A Foolish Nation and Its Money
While the most powerful war fleet ever assembled in American waters lies peacefully at anchor in the Hudson, and the newspapers are estimating its cost in hundreds of millions, it may be well to reread a striking paragraph entitled “National Fools,” which appeared a little while ago in “The Philadelphia Record.” The German Reichstag has voted $125,000,000 to cover naval deficits and provide the Kaiser with future means of building warships as big as those of England. “And yet there is not a German, outside of the military and naval services, who wants war with England; and there is not an Englishman—not even in the army and navy—who wants a war with Germany. England has just levied additional taxes of about $80,000,000, mostly to provide ships to fight the Germans with. As national fools we are not much behind either.” The general cost of carrying on the Government, civil and miscellaneous expenses, has doubled since 1896 and 1897, the cost of the army from $48,000,000 to $164,000,000, and the navy from $34,000,000 to $115,000,000. “In 1898-9 the costs of the Spanish War ran the expenses of the Government up to $605,000,000; and in the fiscal year just closed, with no war, and after deducting the expenses on the Panama Canal, the ordinary expenses of the Government were $659,000,000.” Such figures recall the remark alleged to have been made by a tramp about December: “This is an awful month for the rich.” “How is that?” said his companion. “O, think of the amount of coal and taxes they have to pay for this time of year.” However, the American Government has to deal with constantly increasing populations; has the Pacific Coast as well as the Atlantic to guard; has taken on many things that formerly were taken care of by the states, or not taken care of at all; has superintended Cuba and managed Porto Rico, the Hawaiian Islands, and the Philippine Islands, not to mention San Domingo and Panama. The public shows symptoms of a desire that the United States should become a world power, and under the circumstances must be ready to pay the piper.—Christian Advocate.