The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-06-24
DEMOCRATIC ExTRAvAGANCE
1t Permeates Every Department Of the
Present Administration - In
creased Appropriations.
How Democratic Pledges Have Been
ted-Adminlstrative Reform
Miserable Failure.

During the debate in Congress on the
Legislative, executive and judicial appro-
priation bill, Representative McComas, OF
Maryland, made scathing arraignment OF
the ruling administration for its failure 10
carry out its reform pledges. He spoke as
follows, addressing himself to the Demo-
cratic side Of the House:
In 1876, i'm 1890 i'm 1884 to get power you pledged
your party by it's platforms TO civil-service re-
Government You would throw off the mask and
array your party against it, But the reform will
survive II has come to stay.
ONE PLEDGE REDEEMED.
Candor compels me to admit that you have
kept one pledge of your platform of 1884 refer
to Its declaration that change is necessary IL
proved by an existing surplus of more than
The last Democratic President had left the
treasury empty worse than empty. So the plat.
form pithily pledged the party to do it again, to
deemed that pledge. Without repeating a tax
without taking or customs duty, without lift
ing single burden from the people in single
year yon have wiped out as with sponge the
surplus revenue.
Said President Garfield on this floor:
There are two committees of this House that
stand, II l may 80 speak, with their backs &c
each other and facing in opposite direction. One
is the Committee of Ways and Means. That
committee faces out upon all the business OF
this country from which revenue can be had
They ask the nation this one question, Where
cnn we get IA revenue TO supply the machinery
OF this Government to fill the treasury il
ought TO be filled? And they apply to all Of the
people OF this country To all it's wealth, to all its
trade, to all its commerce. and ask what contri-
buttons shall be gathered and how they shall be
gathered from the people"
But that committee want one thing before
they start out upon this inquiry-they want the
figures, the sum total. And they turn TO the
other committee which stands back to back tC
them, the Committee on Appropriations, and in
quire of that committee how much money must
we give you To run this Government for the COM
ing year? And they get the figures from the
Committee ON Appropriations. That committee
says TO them we will require SO many millions
of dollars.
The first scene in this spirited drama is pre-
sented to-day, and there is new meaning in it.
We behold the eminent chairman of the Ways
and Means Mr.. Morrison) and the eminent
chairman OF the Appropriations (Mr Randall
standing to-day with tEeir backs TO each other.
They are indeed literally facing in opposite di-
rections on the tariff
The other scene, the fruit OF Garheld's long
experience on this floor, is omitted The Ways
and Means Committee do not turn 70 all the
Committee Of Appropriation and ask how
much money must we give you 10 run this Gov
eminent for the coming year. The eye cannot
say 10 the hand, have no need OF thee Had
they turned and examined they might have
withheld n tariif-revision bill based on an as
sumed enormous surplus revenue. Let this
House then turn and look the other way, after
six months OF session, To see whether the reve
nue. will indeed exceed the appropriations for
the coming year
THE SURPLUS EXPENDED.
The report of the committee ON the new Nor
rison tariff bill says:
THE expenditures for the fiscal year 1885, in
Guiding pensions and the legal requirements OF
the public debt, were S3O5, $50, 9705i. Neither
the actual needs OF an economical administra
ton OF the Government nor the patriotic eX
pectations OF the people justify any increase OF
this enormous annual expenditure, and we may
safely estimate tine annual surplus to exceed
S30,000, 000.'"
Upon this estimated surplus, by enlarging the
free list and reducing dutios il is hoped reduc,
the customs revenue more than S25,OO0,OO0 an
nually
This legislation is based upon the results Of
1885 but the estimates OF expenditure by tn,
administration for the year 1887 largely exceed
the actual expenditure for 1886.
The first Democratic President since Blu
chanan, in his first message to Congress. for tn,
first time since the war reported that there wa
an estimate deficiency for 1887
Secretary Manning reported that as compared
with the last year of Republican rule the re
ceipts had fallen off nearly SIS 0OO, 900 S24 S29.
1884, while expenditures had increased more
than Sl6,C0), 900 lSl6, 100, 6907s). For the yea
1887 he estimated the expenditures at $3.50, $50,
552.3i, and estimated ordinary receipts at S}l5,
100000, whereas the Ways and Means Commit
tee as ume n surplus OF $50, 000, 900. The highes
fiscal authority OF the Government reports al
estimated deficit for 1887 OF 81. So, 5523i. In
stead OF one hundred millions surplus there il
fear, just fear, of large den it.
Now turn TO the appropriation bills alread,
passed or reported to this House. They viii
increase this apprehension. The agricultural
the army, the Military Academy, the Distric
of Columb A. the Indian bills, as they passed
this House, show slight reductions compare,
with the current law for 1886 the consular anC
diplomatic and the postoffice bills market
increase, exceeding the reduction made in tn
legislative, executive and judicial bill now be
fore the House as compared with the cure n
law for 1856:
The amount OF regular annual ap-
preparations made at the last ses-
sion were for 1885. S2l9, sos 2S3 /
The permanent annual appropria-
tions as reported by the Treas
ury amount for 1886 to........... lis, 154, 72S 6
Making the total appropria-
tions for 1886. ........:. 49,. $685., $50, oils
The pension appropriation law for
1857 is an increase over 1886 Of. 1874, 1000
The river and harbor bill for 1887 is
an increase over 1886 when none
was passed) Of .................. 1912, 1000
The aggregate appropriations
which have already passed this
House for 1887 show .............. Sos ,e4G, Bis
! The navy bill as reported is ST.
Sl9,S5S.7 TO- and the naval construc-
ton bill rs reported is So, $4,000,
aggregating SlS,274, $3.50, i'm ex-
cess OF the law for 1886, which
was S15, 07O, s7.95, in the sum for
1887 OF. .......,.............. s,2O4, O2e :
Inc coast ana nnrDOr IOfLl0cHtlOnS
bill may readily increase that Of
1856 over 1887 more than -. 1000, OOoO
| The deficiency bills for 1887 will
exceed those for 1886 more than. 1000, ooO.C
! The public buildings and all mis-
cellaneous appropriations will
show increase over 1885 for
1857 Of more than ............... 5oOO,OcO.C
The total appropriations for
1887 will therefore exceed. :. 1891 $50, 1926
| 10 meet this enormous appropria-
ton find the amount of esti-
mated revenue for 1887 ......... .s315 900, 900 {
| And the amount OF estimated pos
tai revenue for l6S7.............. 1852, 2j2C
The total estimated revenue
being for 1887 only .......... 1862 $40, 252 9
TARIFF REVISION THEREBY IMPOSSIBLE NOW.
| With deficit OF twenty two millions betwee
estimated revenues OF 1897 and the actual az
preparations for 1887 what mockery OF tn
PROSTATE business, the distress Of the peopl,
the unemployed labor Of this country is IL fo
the tariff thinkers TO cry for n cutting down
surplus revenue. With such n deficiency wha
excuse is there for the eloquent gentlema
from Kentucky (Mr. Breckinrdge) saying tina
| the problem before us Is to reduce these excei
sive reyenues2 That problem has been solve
| by this Congress. The surplus has bee
| squandered by the extravaganza within tn
hall and has shrunken with NJ
shrinknge in business outside. To-da
and for the next year we need th
present tariff for revenue. In this year OF d,
preston our highest duty Ia To secure and mail
tain for tho American people the advantages r,
sulting from highly paid labor
| In n year when labor is crying out for fewt