River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-15
Taxes Reduced by the Democratic
House from 1875 to 1878,
SOOO,OOO,OOO!

The following is the substance of an interview "
between the Washington correspondent of the New
York Times and Senator Window, of Minnesota,
chairman of the Senate Committee Appropria-
tions, published in the Times of June 6, 1873
Correspondent Have you compared the aggregate
appropriations made by this Congress with those of
last year, and, if so, how do they compare?
Senator Windom-Yes sir; have carefully
amined all the bills since the adjournment. The
total for last year was S143 SIT 1882. The total for
this year is $i72 58941 The increase ts year u.s.
therefore, 2S.752 ,@65.49. These aggregates
cover all the regular appropriation bills.
Correspondent-Is this increase chargeable to the
extravaganza of this Congress?
Senator Windom-No: it is mainly cargeable to
the demagoguism of the Forty fourth Congress in
making; pretended Savings" for political effect
when they were only creating deficiencies"
Correspondence it true that no reductions in
expenditures were made until after the Democratic
party got control of the House of Representatives?
Senator Wndom-By no means. Expenditures
had been on a descending scale almost ever since
the war The finance reports show that in 1868
they were 1929 915O88, and that under the admins
tration of President Grant they constantly
duced, until for the year ending June 80 1876 they
were only $1G4 857 s13 or after making the proper
the Geneva award claims and for the Department
hostages (which latter counted in the nominal ex-
pendtures but really took no money from the
Treasury the expenditures for 1876 were as we
have seen, only $156 810,957 The total reduction
in expenditures during Grants administration was
therefore $73 104.131 making annual average re-
duction of $9133016. The reductions made by the
Republicans the last year (1876) $14,718,991.
DEMOCRATIC PROFESSIONS AND PERFORMANCES
RECOGNIZABLE
Correspondent-How do you reconcile these facts
with Democratic professions of economy?
Senator Windom-Excuse me; / have never I'M
dertaken the impossible task of reconcng Demo-
cratic performances with Democratic professions,
and certainly shrink from such effort in this
case I think no one believes that their Wanted
economy is anything but sham to secure votes 1t
was well understood by everybody who gave atten-
ton to the subject that their boase reductions IN 1876
ere effected By denying appropriations indispensable TO
the public service By postponng necessary public uorks
5y repuddting national Obligations By withholding large
sums for deficiency bills and when all these and other
desperate expedients exhausted, the figures
themselves manipulated that they lost their
proverbia truthfulness, and became the most men
dacous partisans. This sort Of deception could be
carried on for year two with some success but
it could have but one result. Already the logic of
events and the imperative necessities of the Govern
Tnent have exposed the triekery which was then de-
nounced and, by compelling an increase OF nearly
$29O00000, have Uncovered the demagogism of
1876 by which it was sought to carry the Presiden
tia election under pretense of economy and reform.
Correspondent-Have you read tho speech of Mr..
Atkins chairman of the Committee Appropria-
lions of the House of Representatives, published in
the Record of June 28, in which he endeavors to
show that there has been real increase last
years appropriations, and in which he charges the
Senate with =" violent opposition" to the retrench-
ment and economy which the House inaugurated"
and fso will you please tell me what you think of
1t?