The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-23
A SHAMEFUL SHOWING.
what the ExtravaA n. ce of the Present
Congress Has Brought About.
New York Evening Post.l

New York Evening Postl
The Forty-fifth Congress- which began its
last session with promises SO fair, Is ending
very Ill. Even IL the appropriation bills are
permitted to pass without irrelevant riders
and an extra session Is avoided, the financial
affairs Of the government will be left In
deplorable condition. The Secretary or the
treasury estimates, In round numbers, that
the receipts for the next fiscal year will be
1857 100000, while the expenditures will be
1884 ,000, 900. Simple subtraction shows a def
cheney here Of $27 100000. The Secretary says
that 1t must be met by an incr ase OF the tax
levy or an issue of bonds. That Is to say, If
Mr.. Sherman Is right In his estimates and IL
Congress remains Of the same mind In re-
spect to fiscal matters for eighteen days
longer, the public debt must be Increased by
the amount of this deficiency
The details OF the Secretary's estimates
deserve the attention Of taxpayers. The pen
sion arrears act is responsible for liability
OF Sal 100000. or this amount $4,000 are
already due. There Is likely to fall duo
during the fiscal year the sum Of So 800, 900,
and during the next fiscal year !$5oOo,OoO
more may DO called for. The deficiency ID
accounted for without looking further A
Congress which has made loud professions OF
an economical purpose not only fails to re-
duce expenses, but increases them enormou
ly; and, destitute of the courage to meet the
consequences OF Its acts squarely and pro-
vide for Its extravaganza measures by O
further tax levy, actually prepares the way
for an enlargement of the debt. For this
Congress, which, under a false pretense of
military patriotism and with demagogic
intent. has thrown upon the country the bur-
den of indefni- Q pension gratuities with like
intent purposes to cut down taxes at the very
point where they should be last touched
These statesmen, who have no inclination to
reform the revenue system generally, to re-
peal duties which are as unprOductive as
they are unjust; who have no time even to
release the fever patients OF the country from
the grasp OF the quinine monopoly although
the release could be effected by few legisla-
tive words. actually present as their sole
plan for the relief of their constituents q re-
duction OF the tax on tobacco and whisky
the very articles which, Of all things, II taxes
are to be levied at all, ought to be taxed as
much as they will bear.
This Is a miserable showing for the outgoing
Congress. These S27 600 900 are so many ar
guments in the next political canvass against
the men who are responsible for the def
cheney At least they ought to be. We do
not believe that they miss their effect The
people are apt to set small store sometimes
by naked declarations Cf doctrines by poiti-
clans In Congress. They dismiss them as
something put forth for present purpose
something not meant or not more than half
meant, something which Is not likely to be
carried out practically. But $27,09O,0OO
wasted, S27,O00,OOO deficiency, S27OO00O0
added to the public debt, are twenty seven
millions OF hard facts which will be felt and
will not be forgotten.