The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-08-15
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DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY.


It is not quite correct to say that 70 lar
as public economy is concerned, the DEM
ocratic and Republican parties stand on
a level. It is not true that both parties
are equally economical. The TENDENCIES
of the two parties are different, Inc
fundamental ideas of the two parties are
essentially and widely unlike. One, party
believes in exalting the individual; the
other party believes in eXaltng the gov
eminent. One party believesin in a "strong
government" in which the citizen ls
small; the other party believes that the
government should be 80 little and sim
9le as to rest almost insensibly, like the
easy yoke and light burden, upon the
governed, that the individual may tower
q monarch. One party believes that the
government may do anything 1T pleases
at any cost-that it is law unto itself
the other party believes that government
must do little and at small cost. One
marty writes "local selfgovernment all
over its creed the other stamps gov
ernment from Washington on every ar
ticle of its faith and on every page OF the
history ofits practice. One party believes
in all sorts of Improvements at gov
ernment cost; the other advocates the
fewest possible. In the view of one party
the National glory consists in a splendid
government with "pomp and crcum
stance" with all power emanating from
the Federal CENTER in glittering display
of authority and means; in the view ol
the other party the National glory con-
sists in bringing the humblest citizens
nearest the throne, in bestowlng the
largest liberty consistent with order at
least expense, upon the lowest Individual
furthest from power This latter party
believes that the glory of that Nation is
greatest whose humblest citizen is most
elevated. These two ideas ofgovernment
can not be equally costly, or equally in.
expensive. The drift of the one Is toward
expense, and of the other toward econo'
my in national expenditures. This the
logical and necessary tendency. The
history and habits of the two parties
conform, in general, to this inherent di'
TeCtion.
Public economy is the prime question
with the average taxpayer. The record
of the Democracy in the House of Rep.
resentatives in the session lately closed
is of public interest in connection with
this. At the close of the session Hon. j.
d. @. Atkins, of Tennessee, chairman OF
the House Committee on preparations,
gavea a review of the conduct OF the House
in this particular. Figures are not usu-
ally Juicy, but these are important. 1t
should be remembered, to begin with,
that the House, in which all apprOpri-
alton bills must originate, labored under
serious difficulties IN the pursuit of econ.
omy. The Senate is politically opposed
to it. The entire executive department
is also politically hostile. The heads of
departments send Republican Lowest
estimates" to the House for consider
alton, to begin with and to end with
the Republican Senate adds to the ap'
preparations made by the House The
House Committee on Appropriations, Sc
leCted to represent the spirit of the Dem
oCratic party on the q lestion of economy,
was not at all times able to carry all of
its measures through the House, in which
there was but slender working majority
of Democrats. Notwithstanding these
obstacles, the record of the House in this
Congress is an economical one.
There are eleven great appropriation
bills: The military academy, fortifca'
tions, consular and diplomatic, navy,
post.ofiCe, pensions, Indians, army, leg
islative, &C., sundry, civil and the river
and harbor bills. Without giving de
tailed statement of these various appro-
priations in their several stages as they
were appropriated by the Committee, as
they passed the House, as they passed
the Senate, and as they finally became
law, we quote the resume of Mr.. Atkins
The regular estimates it will be seen are SI76,.
400 600 for the eleven bills. The House ApprOpri-
alton Committee reported them Al Si45,7I3lO3, a |
reduction below the estimate of $50 100000. The
House added 81 9l4636 making them aggregate
Sl47 6s7 739 and in that shape they passed the
House ana went to the Senate. The Senate APP |
prOpriatiOn Committee reported them to the SEN
ate with an increase of SIS Dos I65 and the Senate
added So S35 65, or Si O6i $40 over the sum OF the
bills as they passed the House and Sl592 llb over
the sum OF the bills as they were first reported |
The House Conference Committees were enabled |
to roduce the grand total rs they passed the SEN |
ate by the sum of 81 6jl 436 leaving as the grand |
total of the appropriations for the next fiscal year
nj gl57 900 s33 But there is an item under the |
Gus matters which added to the grand total of |
8l57 200 S33 makes Sl58,773492 This eXtTaneOus |
matter consists of unusual appropriations that do
not annually appear
A comparison of these expenditures
with those of recent Republican Houses
is interesting. This is the statement, as
condensed by Mr., Atkins:
It will be observed that the first year of the For
"a arny q anprDpratpd RlS1
682274 The second year the amount ran mp 10 |
sl8g 5g3 being an excess of over IS 100000 for
the last year of the Forty second Congress over
the first year of the same Congress. The first year
of the Forty third the appropriations were Slsi,-
3O4 ,7S7, and those Of the second year were Sl7l-
37O687, being about S900OOOO less for the Forty
third than for the Forty second. The FIRST session
of the Forty.fOurth the appropriations were Sl54,-
300 943 and for the second session they were S53,'
SOS 6Sl being the first Democratic House since the
war The aggregate appropriation for the Forty
fourth Congress below the Forty third was S53
776 252 while the reduction below the FOrty.sec
Ond Congress is still more marked being $50 Uo 440
Now allowing for the extraordinary expenditures |
made this session for rhe next fiscal year, being
as before stated about Sl4 900 co., consisting Of the
Halifax award, s. 100000; Onehalf of the River
and HarbOr bill, 81, &,lt0UO0; pensions for the re-
stored so diers of the war Of 1872 S1500 900, and
Increased civil service 81 1000, and deducting
hat sum from the sl570000OO in round numbers
or the first years appropriations Of the FOTtydfth
Congress which is S37 100000 less than the first
year of the Forty second and S5 00 900 less than
he second year Of the same Congress and 10000
0O less than the first year Of the Forty third and
1873 100000 less than the second year of the Forty
bird and $4,000 900 less than the first year Of the
ourth and 5000 900 less than the second session
II the last Congress charging that session with
he total deficiencies appropriated at the present
session.
The history of appropriations for the
past five years is better seen in this table
Statement showing the appropriations for the fs.
years 1873 to 1878, inclusive, and the net expen'
ditures under the same:
Year. ApprOprtdtOns. Expenditures.
6S2274 "a $3.50 4s8 636 20
lS9O52 1893 O4 1874 ll8 g85 90
tS430i 7S7 0S 17l,529S4S 27
SIG 6..,,,.......... III, 80 6s7 81 1854 S57Sl3 36