The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-09-04
Total s5sl S60, ,7Ss 81 Total. .s4i8, ,5se 4s n

iSas. i7aScoao5 s. isas-......-.. i57 ,2ls,s8s Il
Total-s5sl ,s66, ,7Ss 81 Total....s4is, 5s6,4s "A
This shows an actual reduction secured by
the untiring efforts of tbe democratic houses
in the Forty-fourth and Forty fifth congresses
of $SS, ,270, 236.47. But great as this reduction
was for period of three years, 1T does not
represent all that was sought 10 be accom-
plished, for it should be borne in mind that
the reductions above shown are not as great
as were demanded by the democratic house,
but only represent the concessions that the
house was able to secure from q protesting
republican senate, whose committee on ap-
propriations, continuously struggling for an
increase Of appropriations and thwarting
the house at every step in its honest efforts
at reduction was presided over then, as now,
by the gentleman whose interview you have
called attention to; so that II there be any
thing in this record of retrenehment for
which that senator may Justly claim credit,
it is his partially successful but persistent
efforts to resist every attempt of demo-
cratic house to reduce the current expenses
of the government 1t must be recollected
also that the democracy have not as yet Sc
cured control of both branches of congress,
and can hardly be made fairly responsible
for such failure of reductions as the senate
may have refused to accede to. There can
certainly be no injustice in incorporating
by the democratic houses of the Forry-fourth
and Forty-fifth congresses, for the fiscal
years 1877, 1878 and 1879, and coupling there
with q statement OF additions insisted upon
or secured by a republican senate. Exam
lining in detail the history OF the eleven
great appropriation bills, namely, for the
military academy, Notifications, consular
and diplomatic, navy, post Office Indians
army legislative, executive and judicial,
sundry civil, river and harbor, and pensions,
we find the following:
For the fiscal year ended June 30, ls77-
Estimates of S75sooS 70
Appropriations as passed the
house 5o,US0,ooo %
Appropriations as increased by -
the loI ,4lJ,IoI 90
Appropriations as reduced BY the
house l45, BOO ~
For the fiscal year ended June 80. lS7s-
Estimates Of ,lS2 OO5 IA
APPROPRIATIONS as passed the -
Appropriations as increased by
the senate l4o,Sooooo 20
Appropriations as reduced by the
house .. lao, ,SS4 ,eOs IS
For the fiscal year o,s..ded June 80 .s7s.
Estimates OF departments.."......Sl76,2 ,22b6fo oi
Appropriations as passed the
Appropriations as increased by
the senate l0l So2zoy Al
Appropriations as reduced by the
mouse loI, ,zlS,SSS 20
1t might here be remarked that in this
years appropriations is to be found an Item
of So, 500 900 for the payment of the fishery
award, which is in no sense fairly embraced
in the net ordinary expenditures of the gov
eminent. but which is, nevertheless, in
cluded in the above statement. Taking the
aggregate for the three years, 1877, 1878 and
1879, we find that the democratic house, as it
originally passed these bills, made the fol-
lowing reductions, namely: If the bills had
become laws as they passed the house, there
would have been
SAVING OF s143, 7O6, ,o03.24
under the amounts estimated as necessary by
the republican secretaries, whilst there would
have been also a saving of $114 7SS, ,S29 90 for
the three fiscal years 1877, 1878 and 1879
under the three fiscal years 1874, 1875
and 1876. But this is not all, for whilst
these unquestioned facts from official
sources, show attempted savings by the
democratic house of over one hundred and
fourteen millions for like period of repub-
lican rule, it also shows that a
REPUBLICAN SENATE ADDED $5l, ,18S,01S So
to these eleven appropriation bills against
the earnest protest of the democratic house.
Now, taking these same bills as they fually
passed both houses for the years 1877, 1878
and 1879, we find the following reductions,
namely: The saving secured by the demo-
cratic house under the department estimates
was $117, 1s7. 400 70, and under the appropri-
ations for 1874 1875 and 1876 it aggregated
$SS. .270, ,236 AZ, as before stated, whilst the
increase secured by the republican senate
over the bills as passed the house, after
most desperate struggle. was $26. sis, ,593.45,
so that the very pertinent question remains
for the distinguished senator, the chairman
of the committee on appropriations, to
answer. how do his professions OF economy
tally with the stubborn figures, which prove
him and his republican associates on the
floor of the senate and of the house of repre-
sentatiyes to have labo-ed earnestly to fasten
more than fifty-one millions of dollars upon
democratic house bile, and who succeeded
IN increasing them over twenty-six millions
of dollars7 In some of the statements here
given to you have dealt in round numbers
leaving off the fractions, but should you de-
sire it you are at liberty to use the tabulated
statements from which these estimates have
been taken, and in that connection / may
assure you that the sources of information
from which these tables have been made are
not to be questioned as they are, so far as
they relate TO expenditures, taken from the
official reports of the treasury department,
and so far as they relate to appropriations,
are obtained from the records of the appro-
prialion committee.
Rep.-What force is there then in the
point the republicans are trying to make
against the democracy on the score OF def
cheney bills, which it is::charged are larger in
the present fiscal year than heretofore?
Mr.. B.-No more than there is in any
other of the campaign misrepresentation
that are being manufactured by their CAM
paign committee and sent broadcast through
out the country. The appropriations made
by congress constitute the laws by which the
several departments of the government are
to be conducted. No deficiency can occur as
long as the law is observed. The appear
ance of a deficiency is generally proof con-
elusive that the officer charged with the adj
ministration Of the department IN which
the same appears has passed outside of and