bad moral effect upon
our public life.
The budget system would put up
70 each political party the question,
whether or not Il would stand for a
definite amount for each particular
department OF government. II is the
system that every successful bust
ness man follows in his business
whether he f. farming mining. hand
ling a store or q factory and In my
opinion 80 out OF every 100 business
houses would 20 TO smash that at
tempted 10 follow Uncle Sans meth.
DDS OF running business This Is q
question that every thoughtful per.
son in the state and every CONNER
ciai body should give its careful at.
tention until II shall be realized"