The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-08-28
Washington POST

ana Baofc0 Pr0ufEacy.
Washington POST
Some of the shrewdest of the republican
leaders, who realize that the bloody shirt
era Is over, sought to.open the present politi-
cal campaign on other issues The howl of
democratic extravagance was raised, and the
unanimity with which il was taken MP by
the small-fry speakers and writers indicated
preconcerted plan to fight it out on that
line. Senator Window devoted weeks of
ingenious labor to the preparation of state
ment to sustain the charge that the "late
trayagant" But Mr.. Window started out
with false premises, and ended with false
deductions. He assumed that the congress
was democratic when considering the sub
ject OF appropriations, but when he talked
of beneficial legislation he gave the credit
ers and writers, taking their cue perhaps
from Mr.. WINDOWS one sided showing,
have continued to howl about democratic
extravaganza" in their efforts to create a
little party capital. The Post has already
answered this charge from the record made
by both houses Of congress, and now it pro-
poses to examine the record made by the
two houses separately. The senate Is and
has been republican, without intermission,
since the war began; the house is demo-
cratic, and has been since the assembling of
the Forty-fourth congress- in 1875 Each
house has an organization independent OF
the other, and is responsible for the expenses
thereof. We will take the current expenses
OF the senate and house, exclusive OF the
pay and per diem of members, for the fiscal
year 1877, and compare them. The senate
consists Of rs members, and the total Of its
expenses for that year was $444, 79161; the
house consists of 301 members, including
the territorial delegates, and its total ex-
penses were $500, 9S306. In other words, il
cost the people of this country $5.852 SO a
year for the services of each republican
senator exclusive of pay, while the cost of
maintaining each democratic repre-
sentative for the same year was only 81 ,677.-
81. 1t cost the people that year $l71 1859 9S
to pay the salaries Of employees for seventy
six senators, while the 301 members of the
house paid only s204, sos 80 for the same SER
vice. That is, the house, consisting of near
ly four times as many members as the senate,
ployes than that body. For clerks to com
mittees and pages the senate expended $685.
S2S, and the house $3S, 46201 The same
showing could be made in the presentation
of nearly every item of expenditure-the
republican senate. with just one-fourth the
number of members of the democratic house.
exceeding the latter in almost every expen-
diture. .
What more effective reply to the cry of
democratic extravsgance Is needed? The
expenses of the senate represent the reckless
system OF the republican party, while those
of the house represent the economical system
brought in by the democrats.
The same favorable showing TO the demo-
cratic party is found wherever the facts and
figures are consulted. The records prove
that the party has faithfully carried out its
promise to practice the most rigid economy
in all the affairs of the government.
Upon getting control of the house the
democrats began the work OF enforcing
economy by cutting down the appropriation I;
the necessities of every department, bureau
and division were carefully inquired into and
the amount of money sufficient for each was
allowed. The republicans growled, and
their party press claimed that the govern
ment was stinted and crippled IN order 10
make temporary political capital. They
said, Just wait, and the time will show the
folly OF this so-called economy" But four
years have passed and the country can
judge by the results. Millions of dollars
have been saved to the people by cutting
down appropriations, and the figures in
proof of this have been published in this
journal. Had the democratic party con-
trolled the expenditures as well as the APP
preparations during the past tour years the
savings to the people would have been more
than doubled. But as it was the economy
OF the democratic house has brought forth
good fruits even in the matter of expendi-
lures. The public moneys have been dis
bursed by radical officials, but they realized
that democratic house would hold them
responsible, and hence they dared not carry
their extravagance too far. The house has,
as it were, held check rein over the radical
administration for these four years, and the
result has been net saving of over fifty
millions of dollars.