River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-15

| Correspondent-Why was it necessary to divide
| the amount into many bills?
| Senator Windom-Our Democratic friends of the
House knew that the people would understand these
deficiencies to be refutaton of their former loud
pretenses of retrenchment and hence they reluc-
family doled out in detachments such amounts as
they were compelled to appropriate from time to
time.
THE EMPTY BOAST OF DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.
given in New York to Speaker Randall, Hon. A. 8.
Hewitt is reported to have said that Mr. Randall
and his friends in the Forty fourth Congress 'ac-
mplished saving in the entire Congress of $751;
100000 and that it the fruit of putting men in
power who able to do the work set for them to
do. Allowing for all the Deficiencies it amounted to
$23,000000 clear saving" &c. (See New York World
of the Sd instantly Now Senator. you have been
member of the Appropriation Committee for many
years. What do you say to this boast of Democratic
economy, in comparison with the alleged Republican
extravaganza?
| Senator Windom-It is my turn to ask you ques-
/ ton. Don't you think this boast of having saved
only $23000000 "in the entire Congress" is great
! letting down from the claim made by them in the
Presidential campaign that they had saved $40,-
100000" at one session? This modest claim now
amounts to only about $11 100000 for that session,
in which they insisted that they had saved 100000
600. BIZ their confession there to hare been
only about % per cent of truth in their economical pre-
tensions in 1876. 1t will be noted also that Mr..
Hewitt admits that it required about $310O0000 to
make up the deficiencies created by the pretended
retrenchments and reforms of the Forty third Con-
gress In looking over the tables and statements in
Mr.. Atkins speech, notice that he makes the de-
ciencies appropriated since 1876 S30242165 so that
he and Mr. Hewitare substantially in accord on that
point If you will permit me to turn the tables and
question you for moment, should like to ask if
anything could well be more disgraceful in the
leaders of great party than to go before the people
with the pretense of having saved over S40000000,
when, in fact, they knew that $30,000,000 of that
sum would have to be made up by deficiency billsP
Correspondent-Wer the $23,000000 which Mr..
Hewitt claims to be " clear saving" by the Forty
fourth Congress actual saving or only post
ponemen of appropriations and failure to provide
properly for the public service, &c?
Senator Windom-Some portion of it doubt
less saving" but by far the largest part not
On the 10Th of August, 1876, after carefully anay-
zing every item every appropriation bill for that
year. and comparing each with like items in the
bills for the previous year, stated the floor of
the Senate that "of the total pretended
duction of $40,000,000 not So 100000 could in any
sense be called saving of money to the Treasury"
and that this sum fell far below the retrenchment
effected by the preceding Republican Congress. I
now repeat that statement, and am prepared at any
moment to prove it beyond doubt.
! The mere "postponement of appropriations" for
public buildings which were under way in 1876 as
compared with the preceding year, amounted to
So 286 593: the poStpOnement OF surveys OF public
lands to $647 3G0 the failure to appropriate money
to pay judgments of the Court of Claims &c, to
! 81, gil 900. There were numerous other items
|
which were merely postponed" not Saved" They
arc not deficiencies" but simply "postponements,"
which will come in at some future time to swell the
bills. Tho three items have just named, amount
! ing to 1854, 1888, only small part of such
" postponements " made in the one year 1876. De-
Quoting them from 81 100000, which is one-half of
what Mr.. Hewitt claims to be the total savings OF
! the Forty-fourth Congress for 1876 and 1877, we
have less than $6,00O0 900 as the actual saving ist
that year. There we,s many other items Of rodos-
ton made in 1876, VIII ;h are IN 20 poaE,bie 5snss
saving to the TreasuI; bat phifs Il ae.GIasa fras
the $l1 100000 wouL wPe SIS tA1 Vsa'i u =
pretended economy v hb'' ~ b 'zs r
'een dons,
! Corresponden5-Loeo appropriations
always indicate the exact cost of administering the
Government daring the year for which they are
made?
Senator Windom-It does not. There are always
large unexpended balances from various sources
which come over from one year to anothe1 These
"unexpended balances" after standing two years
subject to use, are carried to the surplus fund.-"
which means they returned to the Treasury. 1t is,
therefore, the annual expenditures" rather than
the appropriations" which show what it really
costs to carry on the Government any given year
The exception to this rule is when deficiencies"
are created which makes the expenditures" of one
wear appear less than they really In slch case
the Expenditures" of the next, succeeding year
will show proportionate increase. An instance OF
this kind is found in the apparently reduced expend-
itures of 1877 which will he fully balanced by the
increase for 1873 and 1872 when all the deficiencies
are CldTPeu UP.
When the Executive Departments honest and
faithful only so much money as is necessary will DO
used and the balance of the appropriations will be
returned to the Treasury striking illustration
of this is presented under the last Administration.
From 1869 to 1876 the amounts thus carried to the
surplus fund" as shown by official Treasury
statement, were very large, exceeding by many mill
lions per annum the amounts SO returned to the
| Treasury" under late Democratic appropriations.
This proves two things First, that mere compare
son Of appropriations does not show the relative
cost of administering the Government; anu second,
it proves that the hue and cry of corruption and ex-
travagance raised against the last Administration
was without foundation
You will see at once that their loud boasts OF
economical reductions, based upon the comparisons
of appropriations" without taxing into &C.
count the sums respectively carried TO the surplus
fund" are absolutely meaningless, or else sham
- - fraud TbeSa facts NAV serve to eyDlaiu how