The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-21
DEMOCRACY AND TIE SURPLUS.

1
likely to get itself into a very humiliating fix,
if the joint resolution passed by it should be
Endorsed by the Senate and sent to the Presi-
dent, instructing him and his Secretary of the
Treasury in the discharge of their duties,
which, under the law, they are permitted to
| exercise at discretion, relative to the employ
ment of the surplus in the Treasury. The
Democrats in the House realize that some
thing should be done in this direction. They
recall the promises made by the party in the
last presidential campaign, and remember
how it was asserted that there was On idle sur
plus of $500, 600, 900 that could be, and should
/ be, used in extinguishing the public debt or
distributed among the people at the rate of
eight dollars apiece. The Republican admins
| tration was ''arraigned" for this neglect, and
the people were appealed to to elect the Dem
ocratic candidates. with the promise that in
event they were chosen this surplus would be
| disposed of in short ORDER to the satisfaction
of all concerned. The Democrats in Con-
gress know that sixteen months have passed
since the Democratic party came into power,
and that, instead Of the surplus being reduced
and the public debt extinguished the former
has steadily increased, and the latter has not
been reduced as rapidly as it was under Re-
publican management Official figures show
| that during the sixteen months the Demo
cratic party has had control of the finances Of
che country but $58, 1885, 900 has been applied
to paying the public debt, while during the
last four years Of Republican control the debt
was paid off at the rate of 1858, 900, 900 for
every sixteen months, or nearly three times
as fast. 1t is not strange, therefore, that the
Democratic majority in the House should be-
come impatient and dread to go before the
country with the party's pledges unfulfilled.
| There is some danger, however, in passing
such resolution, because Of the fact that the
President may take it into his head to exer-
else the veto power when he comes to its con-
sideration, something not pleasant for Demo
cratic congressman to contemplate 1t would
not be polite thing for them to go to the
country with an issue between them and the
| President. They are hardly ready for that
yet. The probability of a veto is strong. for
the reason that for sixteen months past the
President and his Secretary Of the Treasury
, have seen fit to act as they have in this mat
| Tow aoo l. how 40 10
cause they thought it to be the best policy to do
SO. A joint resolution will hardly cause them
| to change their mind on this point. Viewed
in any way it may be, it is not pleasing
thing for Democratic contemplation. The al
ministration has stultifed itself by refusing to
exercise the discretion already given the by
law, in the way of an energetic policy of re-
ducing the public debt. The loud cry that
there was a ruinously large surplus in the
way the party promised. The public debt
has not been paid half so rapidly as it was
being paid under Republican administrations.
The Democratic majority is excusable in get
ting anxious about it, and expressing desire
that the administration do little better in
initiating, as far as possible, the healthy ex-
ample set by the Republican administrations
of the past They contemplate the fact that
during the years that succeeded the Rebellion
| the Republican party not only kept up the
enormous interest account, but reduced the
same to comparative insignifcance while at
the same time paying over twelve hundred mill
ions on the principal of the debt 1t is not
strange that the Democratic Secretary of the
Treasury should initiate the Republican policy
of financial management. He knew he could
not do better. But it is remarkable, after all
that has been said and promised by the Demo
cratic party, that there should not have been
some effort to make better showing than has
been made. This is the quandary the Demo
cratic House finds itself in. It would like to
see the surplus applied to the extinguishment
of the debt, and is driven to the extremity of
asking the administration to consider its poll
cy and get at it with a little more speed.
There is the danger that the President, who
knows little enough about finance may resent
this interference as bit of impudence, in
which event the Democratic candidates for re-
election this fall will have some difficulty ex-
planning why the promises of 1884 have not
been kept The Democratic House is be-
| tween the devil and the deem sea
THE Brooklyn Eagle has been cphering on
the Presidents civil-service proclamation, and