The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-08-23

transmitted to Congress at the opening of
the present session was as full of alarm as
fre-beIl. It's text was found in the follow
ing paragraph;
On the 8Oih day of June, 1885 the excess of reve-
nues over public expenditures, after complying
with the annual requirements of the sinking fund
act was sl7 $50 1854 during the year ending June
30 1885, such excess amounted to S49 405, 10 and
during the year ending June 30, 1887 it reached the
sum Of $50, ,s4954.
Upon this basis-which he asserted was
not theory but condition "-he built a
fearful structure of evils which would inevi-
tably descend upon the country from the
locking up of the peoples money in the
Treasury vaults, Withdrawing it from circu-
lation, stagnating business, etc.
This was the keynote to the music the
band has since played continuously. We
have heard nothing from large portion of
the press and the politicians but vociferation
on the dangers and evils of the enormous
surplus. The Mills bill was framed in dark
ness and secresy, and brought forth to light
as the great panacea for the surplus" We
were asked to look with complacency, if not
approval, upon the slaughter it would make
among our carefully-nourished industries,
because it would dispose of the surplus, and
prevent the evils of an undue accumulation
of money in the Treasury; that it would be
equally effective in preventing accumula-
ton in the pockets of the people was left to
be discovered later.
Last week there was startling develop
ment Speaker Carlisle, Representative
Holman and some others who pose as guard
ians of the Treasury, felt moved to add up
the totals Of the bills which have been passed
by one or both Houses, or which have been
agreed upon by the committees, and they
were dumfounded to find that they would
practically use up the revenue for the year.
and leave little surplus to descant on in
impassioned speeches and infammatory
editorials. Figure it as they would they
could not make ont surplus Of more than
| $4,000, 0G0, while the most credible esti-
mate would not make it exceed 100000.
twas not theory, but condition which
confronted them, and still confronts them.
Much of the alleged surplus resulted from
not paying the obligations of the United
States when due. Anybody with an income
can have balance in bank if he fails to
meet his bills when they are presented, and
that is precisely what Congress has done.
In order to make q show of economy and Of
accumulated money in the Treasury the last
! Congress did not make the appropriations if
should, but left the debts to be met by this
Congress, which has already passed four
deficiency bills and has another pending A
/ large part of this is to make good the de-
linquencies of the preceding Congress. Had
it done its duty and paid current expenses
with current income, as a straightforward
business man does, there would have been
nothing like the Surplus" which President
Cleveland was able to report. For example
two urgency deficiency bills alone passed by
this Congress to meet the delinquency of its
predecessor amounted to SO 100000, and the
River and Harbor Bill, which the President
did not sign, but is Jumped with the one
which has just become law without his
signature, was for 100000 more. It re.
quires little knowledge of arithmetic to I'M
derstand that a few such items as these
would make the alleged surplus a shadowy
figure of speech.
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE has constantly
urged that there is no such thing in real
| ity as the surplus; that cannot exist
when there is an immense bonded debt,
large portion Of which must soon be paid of
There is in addition the debt due the sol
diers, the payment Of which has been shirk
ed by this and preceding Congresses Nov
comes the revelation that the floating deb
of the country-sufered to grow by fnan
cial mismanagement-will approximate tn
amount of the alleged surplus. 1t look
very much as if the whole bottom has drop
out Of the "anti-suTplus" campaign.
THEN AND NOW.