The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-08-18
The House Economy.

organs, Ignoring the bad things the House
has done, the good things it has left undone,
claim praise for the'extraodinary majority in
that body on the ground that they have ef-
fected great reductions in governmental ex-
penditures. That the appropriations have
been reduced is true, but that there has been
any great and beneficial reduction in expen-
dtures remains to be proved.
At the beginning of the session the Demo-
Gratis announced that saving Of 40 millions
would be effected upon the amount appropri-
ated last year. They soon found that even
an apparent reduction to that amount was
impossible. In seven years, from 1866 to
1875, the Republicans had succeeded in re-
ducing the expenditures IS millions, from
229 millions to III millions, and in paying
out of the surplus revenue 457 millions Of the
pnblic debt. They had effected an average
annual reduction in expenditures of S mil
lions, and in 1875 succeeded in making re-
duction of 13 millions. At that rate they
were ready to go ou; but they recognized
that it was neither safe nor expedient to
hasten faster. The Democrats soon discov.
cred that the Republican economists were
right; but they were not ready to acknowl-
edge that, nor to give up their claim that
great economy in administration had been
secured by the election of a Democratic
House. So, by crippling some departments
of the public service, by repudiating some of
the obligations Of the government, by post
poning to another year the payment of bills
which should have been settled this year.
they made an apparent reduction of 20 phil
lions. The reduction in realty is less than
10 millions, but little more than the average
annual reduction made by the Republicans,
and 3 millions less than the reduction made
by Republican Congress last year. The
apparent saving of 20 millions is at once
shown to be i false claim on examination of
the items which 60 to make up the compare
tive tables presented to the country by the
Democratic leaders. To start with all the
unexpended balances of last year have been
reappropriated. But these sums amounting
to nearly 2 millions do not appear in the ia
BILE among the appropriations this year.
though they diminish by so much the amount
necessary to be raised. The Democrats
reckon them as a saving; and so they are,
but saving made by Republican Admins
tration and not by Democratic House. An
other Democratic trick has been to charge
against the last Congress the appropriation of
halfa million for the Centennial, while the
appropriation of million-and- -a-haIf by the
present Congress is not mentioned. The two
hundred thousand dollars appropriation for
the Washington monument, and the same
sum for the Yellowstone forts do not appear
in the Democratic table. BY thus improper
ly charging sums to the appropriations of last
year, or improperly emitting them from the
appropriations of this year, the Democrats
exhibit reductions millions in excess of the
truth.
Another process by which an apparent saw
ing has been made is the postponement until
next year of various necessary items, such
as those for public buildings and other works
of public Importance. All these works have
been begun, the country needs them, and if
they are not paid for this year they must be
next. In some cases the House has not ap-
propriated even enough to preserve them
from injury. The items of reduction thus
postponed amount to millions.
By refusing to appropriate money to pay
the judgments of the Court of Claims, that is
by repudating the national obligations, the
Democrats have "saved'' 2 millions. Let
them have all the credit they can get out of
this. But as the money must be paid sooner
or later the economy in withholding it is not
apparent. The Democrats pretend to save
million-and-a-half more by taking to them
selves the credit of that reduction in the
Department estimates. As no Congress ever
makes appropriations in excess of Depart
ment estimates, the House is certainly en-
titled to no credit on that score.
The amount withheld for deficiencies and
which will undoubtedly have to be supplied
next winter, is estimated at millions.
Indeed the House bills seem to have been
prepared for the express purpose of creating
deficiencies, the object being to make fiat
tering exhibit of the economy of the House
by leaving the SUMS necessary for the ex-
penditures of the current year to be appro-
priated at the next session. All the items
mentioned cut down the savings to consider
ably less than 10 millions, and many main-
tain that even this reduction has been made
at the peril of crippling departments and bu-
reaus, violating laws, repudating sacred OBJ
legations and emitting important services.
Such is the boasted Democratic economy.