Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-08
Under DEMOCRATIC CONTROL,

7Of lH6 HSCdI year lSIO-tI
For the fiscal year lS77-7S.......... 236, 964,326
For the fiscal year 1S7879.......... 266,947 ,SS3
For the fiscal year lS79SU............ 297 .S60,231
For the fiscal year 188O-S1.."...... 291 ,423,ooo
The appropriations are made one
year ahead, so that the above table
accurately represents the period which
the democrats were able TO determine
the expenditures by reason OF their
control of the house OF represen tatives,
and furnishes comparison with the
during the period OF SIX
wears inst pre cedipg the democratic ac-
cession TO The control over the expens
ditures. II the aggregate expendi~
lures of the past five years be compar
eu with the aggregate expenditures of
the preceding five years, il will be
found that there has been reduction
altogether of something more than
$50 600 600. or about $l0000000, In
stead of $40, 100000 a year. This re-
duction is fully represented by the |
reduction in the interest charge, saved |
in part by the bonds purchased for the
sinking-fund but mainly by the re-
funding of the 6 per cent and per
cent bonds into Al per cent and per
cent bonds. The measures which
made the enormous reduction OF the
interest charge possible were passed
by the republicans before the demo
Gratis obtained control of either house
of congress. Indeed, there is reason to
believe that had the democrats
been able to defeat those measures they
would have done so, since they re-
| fused, at the last session OF congress,
| to pass the necessary measures for con-
tinuing the work of refunding. 1t ap-
| pears, then, that no part of the aggre-
gate saving during the past five ears
| is due to democratic iUfluence, but that
| the actual Xpenditures were as large as
the preceding five years so far as they
J were under the control of the demo-
| cratic house.
There are other views of the matter
which will show that democratic con-
troll of congress has actually resulted
in increased extravaganza. The ex-
penditures of 1872-'73 we're $500, 900 900.
The following year the republican
$4,000, 900 and 81 900 900. The next
years appropriations, under republic
can management, were $I3 900 900
lower still, and the year following
there was further reduction of more
than S16 900 600. The progress of the
republicans was steadily in the direc-
ton of economy. The democrats
maintained this tendency for only one
year. The first years appropriations,
after they acquired majority in the
house showed a reduction Of nearly
$50 ,000,0 but the next year their re-
duction was less than 81 100000. Their
apparent reduction was deceptive, asthe
8 ubsequent deficiency bills revealed.
From that time on, their appropria-
tiOns jumped up at an alarming rate.
In the f1scal'year 1887 $50 000 00C
were added, and the next year $751;
600 900 more. The consequence is that
the democratic appropriations for the
past two years average about the same
as the republican appropriations ten
years ago, Notwithstanding the reduc-
ton in the interest account. The
economical policy insugurated by the
republicans before they lost control o.
congress has been practically abandon.
: ed bNthe democrats.
These are other circumstances which
mpletely expose democratic extrava
gance in determining the expenditures
of the national government. The ex.
penditures for the current fiscal year,
fixed by the democrats, will be mate
rally the same as those OF the CORE
spending year ten years ago. But in
1880 the money paid out is either coin
or paper representing coin, and i,
worth its full face value. Ten years ago
the money OF the Countrywide green-
backs and national bank notes-were
worth only from 81 to SO cents on the
dollar. There is an average difference
of about y per cent. in the value o
the currency. This would amnut, OIL
1920 100000, to nearly $35 900 900, and
hence it appears that the democrat:
are now spending that much more
Than the republicans voted ten years
: ago. To this should also be added
ABOUT Sis 100000, which has beer
saved annually by a reduction in TIT
interest charge, and this would make
. it appear that the democratic congress
is appropriating about $50 900 900
year more, instead of $40 900 900 less
than was expended by republican
/, congress. Hence the lie in the demo
cratic platform amounts, in the aggre
gate, to about 800 900 900 year. Thi
would be regarded as "whopper' if i
came from any otter source tDan thu
T., democratic party. The lie itself is no
so important, however, as the fact tina
the democrats, to the extent of thei
power, are squandering the publi
money at rate which should startl
the country. II their power be en-
lArged at the approaching fall election
by turning over to them the exe2utiv
branch of the government with it
vast patronage their extravaganza wi
know no bounds.