Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-08-24
Change the MethO,..

In temperate and timely editorial,
the New York Nation after noting the
temptation which the large surplus that
now accumulates in the treasury offers
to Congress, advances the following
plan for eliminating some of the dangers
which now make the annual appro-
priations a seething mass of abomna-
tions.
1t is obvious how much in the way OF
bringing order out of chaos would be ac-
complished by Introducing the practice
of having complete budget of neces-
sary expenditures, and of the taxation
required to cover them, prepared by the
executive branch of the Government and
submitted to Congress at the beginning
of each session. What we have now is
r,erely the estimates of the different de-
partments of the amounts of money
they want. VIII It is needed is, aside
from the groupin, together of these
amounts, showing the total sum required
by the Government fOI the ear, clear
statement of the different kinds of ex-
listing taxes, with their yield, and the
opinion of the Executive as to what
taxes will best subserve the purpose,
what taxes may be cut down or abolish
ed, and so on. A clear summing up
in statement of this kind would be
sure to attract the attention and to reach
the understanding of every intelligent
taxpayer. 1t would be generally as
sumed that the Executive, having the
inf : he d.
of the Government, would ask for all
the money really needed, While the dis
tinct personal responsibility assumed by
il in making its demands and statements
would keep it within the bounds of
proper encOnomy. The Appropriation
Committee would find much of their
work done before they sat down to it.
The proper relation between appropria-
tions and taxes would become much
clearer not only to the minds of Con-
gressmen, but to the minds of the people
too, and the latter would be likely to
exercise much more intelligent and
effective vigilance over the former, and
thus keep them from running into wild
extravaganza beyond the figures of the
budget. The necessity of change of
this kind has never appeared more urg
ent than after the experiences of the
present session. 1t should be seriously
considered, and might, if foreign ex-
amples are not allowed to be conclusive,
at least be tried as an experiment.
This is the method employed in for
eign countries where the ministry pre-
pare their budgets of expenditures for
the coming year with suggestions as to
the proper taxes to be levied. It's sim
plicity and business like directness is in
striking contrast to the scrambling, I'M
business like method which obtains in
our National legislature, where eight or
ten men constituting committee, with
little if any knowledge of the branch of
the service for which they are to make
appropriations and less of the taxation
necessary to produce the revenue. meet
annually to engineer through appro-
priations amounting to millions.
Combine with this the additional
measure of giving the President power
to veto such portions of appropriation
bills rs he believes to be pernicious and
there will be little chance for fault find
ing in the matter of appropriations.
The howl of Indignation which was
aroused throughout the country BY the
action of Congress at the session Just
closed may have the effect of directing
the attention of the people to their own
responsibility in the matter. As the
case stands now representatives are
forced to vote for bills as q whole in
order to secure the necessary appro-
priations to carry on the governmental
improvements, however distastefu to
them may be certain portions of the
bill. A radical change is necessary.
Methods that might have done when
the population of the United States was
comprised in n small strip of sea coast
and numbered but few millions will
not serve when that population covers
millions of square miles of territory
stretching from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and embracing q population of
fifty millions of people. Until such
change is made the present difficulties
will continue